‘And Just Like That’, the Sex and the City reboot is a hot topic around the world at the moment.
And whilst there is MUCH to discuss (the cardboard acting, the ridiculous ‘woke’ plotlines, a certain surprise death & of course the faaaassshun) there is one particular thing that has really stood out to me. As I watch the train wreck of a television show, I can’t help but wonder are they setting Miranda up to have a drinking problem?
As with all female led tv shows, there is a heavy an emphasis on drinking (and don’t we all notice that now it’s on our radar?? A blog all to itself I think), it feels like the writers are taking particular care to single Miranda out and emphasise that everything might not be ‘normal’.
There are a few tell-tale signs this could be the case.
Number one: Stopping at a bar on the way to work Thursday morning to try and order a calming glass of Chablis at 10:45 am. Miranda was on her way to her first day at University, was understandably nervous and thought morning wine might help her through the day.
Number two: One I am sure we can all identify with. Handbag wine at the dance rehearsal. I’ve handbag wined to many a place, movies, theatre you name it. I most recently witnessed this in the flesh at our 5 yo daughters dance rehearsal. An interesting thing to witness from the other side of the bottle!
Number three: Demanding double whiskey at the (spoiler alert) funeral before the bar has even opened. In this case a glass of Chablis didn’t cut it. The stress of the moment called for something a little stronger.
Partner all of that with the well-publicised fact that there will be a non-alcoholic wine featured at some stage later on in the series*, and I say that all signs are pointing to YES. Miranda is on her way to confirmed problematic drinker status. There is of course some press already buzzing around this. There’s a Marie Claire article published about whether or not Miranda is being set up as an alcoholic; grab some popcorn and settle in to the comments section on Facebook for that one!
What will be interesting is to see how the writers tackle this one. They already get a tick from me with the inclusion of the alcohol free wine. Despite the show being fairly painful to watch, for this reason alone I will be tuning in to see how they manage this issue that is so close to many of our hearts.
Will Carrie and Charlotte call her out on her drinking? Will Miranda seek counselling or be pushed into AA? What will they make of the non-alcoholic sparkling Rosé? There is a great opportunity here. There is the potential for this plot line to have a significant ripple effect.
- For viewers to see themselves in Miranda and identify that maybe they too need to evaluate their relationship with booze.
- To legitimise non alcoholic wine as a wonderful option for some who choose to cut out or back on alcohol.
- To help normalise non alcoholic drinking and communicate what we all know, that life without booze doesnt have to be boring.
I can’t help but wonder… will they find a very clever bartender to craft a signature alcohol free Cosmo? Stay tuned to find out!
