This very meta storyline reminded me that the ongoing discourse about Che as a character has nothing to do with Sara Ramirez’s many talents as an actor. Their speech about feeling confident in their identity, only to have that self-assurance shattered by the focus group experience, gave me chills. Despite Che’s many flaws, I’m glad we’re getting to see a more vulnerable side to them this season. That said, I don’t see how Che and Miranda can salvage their relationship from here. It was literally painful to watch Che take all of their frustrations with the sitcom’s failure out on Miranda, who was doing her best to rally. Frankly, what’s left for Miranda in this very one-sided arrangement at this point? – Curtis
Speaking of self-references, the focus group participant saying that sitcom Che “would not be able to afford an apartment in Bushwick that big!” also felt like a meta-joke. It’s just like all the commentary on the original “SATC,” on how unrealistic it is that Carrie can afford her Upper East Side life while writing one column a week.
We talk about this every week, but Che has continually been written as this parody of what the writers think a character like Che would be like rather than coming across as an actual human. This whole sitcom plotline has only continued that dissonance. I wonder if Che and Miranda’s impending breakup can maybe allow the show to give Che a reset as a character. — Marina