TV Review | ‘The Carrie Diaries’ lacks imagination, believability

Those who stayed away from “The Carrie Diaries” for fear that it would merely consist of runways, catwalks, makeup, shoes and accessories were right not to tune in. The second season premiere proved to be just that — only with a lot more parties. But for fans who adored the glamorous components of “Sex in the City” (1998-2004) — the original HBO series upon which “The Carrie Diaries” is based — this opener more than quenched their thirst for a trip into Carrie Bradshaw’s fashionable New York City life.

The episode begins with teenager Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) and her friend Walt (Brendan Dooling) living in Manhattan for the summer — a change of scenery from their well-to-do suburban hometown of Castlebury, Conn. Life in New York isn’t all fun and games, however. After Carrie’s best friend, Maggie (Katie Findlay), kisses Carrie’s boyfriend, Sebastian (Austin Butler), Carrie is left to deal with the repercussions of the situation. Meanwhile, Walt struggles to gain the confidence to reveal his sexual orientation. Despite these issues, it’s difficult to sympathize with Carrie and Walt when they are having every teenager’s dream summer — complete with an expensive apartment where Carrie’s boss, Larissa (Freema Agyeman), has conveniently allowed them to stay, entry to the best parties and events and even access to booze.

The city, however, is not the only place where storylines are trite and unimaginative. Back in Castlebury, Carrie’s sister, Dorrit (Stefania Owen), grapples with cutesy teenage problems of her own: Her father (Matt Letscher) wants to meet her boyfriend — and Dorrit does not want this to happen. Viewers see yet another silly high school plotline with Mouse (Ellen Wong), another one of Carrie’s best friends, who has to decide whether she wants to ice out Maggie or remain friends with her. And, not surprisingly, Butler’s Sebastian is featured shirtless in his bathing suit — but this scene seems to be included more for the benefit of fans than to further character development or plot. The only potentially serious storyline — other than Walt’s struggle with his sexuality — comes to light when Maggie admits that she has to pay for her own tuition if she wants to attend college.

Fortunately, the episode does contain one major treat for viewers: the introduction of Samantha Jones (Lindsey Gort) — who, as fans of “Sex and the City” already know — becomes one of Carrie’s three best friends in her adulthood.

Gort, as the younger version of the racy, no-nonsense member of the “Sex and the City” gang, does a solid job channelling Kim Cattrall, the actress who originally played Samantha. The fact that Gort looks like Cattrall gives her a slight advantage, but it is her attitude, expressions and overall demeanour that make her so convincing — she is much more believable than Robb’s version of Carrie.

Although the series has all the key ingredients to become a favorite among teenagers — a hot boy, short dresses, stilettos of every color and the glamorous world of New York — “The Carrie Diaries” still has trouble convincing viewers that it’s a show worth following. This may be because it deals significantly less with serious issues surrounding sex and womanhood than the earlier version of “Sex and the City.” However, the writers’ decision to introduce Samantha might just be the best way to salvage the show’s viewership (which, as of now, is terrible). With Samantha in the equation, the writers might be able to develop more engaging and consequential storylines.

With this new season, it seems like “The Carrie Diaries” is working hard to appeal to its target demographic of teenage girls. Samantha’s arrival could be the vital factor needed to bring in fans of its predecessor “Sex and the City” and allow current viewers to take the new series more seriously.