Should Charlotte have given Carrie the money??? With Amy Harris... (S4 E16 "Ring A Ding Ding")

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Should Charlotte have given Carrie the money???"

Podcast: Are You A Charlotte?
Host: Kristin Davis (with guest Amy B. Harris)
Episode: S4 E16 “Ring A Ding Ding”
Date: July 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode reunites Sex and the City star Kristin Davis (Charlotte York) with Amy B. Harris, writer of the pivotal episode “Ring A Ding Ding.” Together, they dive deep into the context, creative process, and emotional impact behind the now-iconic storyline where Charlotte gives Carrie her engagement ring to secure her apartment after a breakup. Bridging personal anecdotes with valuable behind-the-scenes perspectives, the conversation explores the real-life debates about money and friendship, the unique structure of the SATC writers' room, and the evolution of Charlotte and Carrie’s dynamic.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Behind the Scenes: SATC’s Production and Writing Process

• Splitting of Season 4: The hosts recall the unusual decision to split Season 4 into two parts, with Amy explaining it was to manage a longer season (18 episodes) and keep audiences engaged while “counter-programming” around The Sopranos’ hiatus.
  • Quote: “I think they decided instead of running 18 through the summer, which would be a very long season for an HBO show, that they would split it up.” – Amy B. Harris [03:34]
• Amy’s Journey to the Writers’ Room: Amy recounts starting as an assistant and producer before transitioning to writing. Kristin and Amy discuss how the SATC writers’ room was more integrated with the day-to-day filming than was typical in TV at the time.
  • Quote: “Writers were part of our lives and part of the day to day of the set. And if it was your episode being filmed, you were on set with us.” – Kristin Davis [23:01]
  • Quote: “Michael loved having the writers on set to talk through stuff. He was so collaborative in the process.” – Amy B. Harris [23:14]
• Amy on Showrunning: Now a showrunner herself, Amy reflects on the blend of creativity and practicality the role demands and how SATC shaped her leadership style.
  • Quote: “For me, the fun of it is figuring out how to merge those two things at the same time.” – Amy B. Harris [07:14]

2. Crafting “Ring A Ding Ding”: Emotional Realism & Writers’ Room Debates

• The Story’s Origin: Amy reveals she based the episode’s framing on The Wizard of Oz, likening Carrie to Dorothy and New York to Oz—home is at the story’s core.
  • Quote: “I suddenly started to realize that the show, to some degree, was The Wizard of Oz.” – Amy B. Harris [27:25]
• Carrie’s Apartment Crisis: The episode’s key plot—Carrie must buy her apartment or lose it after her breakup—mirrored the writers’ real concerns about money, stability, and independence.
• Money & Friendship Debate: Kristin and Amy recount heated debates in the writers’ room about whether friends should lend each other money. Amy and Michael Patrick King believed in generosity, while others saw money as a friendship risk.
  • Quote: “If you have it and someone needs it, you hand it over and you hope it’s a loan. But you have to assume... that it might not be.” – Amy B. Harris [31:20]
  • Quote: “A lot of people felt... you don’t mix money and friendship. That it is potentially the end of friendships and that it’s not comfortable conversations to have and they shouldn’t happen.” – Amy B. Harris [31:36]
• Everyone’s Opinion Hits the Screen:
  • Michael Patrick King’s rule: “Everybody’s opinion has to hit the screen.” Characters voice the spectrum of audience reactions around Carrie’s dilemma.
    • Quote: “Charlotte was that character for us in this episode. Like, it is not appropriate for you to ask for money. Money is not to be mixed with friendship.” – Amy B. Harris [43:36]

3. Memorable and Iconic Scenes Discussed

• Charlotte’s Boundary & The Ring Scene ([17:42], [38:05]):
  • Kristin’s “Hyundai Hot Take”: She praises the final scene where Charlotte gives Carrie her engagement ring as collateral, underscoring Charlotte’s boundary-setting and compassion in contrast to Carrie’s emotional neediness.
    • Quote: “Charlotte really has this great boundary and says, you know, it’s not my job to fix this financial problem that you created for yourself… And then Charlotte does give her the ring and Carrie says she’s going to pay her back.” – Kristin Davis [17:42]
  • Both note how online discussions often overlook the actual resolution and focus on Charlotte’s initial refusal.
    • Quote: “I wish that everyone who posts the memes of her asking for the money would also post the memes of me giving her the ring and us bonding over it.” – Kristin Davis [17:55]
• The Big Scene: Amy reveals production tensions about staging the scene where Carrie approaches Big for financial advice, insisting on a cold, business-like setup to make Carrie’s financial desperation palpable.
  • Quote: “I actually do not think she was coming to him for the money. I actually think she was literally like, this guy knows how to make money…how can I figure out how to leverage whatever I have to make money?” – Amy B. Harris [46:57]
• Carrie’s Spending Habits: The hosts laugh about the scene where Carrie realizes she’s spent $40,000 on shoes—pointing out her “addiction” and how Miranda, too, holds back a lecture.
  • Quote: “She’s an addict. She’s definitely an addict.” – Amy B. Harris [44:29]
  • Quote: “My favorite thing is when she says I spent $40,000 on shoes and she’s like, 40? It’s really good.” – Amy B. Harris [44:51]

4. Reflections on Character, Friendship, and Independence

• Carrie’s Need vs. Charlotte’s Boundaries: The climactic confrontation between Carrie and Charlotte is emotionally nuanced, with both performers reflecting on the layers and real-life discomfort around money, vulnerability, and support.
  • Quote: “You don’t mean to, but your anger comes out at them just because you’re so uncomfortable with yourself.” – Kristin Davis [38:36]
  • Quote: “Charlotte does have boundaries in ways that the other characters don’t always have.” – Kristin Davis [40:35]
  • Quote: “It’s a wonderful thing that she was able to say, ‘This is not comfortable for me, and I’ve seen it go badly. And don’t ask me to be who I’m not to make you feel like you have a friendship.’” – Amy B. Harris [40:45]
• Charlotte’s Growth: Both Amy and Kristin note that by this point, Charlotte was surprisingly secure about being alone—breaking with her earlier anxieties.
  • Quote: “Charlotte was not, like, devastated...She was like, here we are.” – Amy B. Harris [41:41]
• Personal Experiences: Amy shares her stress and imposter syndrome as a first-time credited writer, crying at home while appearing calm on set.
  • Quote: “I was so nervous, I cried for weeks on end as I was writing my script. And I’m not much of a crier.” – Amy B. Harris [26:23]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the writers’ room:
  • “Everybody’s opinion has to hit the screen.” – Amy B. Harris [43:35]
• Kristin on boundaries:
  • “Charlotte does have boundaries in ways that the other characters don’t always have, which also I didn’t fully understand at the time.” – Kristin Davis [40:35]
• On Carrie’s spending:
  • “My favorite thing is when...she says I spent $40,000 on shoes and she’s like, 40? It’s really good.” – Amy B. Harris [44:51]
• Amy’s early career anxieties:
  • “I was in a state of absolute terror.” – Amy B. Harris [27:04]
• On Charlotte’s agency:
  • “Letting go of this sort of dream marriage...that to me, felt like this sort of coda for her and Trey was to finally push that ring and be like, I’m gonna have to be alone. And that’s okay.” – Amy B. Harris [42:18]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:33] – Amy B. Harris joins, background on SATC’s fourth season production
• [07:12] – Discussion of showrunning, Amy’s career path
• [17:42] – Kristin’s “hot take” on Charlotte’s ring scene and money/boundaries
• [18:59] – What a story editor does, and SATC’s collaborative writers’ room culture
• [27:25] – Amy’s Wizard of Oz inspiration for “Ring A Ding Ding”
• [31:20] – Writers’ room debate: Should friends lend friends money?
• [38:05] – Filming the big confrontation between Carrie and Charlotte
• [42:17] – Charlotte’s growth and her new sense of security
• [43:35] – Michael Patrick King’s rule about putting writers’ opinions in the script
• [44:51] – The $40,000 in shoes scene and Carrie’s financial “addiction”
• [45:58] – Amy’s nerves during filming and reflections on being a young credited writer

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers rich, affectionate, and honest reflections on one of Sex and the City’s most emotionally charged episodes. Both Kristin Davis and Amy B. Harris peel back the layers of the infamous money storyline, offering rare insights into character, process, and the ongoing resonance of SATC. Fans will appreciate the candid stories about the writers’ room, the actors’ vulnerabilities, and the enduring debate: should Charlotte have given Carrie the money?

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For fans and newcomers alike, this episode celebrates the complexity of friendship, the struggles for independence, and the real-life emotions behind one of pop culture’s most talked-about moments.

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Transcript

[Amy B. Harris]

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[Kristin Davis]

Hi, I'm Kristin Davis and I want to know, are you a Charlotte? This is exciting everybody. Finally, finally we have Amy V. Harris, one of our glorious, glorious writers. She has finally joined us on REO Charlotte because we have gotten to her first episode. Now we are. We're going to go through the history, but she was in our world for a long time before she had her first episode. But her first episode with her name on the script is Ring a Ding Ding. It aired on January 27, 2002, which is interesting. And Michael Patrick was just on last week, and we were talking about how in the. So we're on the air in the summer of 2001. Obviously, it's leading towards 9, 11.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

And then they had separated the episodes into, like, a second season.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

And no one really remembers. Why do you remember?

[Amy B. Harris]

So I think we did 18 episodes that season. Season four.

[Kristin Davis]

I think you're right.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I think they decided Instead of running 18 through the summer, which would be a very long season for an HBO show, that they would split it up. And so we ended up doing. I believe we. The first ten were in the summer, and the second, the eight were in January.

[Kristin Davis]

That makes sense. That's interesting. I don't really remember that as being like, something different that they did and obviously something that they would be continuing on doing up until this day where they separate seasons. Which is interesting because I remember. I don't know if this is probably silly, but I was always a little annoyed when they did that because it was almost like they got another season, but we were just paid the same.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. We did season four, and then they split it up and made it season 4A and 4B.

[Kristin Davis]

Right. And then season six. We worked that whole solid year and it was two seasons.

[Amy B. Harris]

That's right.

[Kristin Davis]

Bonus, whatever. Call it different things.

[Sam J.]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. But you don't get the bonus.

[Kristin Davis]

Exactly, exactly. Right. And I mean, in some ways it's kind of silly to even think about it now.

[Fred Armisen]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

Because obviously it was all incredibly wonderful and we were richly paid for it all. Eventually it took a while.

[Amy B. Harris]

I think it was just the Wild, Wild West. They know exactly how to do that. And I think probably when they started thinking 18 episodes over the summer is more, we wouldn't have finished till the fall.

[Kristin Davis]

That's a good point. Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

So I think they were probably like, yes, let's take advantage of this and split it. But I know my gut is Wild Wild west on that one.

[Fred Armisen]

I think.

[Kristin Davis]

Wild, Wild West. But you know what else I think was happening? I think some of what was happening was that David Chase was taking a long hiatus.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

Because at a certain point they pushed him to go back and he felt like the season suffered, that he hadn't had time to really, you know, Gestate his ideas and whatnot so that he wanted to take a longer time. And it had been that they would kind of counter program us, right?

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes, absolutely.

[Kristin Davis]

So then they were like, oh, well, let's just jump.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. We can put Sex and the City in twice, and people will be thrilled, and they'll wait for Sopranos that way. I forgot he was sort of first person who sort of. I, as somebody who's such a rule follower, I had never seen that before, where it was like, oh, no. You just deliver year to year to year to year. And I think he really was the first person who said, I'm delivering when it's ready.

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[Kristin Davis]

Which is pretty amazing. And now, of course, with streaming, it's all insanity.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Yes.

[Yamaneika Saunders]

It's all that.

[Kristin Davis]

No one does 18 that I know of. Except, I guess, Wait, how many does the Pit do? They don't do 18. They do.

[Amy B. Harris]

They do pregnant.

[Kristin Davis]

13. 12 or 13.

[Amy B. Harris]

At Amazon, it's time. We do eight. My show is.

[Kristin Davis]

You do eight?

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. I launched a show June 10th, and we did eight episodes. Why eight?

[Kristin Davis]

How did they come up with that?

[Amy B. Harris]

I don't know. I know the. We were a couple years ago on Amazon, you would do 10, and then they moved it to eight. And I think my gut is they wanted to. I don't know if we'd said we need 10, if they would have said, okay, great. But we started building the seasons. Be eight.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it. Did the budget change when it went from 10 to 8, or is it roughly.

[Amy B. Harris]

No, that's the hardest part, in a way, is that you're amortizing over 8 instead of 10. So sets have to. They cost more and.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, that's so.

[Amy B. Harris]

It gets a little trickier that way. But I think at the end of the day, they're spending two episodes less money, so it's still our world. Ooh.

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[Kristin Davis]

It's crazy.

[Amy B. Harris]

It's different.

[Kristin Davis]

It's so amazing that you're just a big old showrunner now.

[Sam J.]

Wow.

[Amy B. Harris]

I know. I really. It's a job I love.

[Kristin Davis]

I really, really.

[Amy B. Harris]

I love it.

[Kristin Davis]

I feel like you're very well suited for it.

[Amy B. Harris]

I think it's a strange skill set of creative and practical, and I think some people are very practical and some people are very creative. And for me, the fun of it is figuring out how to merge those two things at the same time. And I love it.

[Kristin Davis]

I love it.

[Amy B. Harris]

Those puzzle pieces are the best for me. Like, how am I doing this?

[Kristin Davis]

Was this always your dream?

[Amy B. Harris]

I don't even think I understood this could be a dream. You know, when I meet young writers now and they say their goal is to become a showrunner, I think, how would you have even known to know that was something. I loved the business. I mean, my first real. I had one job before Sex and the City and tv, which was Darren's show, Central Park West. And I back up.

[Kristin Davis]

How did you meet Darren?

[Amy B. Harris]

So Darren's little brother and I went to nursery school together.

[Ari Chambers]

Love it.

[Amy B. Harris]

Our parents had been friends forever. We grew up in the same neighborhood. We had beach condos near each other. And I hadn't seen him in years. She was older than me, and I was working at Vanity Fair magazine. And he had done Melrose at 90210. And I was in awe. And he was so kind and so generous to me. And we were talking on the beach, and he told me his next show was about editorial assistance at a magazine, which is what I was doing. And he said, can I take you to lunch when I come to New York next and pick your brain? And my head almost popped off. I was so excited. So we had this long, great conversation. And then I wrote him a letter and said, I don't know if you're gonna shoot this in New York or not. Cause he wasn't sure. Things didn't shoot in New York except for Law and Order at the time. But if it shoots in New York and there's any opportunity for me to come work for you, I would love it. And his assistant decided not to come from LA to New York. And I became his assistant.

[Kristin Davis]

And how long did that last?

[Amy B. Harris]

So Central park west was on for a season. And I was in the writer's room taking notes and doing everything assistant related. And then that ended. And I was like, oh, gosh, what's next? And he's like, I bought. And Candace had been around. Cause she'd been doing a piece on him. And he said, I bought Candace's columns and I'm gonna write the pilot and I hope you'll stay on working for me. And then he was debating whether to sell it to ABC or hbo. And Jamie Tarzas, who ended up becoming one of my closest friends, was like, I'm not even sure we can title it Sex and the City. And he's like, I need to go to hbo, right? And then we shot the pilot. And that was thrilling and so New Yorky. And, like, I was like, I can't believe I'm getting to do this in New York City.

[Fred Armisen]

Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

And then it got picked up. But that first Season, you remember, we had no idea if it was going to be anything.

[Kristin Davis]

We didn't know what it was like.

[Amy B. Harris]

I was like, oh, this is fun. And I don't know if it's going to get a season two. And I never worked in TV besides one show that hadn't gotten a season two. So I was like, my parents were panicking. They were like, you went for, like, a job with, you know, all sorts of, like, perks and benefits and health insurance to these, like, these shows work or don't work, and then you're unemployed again. But yeah. And then Darren was really wonderful. He's. I was very. I was sort of living a Carrie Bradshaw style life where I wasn't making a lot of money, but I was spending it all on my clothes and going out and shoes. And both Michael, Patrick and Darren, I think, really supported my desires to kind of move forward. And did I want to produce, Did I want to develop? I wasn't sure. And Michael and I have a debate about this. But I swear I read a script of a freelance script that came in and he said, I read it before Michael did. And he came out and he goes, how is it? And I was like, it's okay. It's a rough draft. And I believe he said to me, it's hard. You should try it. And he said, I would never have said that. And I was like, whatever I heard was like, you should give it a go and see how challenging the process of writing is.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I was like, you know what? I do want to see how challenging the process of writing is.

[Fred Armisen]

Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I wrote Sex and the City.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I said to Michael, I don't inspect in any way for this to be used on the show, but I would love for you to read it and give me notes and just tell me, like, either you have talent or don't. He was like, I'm never going to say you do or don't have talent because he's so amazing, wonderful, and like, wants the best for you. And he read it. And I had made Samantha falls in love with a woman in my episode, which they ended up using in the show.

[Kristin Davis]

Yes. I was gonna say, maybe you're the origin of this.

[Sam J.]

I was amazing.

[Amy B. Harris]

Cause I just thought that's who she was. She would fall in love with different types of people and be attracted to different types of people. And that felt very real to me. And I knew the draft was at least good enough because Darren came right to me and said, why didn't you let me read it? And I was like, I just thought you'd be too busy and if it was terrible, you would feel the. Like. I knew Michael would be able to sort of walk me through, like why it wasn't working and why it wasn't good. And I didn't want to put two people through having to tell me it was terrible. But yeah. And then Michael offered me a job on the writing staff. And so I moved from producing, which I'd been doing for those first two years, onto the staff.

[Kristin Davis]

And then when you moved onto the staff, what was your first title on the writing staff?

[Amy B. Harris]

I think they gave me consulting producer because I wasn't. They felt like I'd already been a producer on the show, so they didn't want me to come on as like a story editor.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it. But didn't you at some point have the story editor title?

[Amy B. Harris]

Maybe I did.

[Kristin Davis]

I feel like you did.

[Amy B. Harris]

Maybe I did, though.

[Kristin Davis]

And part of the reason.

[Amy B. Harris]

You know what? I think I did maybe, I think at the beginning, maybe it was I went from story editor to co producer.

[Kristin Davis]

I guess that makes sense. Yes, that makes sense.

[Amy B. Harris]

That's right.

[Kristin Davis]

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[Fred Armisen]

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[Carrie Brownstein]

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Hey, what's up, y'?

[Chelsea Handler]

All?

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Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Kristin Davis]

Okay, my Hyundai hot take for this episode, which is called Ring a Ding Ding. I am going to go with the final scene where Charlotte gives the ring to Carrie. After all the talk of money and whether friends should lend friends money. And Carrie gets mad at Charlotte because Charlotte doesn't offer like the others do. And then Charlotte really has this great boundary and says, you know, it's not my job to fix this financial problem that you created for yourself. Then I think we have the most beautiful scene where Charlotte does give her the ring and Carrie says she's going to pay her back, and. And basically they kind of pledge themselves to each other. That's how I look at it when I see the scene, and I just love it. And I love our work, and I think we feel so connected in that scene. And I think it's such a beautiful ending. And I wish that everyone who posts the memes of her asking for the money would also post the memes of me giving her the ring and us bonding over it. So that's my Hyundai hot take. Celebrating iconic moments, bold moves, and unforgettable style. Just like Hyundai. I want to talk a little bit about what does a story editor do? Because I think this is a job title that people don't really think about, and I think it's kind of important.

[Amy B. Harris]

It's really interesting. And I think a story editor is probably very different in every room. I have looked at story editor the way Michael and Darren looked at story editor, which is you're a less experienced writer in a room where everybody's opinions and ideas matter. So you're given some grace in the sense that I think your drafts, when they come in, if they're not as sharp and wonderful as a co executive producer's drafts, they understand you're less experienced and you're learning. But what I never felt in the room was it wasn't a democracy. I mean, at the end of the day, Michael was deciding which stories went and had a very clear idea of what he was chasing. But the fun of our writers room was that everybody was pitching on sort of an equal level. And then the ideas that sort of bubbled for people were the ones that sort of started to take off.

[Kristin Davis]

That makes sense.

[Amy B. Harris]

And so I've always sort of looked at those younger levels, like staff writer, story editor, executive story editor, as just writers that don't have the same level of experience, but in a writer's room are bringing the same value as someone with a lot more experience in terms of story ideas and how to shape story. And then obviously, writers with more experience and there was unbelievable talent on that room. They're there to sort of help guide those younger writers through the process.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it. So if you're. So you're there, and you may have less experience, but you're obviously living a life that is gonna have rich ideas for the stories. Are you also in some way in charge of overseeing the stories that other people are writing or no?

[Amy B. Harris]

No. So in our. I think every room is totally different, but I. The room that Michael ran has been my template for every room I've run since. You try to figure out, like, okay, I was listening to Julie and Elisa's episode and my motherboard myself. They came in with three ideas that went right into that episode, and that very obviously became the episode they needed to write. Sometimes that's how it happens. Sometimes it can be, okay, this person. I have five writers, and three of them are writing scripts, and two are still in the room. And so this person's writing this next episode. But what Michael always did, which I really loved, is he tried to find. He wanted the writer to have, like, a deep connection to the stories that were being told, which I really thought was, like, a very beautiful way to kind of make sure. I mean, look, every writer who's in a room, that's your hope, right? That they connect to the characters, to the stories you like to tell. But he would kind of click into that and know, okay, this is your episode coming up. And so then in the room, as you were pitching for that episode, you knew it was your episode. You were responsible for keeping the story straight, thinking them through, but you're in this unbelievably supportive room where all these amazing ideas are popping up and notes are being taken, and you're. You know, it's like a beautiful pylon of people sort of developing the show with you. I always said, like, I always felt, like the thing I think that was so beautiful on Sex and the City is you really felt ownership of your episode, but you felt fully like you were not cut adrift to, like, good luck. Hope you do a good job with your script. It was like, so it was this community that was sort of servicing the story and the show. But you got to kind of find your way into the episode in a way that you were encouraged to do.

[Kristin Davis]

That's so nice. I mean, I obviously felt. I mean, it was the first show that I was around for this amount of time.

[Amy B. Harris]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

But when I was on Melrose, you never saw the writers. You know, it was one of those old fashioned kind of TV sets where the writers were off in a room. It might be in a different place even.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

And for us, I think this is a known fact, but, you know, you guys were part of our lives and part of the day to day of the set. And if it was your episode being filmed, you were on set with us.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, almost the whole time, unless you like fell asleep at 5am or whatever.

[Sam J.]

Which.

[Kristin Davis]

Which was totally understandable. But you know, did you feel like that was something that was normal or did you know it was special?

[Amy B. Harris]

I did not know it was special. Cause I'd never really done this before. In my mind. Writers went to set all the time. Michael loved having the writers on set to talk through stuff. And you know, we weren't ripping apart scenes, but a joke could be added or. Why do you think this isn't as funny as I'd hoped it would be? He was so collaborative in the process. I mean, my joke was like, that show was no Sex and the City for me because I spent all my days and nights on set. And then Friday was Friday and I'd wake up at 2 on Saturday and I'd get up, you know, and then Monday was 5am yes. So. But I loved that process of just continually being. Cause it also helped you as a writer to see how you guys were finding your character and what you were bringing that sort of inspired some other storytelling idea or device. And so for us, that was. I loved it. And I think one of the things that's been hard for me as I've moved since the pandemic really, is that often the other writers aren't on set anymore because you're not shooting in the same city as where you're. So like.

[Kristin Davis]

So they don't bring everyone.

[Amy B. Harris]

They don't bring everyone.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, that is hard.

[Amy B. Harris]

That is. That's been for me as a showrunner whose goal is to try to train other people to become showrunners. That has been sad for me.

[Kristin Davis]

Really hard.

[Sam J.]

Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

Because if you're not on set, I think it changes your writing too.

[Sam J.]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

Like, you really understand if I give this person this crazy action or I give Them not enough action. And then there's a 20 minute voiceover.

[Sam J.]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, what are they going to happen? Totally.

[Amy B. Harris]

So you start learning how to write to the actual reality of shooting, which is the best.

[Kristin Davis]

Sometimes when you read a script, you definitely feel like, okay, this person is in a room and everything's happening in their mind and they're trying to help people who are reading the script envision it. Right. So there's a lot of description. And I'm always like, oh, no. You know, because when you get onto the set, that sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't work. And you never know how attached the writer is or the director to all of that description on the script page.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

But sometimes you need that to help people reading it.

[Amy B. Harris]

Well, that's always, I think, the fine line. I sort of look at scripts as novels for the executives, but then you have to create something that actually, like, gets on its feet for production. So it can be, you know, maybe how you write a pilot to kind of give people the wink, wink and let them know what they're supposed to be feeling. Because, you know, an actor will give you that feeling of underneath the happy attitude is desperation.

[Sam J.]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

But you might have to write that in. And I always feel bad because I feel like actors don't necessarily need you to, like, give them that.

[Kristin Davis]

It's true. We don't love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's true.

[Amy B. Harris]

So I often will pull that stuff back once we go to production.

[Kristin Davis]

Smart, smart, smart, smart.

[Amy B. Harris]

But it helps with the read.

[Kristin Davis]

So let's talk about your first. When your. Your first title, you know, by Amy B. Harris, came.

[Popsicle Brand Announcer]

How.

[Kristin Davis]

How nervous were you?

[Amy B. Harris]

Well, I was so nervous, I cried for weeks on end as I was writing my script. And I'm not much of a crier.

[Fred Armisen]

I know.

[Kristin Davis]

I don't think she's crying at all.

[Amy B. Harris]

I mean, I never did it in public.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it.

[Amy B. Harris]

But I would sit at home on the week that I was writing, I was off writing my episode, and I would spend the morning just sort of weeping, thinking, I can't fail. What if I fail? Oh, my God, like, I'm going to fail and I'm going to disappoint the people I care about and a show that I love. So I cried a lot. And when I told Michael that later, he was like, wow, I had no idea. He's like, you just seemed as cool as a cucumber about everything that was going on. And I was like, I was in a state of absolute terror.

[Yamaneika Saunders]

Wow.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I did sort of what I Do now, which is. I take a lot of long showers to think about story and how I want to tell it, and a ton of walks. And I started to think about. I suddenly started to realize that the show, to some degree, was the wizard of Oz.

[Kristin Davis]

I like how you start the episode that way.

[Amy B. Harris]

And that is why I ended up starting the episode that way, because it was all about her home. Right? So I was thinking about, like, what are quotes about home? And then I was suddenly like, there's no place like home. And then all of a sudden, I started to realize, like, Carrie is Dorothy. Like, Samantha is this courageous lion.

[Kristin Davis]

That's really funny. Who am I?

[Amy B. Harris]

Oh, heart, please, please.

[Kristin Davis]

So adorable. I never knew this. This is so cute.

[Amy B. Harris]

And Miranda is pretty. I mean, in a way, you guys aren't searching as much for that. You actually have those things already.

[Kristin Davis]

So true.

[Amy B. Harris]

And Oz is New York.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it.

[Amy B. Harris]

So it just started making me very happy to think about those things. And that kind of gave me my opening and my ending. And then I started to relax a little because I had the story. Right. Like, we knew the what our a story. Like, we knew what.

[Kristin Davis]

So you knew that. That this would have to do with her apartment and not being able to afford the down payment.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

And just a little backstory to make sure we're. We're caught up, because this is the point in. In the show where I don't remember stuff. Up until now, I remembered a lot. Now I'm like, whoa, what is happening? But it's really. It's enjoyable because I'm sure reliving, reliving, but also watching like an outsider in certain ways, because I don't remember the storylines a lot. I remember the gist, I guess, but not the details. Right. Like, I remember, of course, there's a lot of conversation that lives on about the ring and me and Carrie and Charlotte and Carrie. And it's interesting because you can take it. You can take pieces of it out of context and it looks one way, but then if you actually look at the whole story, it looks a totally different way, which is true a lot of the time, obviously. But it's. I think, especially because this is a very unusual thing to be writing about. So with the apartment, just why exactly does Corbett have, like, what happened?

[Amy B. Harris]

Oh, yes. So when they got engaged, her apartment went from rent stabilized to. They were going to sell it.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it. So this is why she's been able to stay there this whole time for

[Amy B. Harris]

not very much, $750 a month apartment, which in New York is Unheard of. And then they have an option to buy the apartment. And then he's like, let's buy the apartment next to it. We'll break through and make a big apartment. And this will be our marital home, basically. Right. And then they break up at the end of the episode before, which is that beautiful fountain scene.

[Kristin Davis]

Right, right, right.

[Amy B. Harris]

So now she's. He's gonna sell that second apartment. And he basically says, you can buy the apartment from me. And then she starts realizing, like, a lot of New York women that she spent all her money on.

[Sam J.]

Got it.

[Kristin Davis]

So you knew that this is the place in the season that your script would come, and so then it's up to you to flesh out.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes, but we work in the room so closely. Like, so it was like, okay, so what do we want to see from this episode? And where is Charlotte and her story that we can bounce her up against Carrie? Because they're having very different breakups. Right. One got a beautiful home and was financially secure. And this other one is lost her partner and is suddenly realizing, like, she's made a lot of bad decisions along the way. So we knew that was gonna cross. And then. And all of that is being fleshed out in the room. Like, we're working as a group. We're finding it. And then it was. The biggest fights we've ever gotten into was this episode as writers. Yes. I mean, enormous fights about which party. Oh, and I was. So Michael and I had very similar ideas about money, I guess, which we hadn'. And we come from very different backgrounds. So we were like, huh? Because we were sort of thinking maybe it was where we came from. But we were sort of like, if you have it and someone needs it, you hand it over and you hope it's a loan. But you have to assume it's a

[Kristin Davis]

loan, that it might not be.

[Amy B. Harris]

That it might not be a loan. But, like, if you have the money, it's okay. Like, hand it over to people. If you have the money, you pay for dinner. If, you know, next week, maybe someone else has the money, they pay for dinner.

[Kyle MacLachlan]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

It got pretty heated because not everyone felt that way.

[Amy B. Harris]

Not everyone felt that way.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it. So some people felt.

[Amy B. Harris]

A lot of people who felt, Charlotte, that you don't mix money and friendship. That it is potentially the end of friendships and that it's not comfortable conversations to have and they shouldn't happen. And we were like. And I really appreciated the argument. Like, the people who were against the idea were like, if Carrie goes to Charlotte and says, why didn't you offer me the money? I will hate her for the rest of my life. I will hate her.

[Kristin Davis]

Well, listen, there's people online who pull that clip out when they want to prove that Carrie's a narcissist.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, that's one of the ones.

[Amy B. Harris]

And it is one of those things where it's like, you realize she's also, like, angry at herself that she's in this, like, difficult situation. And it's. At the end of the day, she does get the money from Charlotte, obviously. But she was. It was more. She was like, why did you turn your back on me?

[Kristin Davis]

I get it.

[Amy B. Harris]

Like, look away, right?

[Kristin Davis]

Drink out of the straw. Yeah, I know.

[Popsicle Brand Announcer]

Comedy beat.

[Kristin Davis]

We did, but totally.

[Amy B. Harris]

That was no.

[Kristin Davis]

Charlotte's very obviously, like, I'm not gonna be part of this. Look, if we're talking self care face masks and spa days, those are non negotiables. But you know what else shouldn't be overlooked? Your eyes. If dry eye is leaving them feeling scratchy, gritty, or irritated, it could be time to try something different. To be open minded, you know, consider asking your eye doctor about meibo. That's perfluorohexalactane ophthalmic solution. It's the only prescription dry eye drop that directly targets too much tear evaporation, the number one cause of dry eye. Why wait? Take care of yourself. And ask your eye doctor about treating dry eye differently with mibo. Oh, yeah, don't use if allergic to Maibo. Remove contacts before using and wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. Eye redness and blurred vision may occur. For more info on Mibo, call 1-800-553-5340 or visit miebo.com hey, Portlandia fans.

[Fred Armisen]

Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here, you

[Carrie Brownstein]

know us, or rather, you know them. Toni and Candace, Nina and Lance. Spike and yes, the chicken.

[Fred Armisen]

We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia. AO rewatch our brand new podcast.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning. Breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process.

[Fred Armisen]

How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it.

[Carrie Brownstein]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including Director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Fred Armisen]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised, not just words, but a song about.

[Kyle MacLachlan]

Well, I thought he was gonna write. I thought you were all gonna write a song.

[Fred Armisen]

I remember you thinking that.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Listen to Podlandia Ayo Rew Watch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week the news gets worse, the world gets crazier, and Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem.

[Yamaneika Saunders]

If you come over here to play games, I' ma check you, okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I' ma play you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Join Yamanika Saunders as she breaks down the week's most problematic stories on her new podcast. You're the Problem with Yamanika.

[Yamaneika Saunders]

Do you know I just found out who Sydney Sweeney was.

[Chelsea Handler]

New episodes weekly every Wednesday as part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network.

[Yamaneika Saunders]

If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men do better or do less so I don't have to do so much.

[Chelsea Handler]

So join Yamaneika. Each episode of as she answers one question. Who's the problem?

[Yamaneika Saunders]

I'm Yamaneika, and I'm out. Listen to youo're the Problem with yamaneika on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ari Chambers]

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J.]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Fred Armisen]

All?

[Sam J.]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together. And I heart women's sports because, let's

[Sam J.]

be real, women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days.

[Ari Chambers]

So Kelsey Findler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii.

[Sam J.]

My first thought is just like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating?

[Ari Chambers]

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire

[Sam J.]

timeline, and the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalenka.

[Sam J.]

Shout outs to you, Naomi, you get the Palm.

[Amy B. Harris]

Naomi, you get the palm for that.

[Sam J.]

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hey, everyone, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, host of Dinners on Me. If you've been enjoying Kristen Davis on Are youe to Charlotte? I hope you'll come pull up a chair for our conversation. Over on my podcast, when we had dinner at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, we talked about raising kids, the causes closest to our heart, and one very unexpected moment when Kristen's daughter discovered that her mom had another job besides, as she says, working for the elephants. Take a listen.

[Kristin Davis]

We were on a plane, and in the row in front of us, someone was. Was watching the movie, and she leaned over. She's like, mommy, that girl on the TV looks like you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, wow.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, that is me. And see, that's Cynthia and that's Sarah. She was like, oh, like, that was weird, I'm sure. And then I thought, oh, no, what am I gonna do in this movie?

[Amy B. Harris]

What do I do?

[Kristin Davis]

So I was panicked to hear the

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

rest of our conversation with Kristen Davis. Search for dinners on Me, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Kristin Davis]

I remember the scene, the day that we shot the scene where she comes to my apartment and we walk around that table.

[Sam J.]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

And I remember it because I think there was still ongoing debate about the writing. I remember rewriting and rewriting and after the table read, rewriting, and a lot of stress and worry about how to play it, even. And her level of anger. And I do think her level of anger, because sometimes you do this to your friends. You don't mean to, but, like, your anger comes out at them just because you're so uncomfortable with yourself.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

But that's how close we are.

[Amy B. Harris]

Right. And that's the thing I thought, where Michael and I sort of landed. And look, I rewatched, and I was like, oh, Carrie, I'm not sure.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, it's a lot. It's a lot. It is.

[Amy B. Harris]

That's a crazy decision to go over and be like, I'm angry at you for not offering.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

I don't want your money, but I'm angry at you for not offering. It's like, I understand it. And look, I look at all the times where I wish I'd sort of said, I'm angry about this and didn't. And it did sort of pop the balloon for her of whatever that feeling of, like, explosion that was gonna happen for her. It sort of eased her down. And I don't think she actually expected Charlotte to ever.

[Kristin Davis]

Well, I don't think it was about that. It's not about that at that point.

[Amy B. Harris]

It was just, why wouldn't you support me in that moment?

[Chelsea Handler]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, she thinks it's about that, but I don't think it's about that. And that's what I love about that scene is there are just so many layers. But I was also surprised at how hot she comes in. I was like, whoa, mama.

[Amy B. Harris]

I know, I know.

[Kristin Davis]

And she's, like, moving her hands at me and stuff. Yes.

[Amy B. Harris]

She's like, I da, da, da.

[Popsicle Brand Announcer]

Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

And, sweetie, you see how I'm looking at her?

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, I'm pleased sometimes. I told Michael, there was a scene from a couple weeks ago where I was, like, unsure of my choice. At the beginning of the scene, I was like, why did I make the choice? Did I even make a choice? What's going on there?

[Amy B. Harris]

You know what I mean?

[Kristin Davis]

Which is, you know, sometimes I felt, you know, this is going to happen. But in this. This scene, I loved what I did because she does. She's so, like, unworked out on what is going on with her, you know? And Trish, because Aiden's gone, and he was a defensive very.

[Fred Armisen]

Like.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, people can complain about Aiden, whatever, but he really listened to her. Like, she would have her emotions and have her crazy ups and downs, and he would just be like, okay, okay, you're gonna act a little crazy now. Exactly. Right. So that's gone from her. Right. She doesn't have that. And she. She's alone. And now she's gonna lose her apartment, which is a huge deal. Obviously, I understand it, but I love how I'm just looking at her when I'm like, it's not my job, but I look so empathetic to her. Correct. Which I think is why we're able then to end up at the last scene.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

You know, and it's like Charlotte does have boundaries in ways that the other characters don't always have, which also I didn't fully understand at the time. Right. Like, I look back, I'm like, well, good for Charlotte.

[Amy B. Harris]

I was gonna say. It's really a wonderful thing that she was able to say. This is not comfortable for me, and I've seen it go badly. And don't ask me to be who I'm not to make you feel like you have a friendship. Because I'm here, absolutely present as a friend.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely. And that's why I know.

[Amy B. Harris]

I loved your performance in that. I loved.

[Kristin Davis]

Thank you so much. And I do remember being stressed about it. And I remember Sarah and I just walked around that table like, for I don't even know how many hours. It was a lot.

[Sam J.]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

But then I. I love the final scene where I do bring her the ring. And it's so sweet. And I hadn't really remembered all of it because all of that doesn't make it into the memes.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. The idea of it is interesting.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

And also, when she says, wow, we're alone again. That was like, the most important moment for me in that episode. Which is like. And you did this so beautifully, where Charlotte's like, yeah, I know. Like, you're no surprise.

[Kristin Davis]

I'm not surprised by that.

[Amy B. Harris]

Charlotte was not, like, devastated by that. She was like, here we are.

[Kristin Davis]

I was shocked.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I loved it. And I remembered really wanting Charlotte to be like, those are the facts. We are alone again. As opposed to what often Charlotte felt, which was, like, panic that she wasn't gonna find the one.

[Kristin Davis]

So true.

[Sam J.]

So true.

[Amy B. Harris]

And it made her giving that ring so beautiful. Cause she was in a very, like, secure space about where she had ended up. Which for Charlotte was surprising. That, like, letting go of this sort of dream marriage.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

That, to me, felt like this sort of coda for her and Trey was to finally push that ring and be like, I'm gonna have to be alone. And that's okay.

[Kristin Davis]

Definitely. Definitely. And then also, I love. This is the mysteries of Charlotte sometimes. Right? She waits till the very end scene to say, and the reason I'm gonna be a docent is cause no one will hire me. Like, that's important information. Do you know what I mean? But she keeps that. And then she's like. And by the way, it's not all so glamorous as it seems over here. Correct. You know, which is really good. And I thought kind of like foreshadows things that happen later on. And then just like that,

[Amy B. Harris]

she was still looking for purpose and struggling to find it when she felt like she'd been pushed out of her career unintentionally. Right? She was like, I'm going to be a wife, and I don't need this job. And then suddenly it's like, oh, I need to be a person out in the world, not just. Just a spouse or a mother.

[Kristin Davis]

Exactly. Exactly. So, okay, take us back to where. Okay, so you're. You're. We're. Everyone's arguing in the. In the writer's room about the money, which is so good. That's how you know you have something really good. Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

Well, that's. Michael was like, this is. We have to do this because everyone is Having humongous responses to this and what Michael always did, and I've used it in every show I've ever worked on, is everybody's opinion has to hit the screen.

[Sam J.]

Oh.

[Amy B. Harris]

Which I love.

[Kristin Davis]

That's interesting.

[Amy B. Harris]

So if, like, a writer is. I don't like this for that character. And that's awful. And why would they ever do that? Somebody has to say what potentially the audience is going to be saying. So Charlotte was that character for us in this episode. Like, it is not appropriate for you to ask for money. Money is not to be mixed with friendship. And I think that helped. Like, as whatever you think of Carrie in terms of the decision she made, somebody was saying out loud the thing that, like, you got yourself into this situation. I'm not responsible for. I can't save you.

[Fred Armisen]

Right.

[Kristin Davis]

Well, also, when they go shoe shopping, Miranda and Carri. Carrie. I'm just like, wow. Like, it's fascinating. Again, like, if you're trying to make a case for Carrie being a mess, basically, there's some evidence for you. Like, she just can't help herself.

[Ari Chambers]

Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

She's an addict. She's an addict.

[Kristin Davis]

Definitely.

[Amy B. Harris]

She's definitely an addict.

[Kristin Davis]

It's pretty funny.

[Amy B. Harris]

And Miranda, look, there's a lot less healthy addictions. Good on.

[Kristin Davis]

No, 100%. Yeah. But not good on. Because she has, like, gotten herself into this hole. You know what I mean?

[Chelsea Handler]

No.

[Amy B. Harris]

My favorite thing is when. And I. When she says I spent $4,000 on shoes and she's like, 40. It's really good.

[Kristin Davis]

It's so good.

[Amy B. Harris]

And you're like, oh, my God. That is an actual down payment that she spent on shoes. Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

Back then. Now we need another zero.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yeah, exactly. But.

[Kristin Davis]

But now, if we were to track her spending, it probably would be another zero, right? Correct.

[Fred Armisen]

Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

Obviously, other things changed, but also, Miranda is. So there's a cut in there where. In that scene when they're shopping where she's, Carrie's, you know, talking out loud, but also trying to buy shoes, you know, And Miranda just looks at her at one point, like, sideways, and you're just like, wow. Miranda's even holding her tongue.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Fred Armisen]

You know what I mean?

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. Like, what are you doing?

[Kristin Davis]

And also, like, I can't say the whole truth right now. It would be too devastating.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. Because she already said, I'm an old lady who's going to live in her shoes. Like, she's already in a dark place, but she. The thing that brings her joy is the thing that's caused her downfall.

[Kristin Davis]

It's super interesting. It's super interesting. Okay, so take us back. Take us back. So people are arguing. You're the name on the script.

[Sam J.]

How.

[Kristin Davis]

How do you feel while we're actually filming it?

[Amy B. Harris]

I mean. Well, first of all, I was just, again, so nervous I was gonna be on set and make a bad decision when no one else was there. And I had a couple of my. And I'd been on set for years now, but it felt different sitting in that chair as the writer. And I remember there was the scene where she goes to big. Oof.

[Sam J.]

Oh.

[Kristin Davis]

So difficult scene.

[Amy B. Harris]

Very difficult scene. And I had come in, and for whatever reason they hadn't told me. I think that they were rehearsing. So I came in as the rehearsal was ending.

[Sam J.]

Uh. Oh.

[Amy B. Harris]

And I, like, ran in, and the director, Alan Taylor. Who's brilliant, Right. He was staging it so that they were sitting. There was a couch in the room.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh.

[Amy B. Harris]

And he added that they were sitting on these couches talking. And I was like, oh, no, know. It's like, this is a business proposal.

[Kristin Davis]

It has to be different.

[Amy B. Harris]

And it had to feel very different from who they were. It was like she was coming to him. And I actually do not think she was coming to him for the money. I actually think she was literally like, this guy knows how to make money. Like, how can I figure out how to leverage whatever I have to make money?

[Kristin Davis]

I think the stakes are just so high for her to go there at all.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

That it's just got so much crackly energy that it. It's hard to tell what she's there for. I mean, she very clearly says, you know, how to make money. Teach me what you know. But also, he has all the money, so you. It's a very. She's walking a tightrope.

[Fred Armisen]

Really.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes. And she's panicked.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Amy B. Harris]

But so I. I was like, oh, Ellen, they need to be at the desk.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Amy B. Harris]

Like, he has to be behind his desk. She needs to be sitting there. And they had to move everything because the shot was obviously down. You know, I think it was on 6th Avenue. So was. It was like that shot of him behind the desk was. Had to look down there. And I think the desk was, like, somewhere else. So they were all, you know, props and set deck had to come in. Everything had to be moved. But I was like, I know what this has to be, and it has to be so different. And Alan was so great, but he was like, you know, we should been here when we. And I was like, no one called.

[Chelsea Handler]

Like, I don't know.

[Amy B. Harris]

It was like this, just because I think people weren't used to being like, amy needs to be on set. And I was, like, sitting somewhere else. So, yeah, I was incredibly nervous. But again, like, being on the show for so long, I mean, everybody wanted it to go well for me. Everybody. I felt that from actors, from crew, from the other writers, from producers. Like, that was what was so beautiful about the show, is that everybody. We were family and people wanted everyone to do well. So I felt so supported in the process. But, yeah, I was. I definitely felt like, okay, I have to stand up in a different way. And that's scary, for sure.

[Kristin Davis]

And at this point. How old were you?

[Amy B. Harris]

27.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, my God, you were younger. You were younger than us.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes, yes, I was younger. And, yeah, I was scared, of course.

[Kristin Davis]

You didn't seem scared at all.

[Amy B. Harris]

Okay, good.

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, it seemed very seamless from my perspective. Perspective, for sure. And I feel like also because you had been around so long and you had worked so hard, you know, it really felt like you earned it, you know, like. Like, not like, oh, let's just let her do this, because she's here. It wasn't that way at all. You were fully a part of all kinds of decisions and, you know, the day to day of all of it, you know, for so long that it made perfect sense. Like, it wasn't even a big deal. Like, it was just like, yes, of course. Finally, you know, that's how I thought about. And you didn't seem nervous either.

[Amy B. Harris]

Well, I tried my hardest. I mean, literally, when I told Michael, like, three weeks after we finished shooting, I don't, like, been. He was like, wow, you are fascinating. Because I feel like I know you well enough to have seen that was happening, but I never saw it.

[Kristin Davis]

No, you definitely held it in really well. But then, so. So with the, you know. Yes. A bit of drama on the set or whatever, because, I mean, this is a different episode too, which is interesting. When you're watching it, there's really a lot of kind of firsts that happen. And I remember when we filmed in Chinatown, it was like 8 million degrees.

[Amy B. Harris]

So hot there.

[Kristin Davis]

Do you remember that? Yeah. And we got those little fans, which

[Amy B. Harris]

are so cute, and we. You needed the fans. I mean, they were so adorable. When I was watching it, I forgot that the fans were in it. And I was like, that's because it was so hot.

[Kristin Davis]

It was that sweltering.

[Amy B. Harris]

I know. And I think, weirdly, that I might be wrong about this, but. But I think Sarah Jessica and I got in the car after that.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, no, you're not shooting.

[Amy B. Harris]

Because it was morning, there was light, and then we went to Grace Papaya and got hot dogs and drove out to.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah, yeah. That's what we would all do. We would do, like, because we were so tired, we would follow each other so we didn't crash.

[Amy B. Harris]

Yes, exactly.

[Kristin Davis]

I know. Thank God we had somewhere to go to sleep.

[Amy B. Harris]

I know, right?

[Kristin Davis]

That's what it was about at that point.

[Amy B. Harris]

Sleeping, sleeping and sleeping and sleeping on a Saturday.

[Kristin Davis]

Definitely. You guys, this is so much fun that we are going to have to have a part two. So join us later in the week on Rus Charlotte. Taking care of yourself means taking care of your eyes too. And that gritty, irritated feeling could be dry eye. Mibo, AKA Perfluorohexalactane ophthalmic solution is the only prescription dry eye drop that directly targets the number one cause of dry eye too much tear evaporation. Ask your eye doctor how you can treat dry eye differently with Meibo. Oh, yeah. Don't use if allergic to Mibo. Remove contacts before using and wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. Eye redness and blurred vision may occur. For info, call 1-800-553-5340 or visit Miebo.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Hey, Portlandia fans, Carrie Brownstein and Fred

[Amy B. Harris]

Armisen here the dream of the 90s

[Carrie Brownstein]

is alive in podcast form.

[Fred Armisen]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Carrie Brownstein]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, Guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Fred Armisen]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words, but a song.

[Kyle MacLachlan]

Well, I thought you were all going to write a song.

[Fred Armisen]

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia Aao Rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy B. Harris]

What's up, fam?

[Ari Chambers]

I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J.]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Raiders of the Lost Podcast Host]

All?

[Sam J.]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together in iheart Women's Sports.

[Sam J.]

We're breaking down the biggest headlines.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi Osaka showing out shout outs to you, Naomi. The viral moments.

[Sam J.]

I've been obsessed with Chrisean Rock's boxing journey.

[Kristin Davis]

She looks good.

[Sam J.]

Her combos are Swift and the stories

[Ari Chambers]

everyone's talking about across women's sports.

[Sam J.]

Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Jake Brennan]

I'm Jake Brennan, and on the Disgraceland podcast, I explore the wild lives of rock stars and unblocked, unbelievable true crime stories from music history. These are the stories you haven't heard, the kind you'll end up telling someone else. Like the time Paul McCartney spent in a notorious prison, or the bizarre crime Lady Gaga is accused of. Or that time Blondie's Debbie Harry escaped Ted Bundy. Listen to Disgraceland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy B. Harris]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Kristin Davis]

Guaranteed Human.