As a huge fan of the "Sex And The City" franchise, I knew I had to at least check out the new CW series "The Carrie Diaries." I remember reading the Candace Bushnell prequel book and was kind of disappointed by it, so I truly wasn't expecting much. As a matter of fact, I was dreading hating it that I waited three weeks (the episodes sat on my DVR) before watching the pilot. I shouldn't have waited - the pilot was fantastic, a perfect launcher to this series, which may just be my favorite new show of the season. Set in 1984, Carrie is a High School Junior, with her troika of friends, and has just gotten a part-time internship at a law firm in Manhattan. I can't help but feel a kinship to the character, as I myself came to the NYC area in 1984, and like her, fell in love with the city instantly. I really hate that the setting is now nostalgia, but the series really does do a great job of setting Manhattan in the 80s, an era in the city I was very familiar with. (Oh, how I miss my city in the 80s) And I even had my first job at 120 Broadway, the exact same location where she gets a job. And of course, the building is across the street from Century 21, a story that is featured in the pilot. (Although in the 80s, it's not as big a store as it is now, and as depicted in the story) I wasn't as lucky to get invites to Indochine my first day out, but still, there are times when I feel like the series is narrating my own story. On the second and third episodes, the action stalls, as it sets up story lines for the characters. Make no mistake, though, I am definitely hooked on this. Die hard fans of SATC may find it off-putting, as they already have their own manifestations for the character of Carrie so it may be best to look at this fresh. AnnaSophia Robb isn't really a Sarah Jessica Parker doppelganger, but I think she gets the character's spirit. I am now fascinated to see her journey to being the Carrie that we know.
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