The Reel Review
Most of the originals – Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda – and their loved ones – are back, in this sequel to the iconic HBO series, Sex and the City. The ten episodes trace the group of fifty-somethings as they continue to navigate life, love, and now middle age, in a New York City that for them, is now at least a little less white and a little less straight.
While it is nice to see the old gang again, two things are missing in And Just Like That. The most obvious is Kim Cattrall, whose Samantha was an integral part of the original show. She was hilarious and she was its heart. The other thing missing is the snappy, clever stories of female empowerment that made Sex and the City so iconic during its run from 1998 to 2004. After a shocking first episode and way too many awkwardly clumsy “woke” moments with its many new characters, the series finally settles into its familiar rhythm.
Is And Just Like That as good as the original series? No. Many of the new characters are shockingly one dimensional, introduced just to tick boxes of racial or sexual diversity. It is an insult both to fans and to those racial and sexual minorities. Also disingenuous is the show’s handling of Miranda’s blink-and-its-gone drinking problem and its dismissive treatment of her increasingly deaf husband Steve. (Actor David Eigenberg suffers from hearing loss in real life.)
The series is, however, still vastly superior to the films – an admittedly low bar, given the appalling second movie sequel in 2010. Showrunner Michael Patrick King’s incorporation of Samantha’s absence into the show is extremely classy and well done – probably the best part of this series. And Just Like That has just enough touching moments, including a sweet finalé, to remind fans why they fell in love with the original series.
REEL FACTS
• Kim Cattrall’s reportedly toxic relationship with co-star Sarah Jessica Parker is a big reason for decision to not reunite with the group. She will next appear in Peacock’s reboot of Queer as Folk, set in New Orleans. Her role will be a high society Southern debutante with trailer park roots.
• Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis each made more than $1 million per episode for each of the ten episodes. All three serve as executive producers.
• Willie Garson died of pancreatic cancer during production in September 2021 at the age of 57. Lynn Cohen, who played Miranda’s housekeeper Magda, died in 2020 at the age of 86.
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