The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) is a terrible prequel
Sex and the City (1998-2004) was iconic enough that it is no surprise that it gained more than a few continuations. It is a shame that The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) did not quite match up with the original.
Photo courtesy of Martamenchini/Wikimedia Commons
Recently there has been a resurgence of popularity of the show Sex and the City (1998-2004) with clips of the show being shared on social media sites like TikTok leading more young adults to find comfort in the comedy series. What many may not know about the show is that after its original popularity, a few other shows and movies were added to the franchise.
Four years after the show ended the franchise released Sex and the City (2008), a film that follows the same core four main characters years after the show's ending. They face new “adult” problems, but the plot is consistent in picking up where the series left off. The film gained mixed reviews from fans, but was well received enough that another film came out two years later, appropriately titled Sex and the City 2 (2010) and takes place two years after the previous film.
Both of the films had some interesting moments, but overall stayed true to the initial characters. However, the same cannot be said for the next piece of the franchise, a series called The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) that goes back in time to follow the main character Carrie through high school and her life leading up to her full-time life in the city.
The series was canceled after only two seasons despite many finding the show to be entertaining. While I can agree with the entertainment aspect of the series, the show is widely inconsistent with characters and plot lines that appear in the original Sex and the City (1998-2004) series.
In the original series, Carrie has no relations with her family or friends from her hometown, besides one subplot where she briefly rekindles a relationship with an ex-boyfriend. However this ex-boyfriend is introduced as Jermey, her first kiss and long-time high school boyfriend. Yet in The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014), her on-again-off-again boyfriend is named Sebastian—no mention of anyone named Jermey.
While I am still a few episodes from the end of The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014), it so far portrays Carrie having a normal and loving relationship with her father and younger sister. The show begins with the death of her mother, leading them all to bond together and learn how to be happy while still missing their mom.
Both her father and sister never make an appearance in the original series, and Carrie actually mentions in the original series that her father walked out on her and her mother when she was five years old. This direct difference between the two series has led many friends to believe over the years that The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) portrays an alternate version of Carrie’s life, like an alternate universe.
Along with this, The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) also features many of Carrie’s closest friends who seem to genuinely care about her life, but yet not a single one of them is mentioned in the original series. Friendships and families falling apart on the journey to adulthood is normal, but the fact that every single one of them ceases to exist in the original series is far too inconsistent to believe.
Alongside these characters being misplaced and misused, there are also many tiny details that make the show an unrealistic prequel. The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) was produced by CW, which may explain some of these differences from the HBO original, but it has led me to wonder if these inconsistencies were truly purposeful, or if they occurred on accident.