‘The Carrie Diaries’ Recap: Caught

Winter may be upon us, but our Carrie is keeping warm. In The Carrie Diaries episode “Caught,” not only does she have a hot new boyfriend in George, but she’s still burning a flame of desire for one Sebastian Kydd! Also dealing with a new man is the less-bitchy Bitchy Barbara, Carrie’s boss, who is busy staying out into the wee hours of the morning with Paul.

In another nod to Sex and the City, Carrie and her friends can’t fathom that they’ll be letting men rule their lives when they’re 30 – how wrong they are! Still just as bitchy is Donna LaDonna, who continues to revel in the fact that she stole Sebastian from Carrie. Carrie is keeping busy though, continuing to help Larissa with Interview Magazine. Larissa is so impressed with our heroine that she offers her a job. Now, Carrie must decide where she truly belongs. There are a few problems with this, however. First, Larissa still doesn’t know Carrie is a teenager. I’m willing to let this slide since Larissa is supposed to be so scatterbrained. Also, Mr. Bradshaw worked hard to get his daughter the law firm internship. This leaves Carrie as conflicted as ever.

Mouse and Seth are still going hot and heavy, which is taking a toll on her grades. She asks her teacher for an extra credit assignment, but the teacher demands it be finished by 8 o’clock on Frida, the same night as the winter dance. Even in TV shows high school teachers are a pain. Seth helps Mouse finish her assignment at the dance, but they’re too late to turn it in. Seth tries to break into the classroom for Mouse, but they’re caught by the janitor. The twosome gets off the hook, but Seth reveals he’s also struggling with bad grades. Mouse does the noble thing and breaks up with Seth so they can both focus on their ambition and their schoolwork.

Carrie’s dad deals with another reminder of his dead wife when Nutcracker tickets reserved for Grace and Dorrit arrive. As it turns out, Dorrit and Mrs. Bradshaw’s tradition was to visit the ballet each winter. Mr. Bradshaw takes it upon himself to take Dorrit. Why anyone would want to sit with her for hours alone is something I still can’t wrap my head around. As usual, Dorrit is insufferable. I know I complain about her every week, but her storyline is far too repetitive and it always stalls this overall entertaining show. When Carrie’s dad falls asleep, Dorrit is infuriated and the two argue. Turns out, Mr. Bradshaw worked overtime so he could even take her to the event. Dorrit reveals it’s weird when the two are alone – it was easier for her to talk to her mom because Carrie gets all of their dad’s attention. In the end, the two make up. Hmm…haven’t I seen this storyline played out around 37 times already?

Also at the dance, Carrie introduces her old flame to her new one, which is just as awkward as you’d imagine it would be. The new pair dances as Sebastian watches on. A different kind of flame burns as Carrie tells Sebastian to back off, while he believes she’s jealous of him dating Donna. Carrie and George makeout but, after George tries to have sex with her and can’t understand why sex means so much to Carrie, they argue and the two breakup.

Meanwhile Maggie is reintroduced to her old flame – the police officer. The two kiss in the parking lot while Walt is noticeably absent with chicken pox. In a shocking turn of events, Donna catches the pair. You can practically feel the drama that’s about to erupt. Donna threatens to reveal her secret affair unless Maggie keeps Carrie away from Sebastian. Instead, Maggie reveals her affair to Carrie and she encourages Maggie to be honest with Walt. Their discussion also helps Carrie realizes she has to do what’s best for her – which means taking the internship at Interview Magazine! One thing’s for sure, the future is bright for our Carrie!

[textblock style=”7″]SOURCE STATS

Favorite Moment: Mouse and Seth’s breakup. It may have been very sad, but it was also very real. I admire the girl for realizing you have to focus on yourself before you can focus on others.

Hottest Character: Five words: Sebastian. Kydd. In. A. Suit.

Character We Loved This Week: It’s a tie between Carrie and Mouse. It’s refreshing to see two girls who realize the importance of following their own dreams over having a boyfriend. A new start is exactly what both of them need!

Character We Wanted to Slap This Week: I’m going to say Dorrit until her storyline stops repeating itself like a terrible Groundhog Day every single week.

What We’re Looking Forward to Next Week: Carrie has another night out in Manhattan with a surprising encounter that turns her night upside down. Also, Maggie tries to tell Walt about Simon before Donna does.

Rating (1-5): 4. After a weak installment during last week’s Thanksgiving episode, the show returned to the drama, humor, and heart I love about The Carrie Diaries. Hopefully this is the formula we get from all the future episodes![/textblock]