There’s a constant query about all Manhattan men being freaks, when Carrie and her girls encounter a handful of questionable men, in their attempt to find a reasonable man. Carrie, as the romantic she is, starts off with an optimistic attitude which later evolves into a rather surprisingly realization. Darren Star has an impeccable power to deliver everyday situations into a new level. There is a refreshing sense of humor that most can relate too, one way or another. In this episode, men are introduced as freaks, as if they just stepped on stage at the local fair, each one with a significant flaw. Along with the typical circus tunes it makes a winning parable, exaggerated yet comparable to women’s consistently lookout for men’s indispensible faults.

Finding a reasonable man seems to be quite an accomplishment, when the women of the city experience the freak show, one by one. Samantha has a fling with a handsome lawyer, who eventually turns out to have a masochistic fetish. Miranda is as pessimistic as usual with her straightforward and amusing comments.  She believes that single men over 30 are obviously freaks. Which later gets confirmed when she meets the “Manhattan guy”. Goody-goody Charlotte starts a sexual escapade with the legendary “Mr. Pussy”, pleased with his outstanding techniques in bed. However, she is more set to establish a relationship. The dialogue is brimming with wits and lusciousness. They all confront Charlotte’s situation by saying she had stayed too long at the fair, “you enjoy him and then let him free”. It’s those moments that make it a great show.

All of these different personalities coming together make yet another appealing outtake of a woman’s situation in a city filled with misleading men. It’s inevitable to bump into the occasional freak in the dating scene, and that is something Carrie is about to come to terms with as well. It starts out as promising and ends in disappointment when their true colors are revealed. Carrie’s optimism begins to fade as she ends up with one miserable date after the other, from the “Man who steals book guy” to the “Man with two faces”. Eventually Carrie meets an eligible journalist in the park and starts to see his potential, still with an underlying suspicion.  She questioned him about men being freaks and he counters back with the fact that he thinks women are bizarre. For once, there is another side of the story. There is some truth when it comes to men being freaks. However, women’s desperate attempt to find any hint of a flaw makes men question them as bizarre. The irony in the scenario is priceless.

 

End Credits

Director: Allen Coulter         Writer: Candace Bushnell, Darren Star

Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

Genre: Comedy Romance     Length: 30 min

Release date: 20 June 1999  Country: USA