"The Carrie Diaries," the CW's new series and prequel to longtime HBO hit "Sex and the City" premiered this week, drawing in a crowd of teenage "Gossip Girl" mourners, SATC adult fans who continue to watch re-runs eight years later, and my generation - which is a little bit of both.
After watching the premiere episode, I'm certain this show won't live up to its predecessors. The show has the same producers as "Gossip Girl," but it's an entirely different setting. It's 1980s (fashion included) and 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw is living in Connecticut, commuting to New York to intern at a law firm. AnnaSophia Robb, the actress now playing Carrie, doesn't have Sarah Jessica Parker's striking facial features, though the stylists did nail Carrie's iconic blonde curls. For SATC viewers, the biggest shock of all is seeing a Carrie without her clique - Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda - since "The Carrie Diaries" is set before the women meet.
I don't expect those who grew up watching those four to clear their schedules for next week's episode. At sixteen, Carrie is still a virgin and she loses some of the edge viewers are used to. In the narration she won't be talking about places like Paris and Hollywood or experiences like cheating and older men. Even teenage boy drama can't compare to Samantha's sexcapades. However, I'm going to stay tuned because this show can shine on its own without the fabulosity of SATC.
Although she was fictional, Carrie inspired me as a writer. Even if her relationships were rollercoasters, she could go home to her apartment on the with a closet overflowing with designer clothes and an article to work on for Vogue.
As fun as it was watching Carrie's adventures in SATC, I always wanted to know: HOW. How does a writer afford an apartment in NYC without having ramen for dinner daily? How does a columnist attract enough of a crowd to write five books? How can someone get a freelance position at Vogue? Every few seasons, Carrie would meet some people, and they would just hand her these amazing opportunities. Her beau, "Mr. Big" and his commitment issues were the only flaws in her perfect life. As a viewer, I fantasized: How could I get that life?
The Carrie Diaries shows that dream careers aren't always going to find you. We finally see a more realistic depiction of Carrie putting in the work for her job. In the first episode, her father secures her an internship at a law firm, but Carrie catches the attention of a magazine stylist on her own. A preview of next week's episode shows Carrie working with that stylist on a photo shoot and contributing her own creation for the models. Carrie's on her way to that Vogue magazine wedding cover in the movie epilogue, and she's choosing her career over the new hot guy at school.
As I spruce up my own resume and think about life after DePauw, I can sympathize with Carrie who is starting an internship in a new city. The first episode wasn't what I was prepared for but I'm seeing some "Legally Blonde," "The Devil Wears Prada" and even "Little Women" potential in this young working girl. As I apply for jobs this semester, I'll make time to watch "The Carrie Diaries" on Monday nights.
- Ford is a senior from New York majoring in English writing.