Goodbye, Carrie

Last night, after about a year of running the entire series, TBS broadcast the last episode of HBO’s “Sex and the City.” I assume they’ll start all over next week, but we won’t follow it as closely as we did this run-through. Portraying a writer is generally considered one of the hardest things to do for an actor; all the great activity is perceived to be mental. Her columns are compiled into a book that sells poorly in America, but makes great business in France. (All of this based somewhat on Candice Bushell, who wrote such a column and turned it into a book.) The show didn’t convince us that Carrie Bradshaw was a wrier as much as she was a diarist. She just happened to publish her diary in print once a week.

For example, in the last episodes of the show, she moves to Paris with her new artist boyfriend. Her paper decides not to run her column anymore, so she lands in Europe with no job. For the weeks we see her struggle through what amounts to an awkward French vacation, at no time does she write down her thoughts. She documents nothing. For someone who spent the past six years writing once a week, this lack of journalism is baffling. Here’s a great idea for a new book: A sex essayist moves to the City of Romance to keep her man. What does she do with her time instead? Shops, smokes, pines for her busy honey. Very disappointing for us. We thought she was more independent than that.

Otherwise, the show ended great. The supporting cast had their moments to shine, and one feels as if there was true progress made with them. Sara Jessica Parker (Carrie) in many ways reminds me of Your Sister in a Bizarro-world, chain-smoking emotionally distorted way.

With “S&TC” gone, our Tuesday couch-time threatened to loom like a giant void. That is until Your Sister realized we had missed FOX’s “House” all this time. The series was programmed into our TiFaux as soon as we got off the phone with you last night.

Picture of the Day
Told ya he looked like Your Brother. Chris Masters, WWE muscle guy, has improved in the ring almost every week. He’s very young (maybe 22), and he’s got the bad-guy attitude down pat. He also sells the opponent’s offense well, taking slams and hits broadly enough to convince the crowd he’s taking a beating. He’s fun to watch.

In the news
One of the sure signs of a second presidential term is the eruption of scandals. The newest one came yesterday as Brian Doyle, deputy press secretary for Homeland Security, was busted for soliciting who he thought was a 14-year-old girl online. It was a cop. He had sent “her” porn video clips and photos of himself, some taken in his office. One reports states,” Doyle was so obsessed he gave her his DHS office and cell phone numbers, and his instant messaging address.”

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A funny, short video: Japanese police vs. Darth Vader. Place bets now!