When people think about Sex and the City, they picture the famous scenes of New York City, the fashion statements, and Carrie Bradshaw's famous voiceovers. While sometimes a corny device when used in movies, the voiceover really worked on SATC, and the series would have felt so different without it.
Now that HBO Max is producing a revival called And Just Like That, fans have ideas about storylines and what the show could look like. Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte will be in their fifties and everyone is excited to tune in — though Samantha will be missed. We can't help but wonder, should Carrie's voiceovers be part of these new episodes, or is it time to say goodbye?
Keep: It's Super Nostalgic, Which Is Necessary
Ever since Candace Bushnell's New York Observer '90s dating column was adapted for TV, fans of Sex and the City have truly loved getting to know Carrie and her friends.
There has to be some nostalgia involved in watching a reboot of a popular show. Otherwise, why make new episodes? Fans definitely miss Carrie Bradshaw's iconic voiceovers, which is reason enough to include them. It's always nice that even when so many things change in life, the best parts of a favorite TV show remain the same.
Ditch It: The Format Gets Tired
Carrie became a frustrating character over the course of the series, and it's safe to say that sometimes the format of her voiceovers became dull and tired.
It would make sense to ditch them for the HBO Max revival, as it would breathe new life into the series and allow the writers to do something different. It can be difficult to make new episodes of a popular show since fans expect certain things to remain the same, but it's also good to switch it up and try new and creative narrative forms.
Keep: It's How Carrie Works Through Her Problems
Carrie's voiceovers allowed her to work through problems that she was dealing with in her life and showed viewers the way that she saw the world around her.
For example, when Carrie was going away for the weekend, her voiceover explained, "One of the best things about living in a city like New York is leaving it." That's a great line that is both funny and intelligent and it makes the viewer think. While of course Carrie can talk to her friends or Big, it's still good to be able to hear her thoughts and feelings via her voiceovers.
Ditch It: "Show, Don't Tell" Is A Better Storytelling Device
While Carrie's voiceovers often proved that she had a way with words, sometimes she was literally just explaining what was going on. In the season 1 episode "Models and Mortals," she said, "Last night my friend Miranda got invited to a dinner party by a man she hardly knew." While fans are used to this format of the show, wouldn't it have been better to just see Miranda at the gathering?
It would be great for the revival to show instead of tell, especially since Carrie is known for her wise words about love. Even without her iconic voiceover, it's safe to say that fans will still love hearing what she has to say.
Keep: Carrie's Voiceovers Add Humor To The Series
Sex and the City had both an intelligent and funny tone. The show beautifully balanced moments when Carrie and her friends were deeply struggling with humorous scenes involving their dating lives. Carrie's voiceovers added humor to the show as she often made jokes through this format, which is one reason to keep them for And Just Like That.
Also in "Models and Mortals," Carrie said, "I couldn't believe it. The man had slept with half the perfume ads in September's 'Vogue.'"
Ditch It: Fans Want More From Miranda And Charlotte
From Miranda's terrible dates to Charlotte's sweet personality, there are many things that fans love about these two characters. If And Just Like That chooses to get rid of Carrie's voiceovers, this will allow it to focus more on these two characters.
While of course the series focused on Carrie, it was also about the lives of her good friends and the important relationship that they had with each other. Giving fans more Charlotte and Miranda — especially since Samantha won't be returning — feels like the right thing to do.
Keep: What Is Carrie "Wondering" About Now?
Carrie is known for saying "I couldn't help but wonder" and that is part of her iconic SATC voiceovers. In the season 2 episode "They Don't Shoot Single People, Do They?" she asked, “As I walked home, I couldn’t help but wonder … When did being alone become the modern-day equivalent of being a leper?”
Fans are curious to know what Carrie is "wondering" about now, which is another reason for the revival to continue her iconic voiceovers. Is it really Sex and the City without this character saying "I couldn't help but wonder?"
Ditch It: Is Carrie Still Writing Her Column?
Carrie wrote a column every week for The New York Star, and her voiceovers allowed her to work through her writing process. In season 5, she got a book deal, which was a big deal for her career.
If Carrie isn't still writing her column for the HBO Max revival, or any column at all, does it really make sense to continue with her voiceovers? Hopefully, her career has continued to move forward in the years since the show ended (and the events of the two movies took place). It might not be relevant to keep her voiceovers.
Keep: Fans Want Carrie's Take On Modern Dating
In her 2019 book Is There Still Sex in the City? Candace Bushnell took a look at contemporary dating and hooking up. She knew that so much had changed since the days when she wrote her column, and she had a lot to say.
The characters often went on horrible dates and fans enjoyed watching them, as this made the series so relatable. Keeping Carrie's voiceovers for the revival will allow the character to give her opinions on modern dating, which will be fascinating. What does Carrie think about dating apps? Does she have friends who are having good or bad luck at online dating?
Ditch It: The Voiceovers Felt Stiff And Forced In The First Movie
The Sex and the City movie sequel wasn't a fan favorite, but it's fair to say that people enjoyed the first one.
In this movie, Carrie had some voiceovers, and they felt repetitive and stiff. She said "Year after year, twenty-something women come to New York City in search of the two L's: labels and love" and at the end, her voiceover said that the characters were "dressed head to toe in love." It was a cheesy quote and didn't quite work, so that suggests that saying goodbye to these voiceovers would be a good move for the revival.