The Carrie Diaries is really getting pretty serious, with Maggie's abortion and Walt's society pages outing and all. But those are just the ancillary people in Carrie's life. Her life is great, and she's back with Sebastian again and this time, they're kissing with tongue. I miss Weaver from a couple episodes ago, but we're not supposed to. Carrie and Sebastian are together, holding hands, walking through the halls with Maggie, who everyone is staring at because she lost her baby and almost died and people think Sebastian is the father, I guess.
Carrie has been telling people that Maggie was out with a burst appendix but Maggie says most people know she was pregnant. Maggie says it is one of the worst days of her life (what about when she almost died, though?), then Mouse runs in saying it's the greatest day of her life because she got into Harvard. Everyone congratulates her, but then we see Walt is missing. At home, because Walt doesn't need to be in school today maybe, Walt's waspy mother has packed him some small suitcases. His father doesn't want to see him and they're kicking him out. So yeah, not a good day for Walt.
Walt shows up with his suitcases on Carrie's doorstep so Carrie asks her dad if Walt can stay with them. I don't know why Tom has any reservations about this at all, since he invited Dorrit's boyfriend Miller to stay with them not too long ago. He says he's not sure they should be getting involved in another family's issues. Tom also admits that he's uncomfortable with it because Walt is gay, saying, "I don't even know someone who's gay." Ughhh, this show. Tom changes his tune after Carrie makes a statement.
Tom tells Walt to "enjoy your gay, er, I mean your stay." I can't sigh loudly enough. Dorrit is rude and bitchy, which she hasn't been as much this season but whatever. At work, Bennett tells Carrie he invited Walt to stay with him but he said no. Then, things lighten up very quickly as Samantha informs them she booked a gig as a sexy elf for Bongo Jeans. Carrie admits she wants to stop making cappuccinos and start being thought of as a writer.
Larissa is back from her "Fall holiday" ("the one with the turkey?") in Aspen and insists that denim is the future. I'm on board. She tells the writers she wants stories about cowboys and the frontier, and then tells someone who is not Carrie to get her a cappuccino. Carrie is on track to get back in Larissa's good graces if she can pitch a great Americana story. She is excited about Bongo Jeans, which is Samantha's gig and also probably the sponsor of this episode.
Carrie tells Sebastian about her big idea and he is very supportive. And things just get even better and easier from there, Sebastian knows Carter Richmond, the CEO of Bongo! He offers to take her as a date to his dad's party that Carter will be at. Everything is going so well (for Carrie, not Walt or Maggie).
Maggie and Carrie go Christmas shopping together in some clothes that are entirely too trendy for the '80s. Maggie runs into Officer Hot Cop (Simon) and his fiancé. She is a very cheery fiancé, telling Maggie what a softie Simon is. They leave and Maggie hates that he gets to be OK while she nearly died because of him. He never even checked on her. Shit is rough for Maggie, and she doesn't want to tell her dad that one of his officers is the almost-baby daddy.
Mouse wants to tell West that she got accepted to Harvard, and he's in a good mood because his basketball team won Regionals. She tells him and West confesses that he didn't get in but he's happy for her. It's a little awkward but West is a good person.
Carrie pitches her half-idea to Larissa about Bongo Jeans over the phone. Larissa says Carrie doesn't seem to have a plan and Carrie lies, saying the interview is scheduled and set in stone. Larissa says if Carrie drops this story like she did with Weaver's, she is fired because she gives second chances but not third ones. Carrie confesses her lie to Walt, who doesn't want to mooch off of Carrie by going to the city with her and Sebastian. He says he just wants to lay low and not even hang out with Bennett.
Sebastian tells Carrie he has good news and bad news. The good news is that he has RSVP'ed for the Bongo party. The bad news is that his dad is going to be there. Whatever. Do you think it will be an issue that Sebastian let some people steal his dad's sports car?
Sebastian is still talking about it, at the party. Carrie kind of doesn't care, she just cares about her interview. He runs into his dad, who confronts them. Carrie introduces herself and Sebastian's dad is weird about it. Meanwhile, Walt starts up a VHS tape and Tom asks him who these "Golden Girls" are. Walt invites Tom to watch with him and I have a feeling someone is about to become a Golden Girls fan!
Mouse is embarrassed for West that he didn't get into Harvard but he isn't as stressed about it. She needs to STFU, right? It wasn't an issue but she's making it one. West says he didn't apply to Harvard, actually, because last season that girl visited and said they would only accept one student from Castlebury. He knows that if he had applied, he would have been the one accepted and not Mouse. Damn, son.
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Elsewhere, Maggie has told her father that Sebastian is not the father; Simon is. Maggie is very upset and her father is very angry with Simon. He asks what kind of sicko preys on a teenager, and says he's mad at himself. Good dad of the episode award!
Back at the party, Carrie and Sebastian's dad are getting along swimmingly. He says she's a real go-getter and he hopes she'll rub off on Sebastian. Then he offers to introduce Carrie to Carter Richmond personally. Disappointingly, Samantha has already banged Carter. Sebastian's dad brings him over to introduce him and it comes out immediately that Carrie is still in high school and is pretty much just Sebastian's silly girlfriend. She's also friends with Samantha, which makes her seem even sillier. Carter Richmond says he thought he was going to be interviewed by "a real journalist," so I think it's safe to say he's a dick. He has investors and the like, so seeya later, Bradshaw.
Carrie is humiliated and wants to leave but Sebastian is like, "stick around Carter's a good guy." He pumps her up, getting Carrie to doubt herself a little less. But the stakes are so high, she counters. Eventually, Sebastian encourages her enough to give it a second shot.
Back at the Bradshaw home, Walt and Tom agree that "that Sophia is too much." Tom is going gay? No, he's learning that gay men are people, too, and also that they are very fun. Walt eventually confesses that he's afraid to go out because he doesn't want to shame his parents any further. Tom tries to explain that his parents may just be upset that things won't be as easy for Walt, but his parents shouldn't be a part of what makes his life hard. Or something.
Carrie re-approaches Carter Richmond, appealing to his ego like any smart journalist. He softens to her and gives her the interview while Sebastian and his dad look on and try to reestablish their connection. Second chances, you know?
There are no second chances for Simon, though, as Maggie's dad fires him. Sorry, happy fiancé. Christmas is basically ruined. Simon does the only logical thing when told to stay away from 17-year olds and barges in to Castlebury High School to confront Maggie. Just when Carrie said things were looking up (even further up for her, if that was possible). Carrie stands up for Maggie, and Sebastian stands up for Carrie and Maggie, so Simon and Sebastian fight in the halls. Sebastian starts wailing on him and the gym teacher runs in to pull him away.
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Sebastian gets expelled and he and Carrie agree that his dad will probably kill him. As if on cue, Sebastian's dad storms in angrily saying this is "unacceptable" but shocks everyone when he is talking about Simon. He says he's proud of Sebastian for fighting for what's right. He says, "I bet you're proud to be with a man who's not afraid to stand up for what's right," to Carrie, which is coming on a bit forcefully. Sebastian's dad has had it with these stuck-up Connecticut types and is like, "OK, sweet, we're moving to Laguna."
Evidently gone from school that day, Mouse and West meet up at the diner to talk about their problems this episode that barely matter. West confronts Mouse about being so patronizing and Mouse admits that her feelings were hurt by West's martyrdom. She says it seems like West doesn't think highly of her and West says she's obsessive and "too much." Ouch, that hits a little close to home. Mouse asks West if he still loves her and he says he's exhausted. He says he's sorry but he's not sorry. It's over, Merry Christmas.
Sebastian and Carrie lay in bed, bummed by the news of his coming move to California. She suggests that it could be romantic but Sebastian might be too much of an idiot to do this shit. Carrie says she doesn't want to say goodbye, so they offer each other a "seeya" before he leaves in a few hours for his flight. If only all expulsions were solved so simply.
Dorrit, Carrie, and Walt decorate the Christmas tree together and Tom brings in Walt's official Bradshaw house stocking. I suddenly miss Donna LeDonna. They agree that they all want cheesecake and Tom suggests that Walt go with his "friend in Manhattan" and that they spend some holiday time together. Good for Tom, way to be as progressive as you can be. Carrie reflects on second chances in her diary as Mouse dons a Harvard sweatshirt and receives a phone call from a professor who personally shepherded her application through, Maggie bonds with her dad, and Larissa, Samantha, Bennett, and Walt clink glasses to being family-less.
Larissa is publishing Carrie's first article in Interview magazine, and partially credits Sebastian's connections. Sebastian hasn't called Carrie for Christmas yet, but this needs to be about her career right now. Nobody worry about Carrie and Sebastian, please.
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