Warning: This article contains MAJOR spoilers from the first two episodes of “And Just Like That.”
After watching the first two episodes of the highly anticipated “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That,” I couldn’t help but wonder, is this the best reboot of a beloved TV show to ever happen?
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I laughed, I cried, I was hit in the face with a heavy dose of nostalgia and, most importantly, I can’t wait for the next new episodes to watch.
But first, let’s talk about the end of the first episode, which officially changes the trajectory of the “Sex and the City” franchise forever. We sadly said good-bye to the man himself, Mr. Big.
Looking back at the episode, the signs were there from the very beginning. Carrie and Big are so in love when we get an update on them. It seems that the pandemic drove them even closer. They have a nightly tradition of listening to vinyl from Big’s collection, and Carrie, who once stored sweaters in her oven, is actually cooking. This is Carrie fully blissed out.
So when Big got on his Peloton and looked distressed, it became obvious what was about to happen. Would he have had the heart attack if Carrie hadn’t changed her plans? Could she have saved him? Now we’ll never know.
It’s an absolute heartbreaking scene, including Big’s funeral in the second episode. Sarah Jessica Parker turns in a fantastic performance, making you remember just how much history these two characters share.
Here’s the thing, though: The risk of killing off a major character looks like it’s going to pay off. Since the original series ended, we’ve seen Carrie in two movies. In the first, Big leaves her at the altar. In the second, he becomes a boring homebody. If we’re really going to watch 10 episodes of Carrie’s life in 2021, something else has to be going on besides her being awkward on a new podcasting gig.
As tragic as it is that Big had to go, it will be way more interesting watching Carrie navigate being a widow in her mid-50s. Considering just how together Carrie held it during Big’s funeral, I’m sure we will see more of her grieving process, and there are so many more things that could happen. Will she try to date again? Will an ex from her past come back into her life (we’re looking at you, Aidan!)? Will she start therapy to help grieve Big? We seriously have no clue what this season has in store for Carrie.
As far as the other elephant in the room, we found out how the show handled the absence of Samantha right away. Kim Cattrall did not sign up for the reboot, so fans have wondered how the show was going to explain why a key cast member is MIA.
We learn that Samantha took a job in London after Carrie stopped using her as a publicist, since the book publishing world isn’t as lucrative as it once was. All of the girls have reached out, but Samantha has ghosted her former best friends.
The whole scene read a little meta, as in, Cattrall doesn’t return Parker, Cynthia Nixon or Kristin Davis’s texts either. However, a few moments from episode two hint that there could possibly be a reconciliation between Carrie and Samantha (and we’re hoping for the actresses, too).
Other than that, everything else just felt like no time has passed. The ladies are brunching, making wise crack jokes to each other and showing what it means to be a ride-or-die best friend. The second Miranda and Charlotte find out Big has died, they are there at a moment’s notice.
And the women are finally hanging out with women of color! The show is known to have shown a very white version of New York City, so it’s nice that the creators are addressing a huge problem that existed during the original series, and making a point to showcase some diversity.
All in all, I cannot wait for more episodes of “And Just Like That” to come out. When the project was first announced, many wondered (myself included), if we really needed another chapter to these characters’ stories. But after two episodes, it is so great seeing these familiar faces again.
