Finally, late at night, she and Herbert have a conversation about her complicated feelings on the pregnancy, and how it would affect her work and the already precarious balance of their lives. After taking it all in, Herbert says, “Shouldn’t we be having the other discussion?” — without saying the word “abortion” — before affirming that he’ll support whatever she decides.
Later in the episode, Lisa discovers that she had a miscarriage, making the whole abortion discussion no longer applicable. Yes, miscarriages are an important issue to normalize on screen. But narratively, it felt like a bit of a cop-out, allowing the show to further sidestep talk of abortion. While Herbert gets points for expressing his support for whatever Lisa chooses, the rest of the storyline is disappointing.
It makes sense for Lisa to consider the possibility of an abortion, and it would be noncontroversial to do so. But “AJLT” barely goes there, and that’s a letdown. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the outcome of an abortion storyline would have been — no one should have to justify their decision, and that includes Lisa. But it can be instructive for viewers to see a character have a direct conversation in which she really considers her choice, instead of what we got in this episode: a brief discussion that seems specifically designed to not offend.
In the end, Miranda doesn’t go through with it. But the episode was still groundbreaking for its candor about the choice to have (or not have) an abortion, and remains so in the 22 years since it aired. Miranda’s storyline also gives the other women of the show an opening to talk about abortion: Carrie and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) reveal that they’ve both had abortions in the past, and it was the right choice for them.
In typical “SATC” fashion, the conversation all happens over brunch, further reinforcing that abortion can and should be something we talk about in an everyday context. Miranda’s discussion about her choice comes with an extra layer of complication because it upsets Charlotte (Kristin Davis), who, at that very moment, is dealing with infertility. But what’s important is that everybody’s choice is their own, and each character can talk about it without it feeling too thorny.
But we know that pop culture, in all of its forms, genres and tones, can help normalize issues, thus making them less of An Issue. “Sex and the City” was fun, but it also boldly (if at times clumsily) delved into meaningful discussions on taboo topics. I couldn’t help but wonder if the revival series could also break some new ground, rather than walk on eggshells.
This content was originally published here.
