Major And Just Like That spoilers ahead
The announcement of Sex and The City’s reboot/return, And Just Like That, left long-time fans of the series both excited, and slightly terrified.
Most viewers grew up alongside Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, for better and for worse. They helped a generation develop their love of fashion, their need for unbreakable friendship, and the importance of a good set of Manolos.
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However, then came the somewhat divisive Sex And The City: The Movie in 2008, and the lets-forget-it-even-happened sequel in 2010. By the time the very public feud between lead stars Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker happened, we couldn’t help but wonder… had SATC actually lost its spark?
But then the first episode of And Just Like That aired, and with the death of John – aka Mr Big – suddenly, the show as a whole was given a new lease of life.
For a production that was followed endlessly around Manhattan by paparazzi, suffering a neverending stream of spoilers as a result, the fact they managed to keep the death of Carrie’s husband quiet was a masterstroke.
It’s no secret that there are elements to Sex And The City that haven’t stood the test of time, and it's something the team are trying to retroactively fix. Most obviously, the all-white casting in one of the world’s most diverse cities has now seen the introduction of three new non-white characters.
One, a Black lecturer whose braids alone causes Miranda to have some kind of 'woke panic', coming off more than a little casually racist as a result. That plotline is playing awkwardly. On the plus side, Che, Carrie's non-binary podcast producer, is far more effective. But we digress.
In the original series, nearly all the leading ladies' conversations and life choices were made around the men in their lives.
This was never more obvious than with Carrie and Mr Big, a relationship so complicated, they truly deserved each other for being awful people. Both cheated on healthier partners with the other, both struggled with the others' success, both made mistakes that almost cost the relationship. But they were drawn together like magnets.
At times Carrie would even throw her friendships under the bus in the name of her Mr Big. When Miranda slipped in the shower and needed help, Carrie sent Aidan round to pick her naked, vulnerable friend off the floor. Another time, she bailed on Miranda last minute as Big showed up at her house with veal, and proceeded to say her friend was "overreacting" for getting upset about it.
Then there was the time she stopped talking to Charlotte, because she didn't offer her money when she was broke, and had to consider selling her shoes (a collection worth thousands).
Whether you loved him or loathed him, or at times felt both, Mr Big was a major anchor to Carrie's storyline for the six seasons the show was on the air. The will they/won't they romance, and consistent conflict was what the story needed.
Let's face it though, away from the drama, and over the past 10 years, they were more than likely your bog-standard, middle class, boring couple with the same friendship group and the same day-to-day life.
Mr Big died after overdoing it on a Peloton bike, the day after Carrie watched him masturbate for the first time after 20 years together. It was a tragic scene to watch, but ultimately, it was needed full stop on their love story.
Their relationship was beautiful, but dry. By cutting him out, the writers finally give Carrie character some room to grow in a different, and more independent, way. Entering the brave new world of the dating pool in your fifties. A literal new era of sex, and the city. His continued existence in the world would have meant Carrie would have never moved on, and it was time for a new chapter.
And Just Like That is not the version of Carrie Bradshaw we first met in 1998. We meet Carrie Preston, married entrepreneur and sex writer who still, unfathomably, finds it uncomfortable to talk about her sex life.
But now it's time to reintroduce the world to Ms Carrie Bradshaw. Learning how to go it alone, and be supported while not dependant, is a major shift in the world of our beloved columnist-turned-podcaster/influencer.
We’re finally seeing Carrie grow up, and away from having a man at the core or her personality and world.
And Just Like That, we were finally invested in a continuation of the story.
And Just Like That is available on NOW, Sky and HBO Max.
The Carrie Diaries and Summer in the City 2-book collection by Candace Bushnell
Freelance writer, Digital Spy
Tilly is Gold-Standard NCTJ accredited journalist with eight years of experience in entertainment journalism.
She has been heard giving her insight on the latest TV stories on BBC Radio across the country and on BBC News.
Previously working with The Sun Online, Yahoo, Metro.co.uk and Independent IE amongst others, she joined the Digital Spy team from 2021-2023 as Deputy TV Editor (Maternity cover).
With a speciality in TV drama and true crime, Tilly has been praised for her exclusive content with A-list stars ranging from Sir David Attenborough to the lawyers behind Making A Murderer.
She’s happy to report her mum now takes her seriously as a journalist as she got to interview George Clooney once.
