How Square Pegs is More of A Prequel to Sex and the City Than The Carrie Diaries

A story about a gawky teenager yet to find her confidence may not sound like any sort of precursor to Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. However, Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker) on Square Pegs does, indeed, far more resemble an early incarnation of Carrie than the one presented on the CW prequel series, The Carrie Diaries.

Our protagonist’s story takes place in a generic suburban setting that may or may not be Connecticut based on frequent references to “the city.” Already, this mirrors Carrie Bradshaw’s own middle class upbringing in the 80s. Patty’s best friend, Lauren (Amy Linker), makes more sense as a surrogate sister than Dorrit (Stefania Owen), who plays Carrie’s (AnnaSophia Robb) sibling on The Carrie Diaries. In fact, there is never any mention of Carrie having a sibling on Sex and the City, and so it seems somewhat more logical to believe in Patty Greene as the true origin story.

Although Patty’s best friend is more of a Charlotte York type in terms of always trying to fit in and coerce Patty to do the same, there is a foursome of friends element just as there is in Sex and the City. Falling in with fellow misfits Marshall Blechtman (John Femia) and Johnny “Slash” Ulasewicz (Merritt Butrick), Patty and Lauren find their own versions of Miranda and Samantha.

Moreover, there are also minor characters like Muffy B. Tepperman (Jami Gertz) who mirror other archetypes in Sex and the City. Muffy, an overly involved student government sort, most closely resembles Brooke (Haviland Morris, of Sixteen Candles fame), the bougie bride in season one of SATC, who makes everyone else feel like shit in a “subtle” sort of way. There are other characters like Brooke throughout the series, who seem most likely to have started out in a similar position as Muffy.

Then, of course, there are the iconic intros of each show to consider–with Sex and the City obviously trumping Square Pegs in terms of recognizability. The parallels continue in more intricate details, too, like a character named LaDonna on Square Pegs, just as there’s one on The Carrie Diaries who ultimately introduces Carrie to her cousin, Samantha Jones. In any case, what truly makes Square Pegs more viable as a SATC prequel is Sarah Jessica Parker’s rendering of Patty Greene. As a more innocent, naive version of herself, it’s easier to see her as Carrie than AnnaSophia Robb, who often tries too hard at the impossible art of imitating Carrie Bradshaw.