And Just Like That, IT'S ON

Our favorite disappointment is back, and NGL, I'm into it.

I’m back, and so is And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot we all loved to loathe last year. Except now, the rules are different: we know this is not the same show as before, and we know the tone is messy. And because AJLT pulled so deep into Disappointment Station, those of us who are still watching have lowered our expectations. Way, way down.

And yet! I actually think it is better, at least from what we’ve seen in these first two episodes, for a few reasons:

1. The all-over-the-place tone (or just the straight-up depressing tone) has ironed itself out into the light, fluffy, low-stakes comedy of the original. No one was murdered by a Peloton and the only grief depicted is Che losing Tony Danza to his original nationality. It’s just fun (most of it). Give me fake Met Galas and boozy brunches and rich lady problems all day.

2. Sex is back! People barely had sex last season except for Brady (bad chills). It was barely an idea on this show—a show that’s a reboot of a show with the name SEX in it. The first episode montage is like, OH, YOU WANTED SEX DID YOU? Here’s all your parents having sex. It may not be sexy, but it’s welcome. One of the major complaints about the reboot was that it was missing the opportunity to show how women in their 50s live and date, and now we’re getting to that.

3. Carrie is single! Sorry your man had to die/was canceled, but finally we’re on the other side, and at the top of this season, her plot is how she’s having casual sex with Franklin¹ (hot guy, bad name) and navigating that relationship. This is exactly a plotline that would have been on the original show (and kind of was), but it’s interesting now given that Carrie is a recent widow, and again, navigating this all in her 50s. Since she dismisses Franklin (he doesn’t go by Frank?) by the end of episode two, I’m very excited for the guy-of-the-episode procedural we’re about to get. I know it’s all a warm-up for Aidan, and I. AM. READY.

4. Miranda's less cringe. She still has her moments, but compared to her in the AJLT pilot (I’m trying to actively block it out even as I bring it up myself), she’s mostly just a vulnerable goof figuring things out. She’s strappin’ it on! She’s trying new things! Good for her, honestly. Che is a different story, and we will get to that later.

I think the biggest part of my appreciation is that I realize this show is fully comfort for me now. Comfort shows are usually shows you’ve seen a million times, but I’m having that warm/safe feeling as I watch these new episodes. Probably because I know the main characters so well, and this time around, they’re acting more like the characters we knew in the original. It’s not surprising—like watching episodes you’ve already seen, and I’m good with that.

And now, onto the beefs!

1. I’m trying to give Che a chance. That was a lie. I’m trying to try! But that joke about no one walking in LA… was… the writers are trolling us, right? They know we said Che was embarrassingly unfunny last season, so they’re making Che this purposefully hacky, right? They make Miranda happy, though, so like I said, trying. They’re also facilitating a plotline like Carrie’s (reminiscent of the old show), about dating woes with a new partner. The partner is the woe, unfortunately.

2. Carrie refusing to say the word vagina or anything close to it didn’t feel true for a number of reasons. 1. She was a sex columnist² 2. Re-writing the copy didn’t seem like that big a deal and 3. She refused to give an actual reason for not wanting to say any vagina-adjacent word, except for that it wasn’t in her “nature”. Girl, you could have just said people don’t need to stick anything in their coochies³ in the name of vaginal wellness.

3. Oh, and she finally caves and it’s too late? Did Carrie really torpedo an entire podcast network? TBH I won’t miss the podcast-making scenes, but I did enjoy it as a device for bringing back her column.

Anyway, I’m in, and no beefs or random side character drama will get me to stop watching. There are too many points of delight and nostalgia, like Carrie pulling out her wedding dress or Charlotte doing spot-on impressions of Miranda and Samantha.

And one final note: Carrie wanting to master a poached egg is the most relatable thing about her since AJLT started. For the record: boil the water first, put the egg in a ramekin, and pour it in to the boiling water as you TURN OFF the flame and cover it with a lid. She was right about the three minutes for perfection!⁴ You’re welcome.

1. I still do not believe that man is not Dave Annable. If it’s not, then where’s the real Dave Annable been?!

2. This also came up last season when she was prudey about masturbating. Girl, set an example!

3. I don’t use this word IRL. Just for emphasis!

4. I don’t whirlpool and I don’t add vinegar. Tried ‘em all in a very Carrie-like plot back in 2018. This is it, I swear!