Sex and the City‘s follow-up series And Just Like That… continues the story of Carrie Bradshaw and her circle of New York City friends, but the reboot also recontextualizes several key aspects of the show. The series reunites Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda 23 years after SATC first premiered and 11 years after audiences last saw them in the 2010 film Sex and the City 2. Although And Just Like That… brings some much-needed changes, including a more diverse cast, it also encourages nostalgia for parts of the series that viewers may have underappreciated during the original run.
The revival follows the series’ main characters (minus one notable exception) as they navigate life in their 50s. This naturally leads to changes in the characters’ relationships and lifestyles that viewers became attached to when SATC was originally airing. Knowing where the lead characters end up in And Just Like That… completely changes the way their storylines feel in SATC. Some plot points become even more frustrating, while others offer a renewed appreciation for the original series.
One of the most iconic aspects of SATC was the costuming. Although And Just Like That… keeps up the tradition of Carrie’s outrageous outfits, the original costume designer, Patricia Field, did not return for the reboot. Since fashion is such a huge part of Carrie’s character, Field’s influence had a major effect on the show. Carrie’s wardrobe reflected her big personality but also her longstanding interest and respect for fashion. Many pieces of Carrie’s wardrobe were casual staples or unexpected vintage pieces, which were then paired with more upscale items like Carrie’s signature tulle skirts and Manolo Blahnik heels.
Through the use of these pieces, Field was able to portray Carrie as someone who spent years collecting clothes and accessories that she felt a personal connection to, as shown in her iconic closet. The same can be said for the other characters. Their wardrobes all had a lived-in quality that reflected their characters’ lifestyles perfectly. And Just Like That…‘s costuming feels much more polished, which makes sense since the characters are more mature and financially stable, but that contrast makes their SATC outfits even more remarkable.
After watching AJLT…Carrie and Big’s romance becomes much more tragic. Carrie pursued Big across six seasons and two movies, struggling to make their relationship work despite emotional hangups and other romances. Even during the show’s original run, Big and Carrie were a controversial couple. Despite their best efforts, they often ended up hurting each other and the people around them in their attempts to figure out their relationship.
It becomes even harder to watch Carrie fight for their relationship after Big dies of a heart attack in And Just Like That…‘s first episode. In the original series, Carrie went through so much heartbreak trying to maintain a relationship with Big. Knowing that instead of getting her happily ever after, she’s just in store for more heartbreak, makes it even more difficult to root for their relationship to succeed.
Carrie and Big’s relationship isn’t the only one that faces some major changes in AJLT… Miranda and Steve’s marriage also comes to an end, albeit for a very different reason. It’s revealed in the followup series that Steve and Miranda’s relationship has been on the verge of failing for at least a few years before the show picks up. This came as a blow to fans who rooted for them to get together during the original series.
Miranda’s will they/won’t they relationship with Steve was a huge part of her character arc, and he continuously pushed her to get out of her comfort zone and grow as a person. He was the impetus behind Miranda facing her more judgmental tendencies, deciding that she wanted to become a mother, and even making the move from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Seeing their relationship fall apart in And Just Like That… and seeing Miranda leave Steve for Che makes their charming moments during the original series much more frustrating to watch.
Stanford Blatch was an essential part of SATC‘s original run. As Carrie’s friend and confidante, he offered an outlook beyond her main friend group. Stanford lent comedic charm and an underrepresented perspective as a gay man to the series, making him an invaluable member of Sex and the City‘s cast of supporting characters.
Willie Garson, who played Stanford, tragically passed away in 2021 and only appears in three episodes of And Just Like That… The creative team decided to keep Stanford alive, probably because it would have been too tragic for Carrie to lose her husband and one of her best friends in the span of three episodes. Instead, it’s stated that Stanford asked his husband for a divorce and moved to Japan, but it’s clear that he will not be returning. This makes his appearances in SATC slightly bittersweet.
Carrie’s column, the titular “Sex and the City,” is one of the most important aspects of the original series. It served as a framing device for the episodes, and each column’s theme provided a new perspective for Carrie to view her and her friends’ romantic lives. In AJLT.., Carrie’s column is replaced with a podcast. Although a podcast is a much more realistic revenue stream for Carrie in the modern day, it also lacks some of the charm of her original writing. It also stands out because Carrie seems much more reserved on the podcast than in her column.
Carrie was never the most sex-positive character on the original show, but her column discussed the wide variety of sexual encounters that she and her friends had while exploring the New York City dating scene. In the first episode of And Just Like That…, she butts heads with Che for getting embarrassed about the topic of masturbation while recording their podcast. Although Carrie has changed as she’s gotten older, it’s a disappointing development to watch her shy away from the topics she originally explored and makes her original SATC column all the more interesting.
SATC sold a fantasy about living in New York City. Carrie and her friends wore designer clothes, went to the hottest restaurants, and dated the most interesting people. Despite this, Sex and the City remained fairly grounded in the realities of that kind of lifestyle. Many episodes revolved around the women dealing with financial problems, whether it was Carrie maxing out her credit cards or Charlotte debating the pros and cons of flirting with a salesman to get free shoes. Although the tone always stayed light, their financial burden was treated as a real problem for them to overcome.
In AJLT… the women are all incredibly wealthy. They still face personal problems, but they do so while touring multi-million dollar apartments and attending the Met Gala. These developments align with the characters’ trajectory but are difficult for the average viewer to relate to. They make the challenges faced in Sex and the City feel even more grounded in comparison.
For all its emphasis on sex and dating, the real focus of SATC was always the core friendship between Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. It was the show’s true love story, and watching them support each other through life’s ups and downs was more rewarding than any of the romantic storylines. When AJLT… begins, Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte have all been married for years, and romance seems to take priority over their friendships. In one notable scene, Miranda sleeps with Che in Carrie’s kitchen while she’s supposed to be helping Carrie recover from surgery.
That just makes their friendship in SATC all the more special. No matter how many bad dates or ill-advised relationships the women faced, they still returned to each other to discuss the details over drinks. They were also much more protective of each other in the original show and weren’t afraid to speak their mind when they thought one of the others was making a bad decision in their personal life. This depiction of intense female friendship is one of the reasons why Sex and the City remains so beloved.
One of the biggest changes in And Just Like That... is the introduction of new side characters for the leads to befriend. Miranda’s plot revolves heavily around her relationship with Che Diaz and her friendship with Dr. Nya Wallace. Charlotte finds a new friend in Lisa Todd Wexley, who can relate to her experiences as a mother and an art enthusiast. Carrie forms a friendship with her real estate broker Seema Patel, who helps her adjust to life as a widow.
Although these And Just Like That…. characters are a welcome addition to the SATC universe and bring some much-needed racial diversity to the cast, giving each woman a new friend to spend time with outside of their original group makes the series feel disconnected. Part of what made SATC so special was watching the four leads support each other through their struggles and triumphs. Their connection in the original series stands out even more as a result.
Looking at SATC from a modern perspective, it’s easy to point out how the show fell short in depicting the LGBTQ+ community. The infamous episode where Carrie dated a bisexual man and Samantha’s interactions with her trans neighbors stand out as problematic and dated examples of Sex and the City‘s attempts at inclusion. AJLT… aims to fix that problem by introducing characters who offer a new perspective on gender and sexuality outside of what Carrie and her friends had originally considered. However, despite the many cringe-worthy scenes in the original series, several storylines thoughtfully dealt with gender and sexuality.
As a character, Stanford didn’t just serve as comic relief. His storylines covered everything from the early days of online dating to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Samantha also explored her sexuality throughout the series. Her arc in the fourth season where she dated a woman was handled with surprising thoughtfulness without losing any of Samantha’s raunchy charm. Even the usually reserved Charlotte found her confidence while in drag. Knowing what’s to come in And Just Like That… makes these examples of inclusion stand out even more.