And Just Like That… I Have A Few Thoughts About This SATC Reboot

The last time cult fans saw the Sex And The City ladies was in the racist, catastrophic movie Sex And The City 2, which I painfully endured for research purposes. And if you Google “why is sex and the city…” one of the top five responses is “…problematic.” Given the nature of the SATC series—racist, transphobic, biphobic, homophobic, classist—I suppose producers wanted to dial up diversity to clean up years of problematic storylines for the series reboot, And Just Like That, which premiered late 2021. 

Before I get into highlights, here is why I willingly subjected myself to the SATC reboot, And Just Like That:

  1. It’s based in New York City. I’ll watch any TV show or movie filmed in New York at least once. Like Leigh Davenport’s Run The World and Tracy Oliver’s Harlem, I love watching storylines in this city that highlight culture, the arts scenes, restaurants, and glorious—albeit overpriced—brownstones.
  2. The fashion, obviously. I’m a Libra and as unrealistic as television incomes can appear, I was hooked on the fashion in AJLT. There’s even an Instagram account that breaks down all the outfits—and the price tags! As a real life writer with a real life writer’s income, it’s fun (sometimes) to live vicariously through Carrie’s ridiculous shoe collection.
  3. Insecure ended but my HBO subscription did not. Look, I have to get my money’s worth.

 

With that, here are my brief thoughts about the series.

  1. And Just Like That…problematic white women are dropped into a present world that doesn’t revolve around them and find ways to make it revolve around them. I appreciated the diversity in AJLT compared to the original SATC series. However, casual emotional labor placed on Black and brown characters to provide crash lessons about social justice issues to white characters is not the move.
  2. And Just Like That… the show would’ve been excellent without Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte. Black and brown characters were multidimensional and had significantly more interesting storylines apart from how their lives intertwined with Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte. And we deserved more—spinoff, HBO? More about the trans woman Rabbi navigating her faith community. More about Nya’s relationship with Andre, IVF journey, and reproductive decisions. More about Rock and how they are navigating confidently owning their identity while having parents that aren’t quite Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. More about Lisa Todd Wexley’s fabulousness. More about Seema’s life as a boss apart from being a smoking buddy with Carrie—who spends that much time with their realtor?
  3. And just like that… Miranda never deserved Steve. Siri, play Backstreet Boys “Quit Playing Games With My Heart.” I didn’t grow up with SATC, but I’ve seen enough to know Steve is a damn good dude. Miranda asked for divorce because she’s fallen in love with Che—which, fair because it’s Sara Ramirez aka Cali from Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t get me wrong, Che is an incredible person and I enjoyed watching Miranda explore what feels right for her beyond a heteronormative relationship, corporate job, and prestigious internship. But some liberating decisions seemed impulsive rather than genuine—which could be the point for Ms. Type-A to embrace uncertainty and be the giver of zero f*cks. Given Miranda’s on-again-off-again track record with Steve, it’s difficult to believe Che won’t get hurt in this process.
  4. And Just Like That… I’m not joining the Peloton cult. I’d have to choose between my keyboard or a Peloton, and Debussy doesn’t lead to heart attacks.
  5. And Just Like That… Carrie manages to make a wealthy living as a writer. All those damn shoes, designer outfits, and that big ass apartment—to NYC standards—on the UPPER EAST SIDE? Maybe Carrie secured a bag that was attainable for NYC-based writers in the 90s that I will know nothing about in this economy. This season Carrie was talked out of “being that white woman who just writes a check” by Miranda because she didn’t want to volunteer to paint a women’s shelter. But, how is she so rich? As the show tried to address many social issues, capitalism wasn’t one of them. I need Carrie to participate in #ShareYourSalary or #PublishingPaidMe on Twitter.

And Just Like That…we all try. 

Overall, the show highlights how a very white and very problematic series from 20 years ago can’t entirely switch up their game without hiccups and discomfort. As annoying as it was to watch these women navigate a suddenly diverse New York that they actually have to interact with, it would be disingenuous to watch them do so seamlessly. Because let’s face it, none of us are capable of that. 

If you dare, you can watch And Just Like That on HBO. If you’re not a masochist, I highly recommend HBO’s South Side—completely unrelated, but 100% hilarious.

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