Ah, my dear friends, it appears as if Carrie has ventured onto Aidan's Virginia farm, only to find herself ensnared in a complex family saga of epic proportions. The emotional rollercoaster this narrative undertakes is nothing short of breathtaking! Keeping pace with it all is an uphill battle, to say the least. However, this foray outside the urban confines, nestled squarely amidst the heart of Aidan's life, has illuminated the status of their relationship with unparalleled clarity, for both Carrie and us observers. In essence, the situation appears far graver than Aidan has disclosed. Much, much graver! Oh, how we yearn for the simpler days of that virginal nun belting out tunes from 'Wicked' amidst the hustle and bustle of Times Square!
At the Shaw abode, matters actually commence on a rather promising note. Aidan has his two younger sprouts, Homer and Wyatt, engaged in painting the exterior of the guest cottage. They are aware of Carrie's presence, and mercifully, no teenage tantrums have erupted… yet. (It is still early in the day.) Homer, in particular, extends a warm welcome and even offers Carrie some of his duds, given her predicament with lost luggage following the towing of their rental car. (Though logically, one might argue about retrieving said luggage, it's perhaps wisest not to delve into such logistics here.) Homer is a gem! As for Wyatt, his demeanor is predictably chilly and morose.
Upon Aidan's request for Carrie to stick around for a couple of days, ensuring her presence for his eldest son Tate's 21st birthday dinner (after all that angst about whether Aidan actually wanted her to stay over, good heavens!), Carrie concludes it prudent to procure some attire beyond teenage boy sweatpants. (Though she manages to pull off the look quite stylishly here.) Embarking on Baby's maiden ATV journey into town, Carrie heads to the nearest boutique, which she describes to Miranda as akin to "a sister wives' dress shop"—and she is spot on. She manages to make the prairie-inspired wear work, while Miranda reassures her that Wyatt's behavior is par for the course for a typical teenager.
The family ventures out to a zombie VR room, and although Wyatt and Carrie don't exactly exchange warm smiles, the evening proceeds as smoothly as one might reasonably anticipate under the circumstances.
Then comes family dinner. Tate, much like Homer, exudes politeness, while Kathy and her beau Bob couldn't be more amicable. Kathy is somewhat indebted to Carrie for facilitating that drug transaction, and she's well aware of it. Bob seems like a decent sort, albeit his "advice" to Carrie about how it took him four years to somewhat integrate into the Shaw fold carries an eerie omen. Carrie isn't exactly thrilled either when she discovers Aidan's stance against Wyatt's use of Adderall or any other prescription medications, a detail Kathy neglected to mention. Aidan doesn't fault Carrie, but the tensions simmering beneath that roof are unmistakably intensifying.
There's nothing quite like a spirited game of Apples to Apples to escalate tensions to a boiling point. Already a game brimming with intensity, the addition of simmering resentment and raw anger only amplifies the stakes. Soon enough, Wyatt's frustration reaches a crescendo, horrified that his cards never see the light of day. His anger intensifies when his parents dub this evening "family game night," an inconvenient truth for Wyatt who sees Carrie and Bob as anything but family. Meanwhile, Aidan and Kathy grapple with a pressing dilemma: should they medicate their youngest son or not?
Tate and Homer appear worn out by their brother's tantrums, and the more Aidan and Kathy strive to rein him in, the more out of control he becomes, culminating in a dramatic scene where he hurls a bulky object through a window. The room is filled with distress; Carrie watches in stunned silence as the drama unfolds.
Yet, amidst the chaos, a silver lining emerges as Carrie and Aidan share an unfiltered, heartfelt conversation. While it would have been comforting for Carrie to have known earlier, it becomes evident that Aidan was shielding her from the storm. Now, she realizes that his presence with Wyatt is paramount, and that he must do so independently of her – his concerns were neither exaggerated nor evasive, but genuine. Wyatt is battling inner demons, and Aidan must prioritize him. Aidan misinterprets this heart-to-heart as a breakup speech, though perhaps it could be seen as such, but Carrie reassures him that she'll await his return in New York, patiently, no matter how long it takes. She hands him a key to their apartment, solidifying her stance.
On one hand, Carrie feels liberated, no longer tethered to Aidan's decisions regarding their home or her life's trajectory. She's free to furnish her space as she pleases. On the flip side, she leaves Virginia unsure whether this revelation has brought them closer or pushed them further apart. Poor Carrie, what a trying, unsexy summer she's enduring. Seriously, can we catch a break for Carrie and some light-hearted moments this season? This narrative is growing increasingly somber.
At least Miranda exits this episode with unwavering clarity about her current romantic interest. Joy offers Miranda a prime opportunity to go on-air for the BBC, but a slight stumble causes her to utter a phrase that sounds ominously like "wild cunt-ry," which promptly goes viral. Miranda fears she's turned Joy off, questioning Joy's initial attraction, if it ever existed at all.
When Joy cancels her plans to visit Miranda, who is temporarily residing at Carrie's place during Carrie's absence as she's off with friends visiting from the U.K., it's Carrie who cleverly proposes that Miranda invite the entire group over. If Joy had declined this invitation, she might have had legitimate grounds for concern. But Joy eagerly agrees! However, upon their arrival, Joy's friends recognize Miranda as the infamous "wild cunt" lady, and jokes about cunts fly freely among them. Miranda notices Joy's sudden silence, fearing that this budding connection might fizzle out before it even begins.
As Joy prepares to leave, Miranda decides to confront the issue head-on, a bold move that proves fruitful. It transpires that Joy simply withdraws when she realizes she's attracted to someone. And yes, she is undeniably attracted to Miranda. Without further ado, they passionately kiss on Carrie's (brand new) stoop. Now, that's the kind of clarity one craves in romantic relationships. Quickly, someone should inform Carrie and Aidan of this sudden turn of events!
