Should Charlotte Ditch Her Friends? & More Questions I Have After Watching ‘And Just Like That’

Like many other twenty-something girls in New York City, I woke up on December 9 as if it was Christmas morning come two weeks early. The new Sex And The City had finally premiered, and the first two episodes were live on HBO Max! I eagerly watched them and drank everything in, then called up our entertainment editor to discuss. Hours later, though, I still have a ton of unanswered questions about And Just Like That. So who better to share them with than all of you?

To be clear, the following is positively loaded with spoilers, so if you haven’t watched yet, save this for after you binge the first two episodes. Then come back and see how many things we agree on! As an unofficial SATC historian, I went in with certain expectations for And Just Like That, and while there was a lot to love in the new series, there was a lot that  left me somewhat thrown.

Killing off a main character, giving one of our faves a white savior complex, destroying a pair of Manolos—why are the writers doing this to us?? Below, I share my hottest hot takes and burning questions after watching the show’s first drop. Fingers crossed all will be answered by the time the next episode airs.

Will the cast get more diverse and inclusive as the season goes on? Yes, there are more characters of color (Finally!!!) but I’m talking about body diversity and queer representation, too. During their podcast, Che Diaz (a.k.a. Sara Ramirez) is introduced as a “queer non-binary Mexican Irish diva, representing everyone else outside these two boring genders.”

Che goes on to add the following disclaimer: “And yes, I know that no one person can represent all the genders and sexual orientations or an entire race, and I fully acknowledge that we are complicated, diverse beings here on this wondrous planet, all of us striving to be our very best selves—many of us just trying to get laid.”

But the thing is…so far, it feels like the show’s writers are in fact trying to make one person represent all of those things??? That seems like a hefty weight for one actor to carry, even if it is someone as talented as Ramirez. And I don’t mean to discredit Ramirez’s accomplishment of being cast as the show’s first non-binary character, which is downright wonderful. I simply hope that they will not have to serve as the only queer figure (and the only plus body) on the show.

New York is diverse, people! We don’t all look and act like a Bradshaw.

 

Why is Charlotte still hanging out with Carrie and Miranda? I’m sorry, but this woman needs some tough love about her choices in friends. Yes, Charlotte can often be annoying and a bit “too much”—exhibit A happens just minutes into the first episode, when she tells Miranda she should really color her hair. But regardless, Charlotte’s love for her friends has always radiated off of her, even when they used to dismiss her, ignore her or blame her for just about anything they could get away with.

About halfway through the first episode, I felt like maybe Charlotte’s luck had turned, and her friends finally cared for her the way she did for them. Heck, they went to Lily’s piano recital, and I’m sure no one wanted to do that! Carrie was also quick to make sure Charlotte knew she did not blame her for Big’s death. However, later on in episode two, Charlotte stops by Carrie’s to bring her magazines—a ridiculously sweet gesture and proof that she knows her friends well—only to find that the gang is hanging out without her, and that Carrie actively chose to hide it from her.

Yes, Carrie has some valid reasons for why she doesn’t want Char to come over. No one wants extra dramatics when dealing with a husband’s ashes! But Carrie could have let her know in advance that she needed some space to handle her emotions in a balanced way, instead of making her feel like the only kid in kindergarten that didn’t get invited to the birthday party.

When Charlotte’s new friend, Lisa Todd Wexley, arrives to a lunch date Charlotte has completely forgotten about, Wexley is extremely understanding and supportive. And I can’t help but feel like Carrie would’ve been pissed had she been in Wexley’s shoes! Here’s hoping that Charlotte’s decision to branch out and make some new mom friendships helps her find a pack that loves and respects her right back.

 

Why is Miranda’s plotline such a total bummer? Um, am I the only one who feels like Miranda is getting the shit end of the stick in the new series? Since the original show’s air, Miranda had been hailed as the most ~woke~ of the original cast. She has always been a take-no-shit, get-it-done lawyer, for crying out loud! But as we see her return to school, she acts a bumbling fool in front of her new teacher, Karen Pittman’s Dr. Nya Wallace. The microaggressions were through the roof!

This is not the Miranda many of us remember. Yes, she has always been high-strung and frazzled, but Miranda is smart. Miranda is sincere. Miranda would not have this massive white savior complex squashing all the good parts of her personality! I’m sure there’s meant to be a redemption arc here where we all learn a lesson about how to treat one another, but I don’t see why Miranda has to be the one to teach us. She was doing just fine and treating people just fine for most of SATC! Maybe Carrie is the one who should be back in school re-learning how the world works.

Also, did anyone else notice the foreshadowing of a drinking problem? She was desperate to get her hands on alcohol no matter the time or place, and she certainly doesn’t seem pleased with the state of her marriage or Brady’s teen shenanigans. The first two episodes were heavy overall, but Miranda got hit the hardest. Here’s hoping for an uplifting twist in episode three!

 

Is Natasha coming back to sort out Big’s will? We know based on spoilers and her presence at the premiere that Bridget Moynahan’s Natasha will return to the new series, but her name wasn’t uttered in the first two episodes. Was I the only one wondering why none of Big’s ex wives were at his funeral? I know they didn’t exactly keep in touch, but they were married, after all. It seemed weird to me that they’d no-show, or not even be invited.

That said, I sensed a little foreshadowing when the focus was on Big’s secretary, Gloria. “He always said, ‘Gloria knows more about me than I know about myself,’” offers Carrie when they chat at the funeral. Later, Gloria reminds Carrie that they have a lot of paperwork to figure out now that Big has passed.

If you’re telling me Natasha isn’t returning to sort out Big’s will—which I guarantee she’s included in—you’re not thinking ahead. It’s inevitable! And I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

 

How will Stanford be written out of the series? Remember how Glee worked in a funeral for Finn as a way to honor the late Cory Monteith? After Willie Garson’s passing in September, I assumed something similar would be written in to send America’s Favorite Gay Best Friend out with a bang. That said, this was before I knew we’d spend the first two episodes at a different funeral for Mr. Big—and there’s no way they’ll kill off two major characters in the very first season. Talk about dark!

I’m not sure if they plan to handle Garson’s death in the upcoming episodes, but he and Anthony are bickering quite a lot (I mean, as always) so perhaps a divorce will do. That said, Garson was particularly electric in the first two episodes, providing a bit of the comic relief we once looked to Samantha for.

Not only was his own wardrobe delightful, but he cracked me up when he hyped up Carrie’s funeral ensemble: “I’m so proud of her, with all she’s going through, pulling it together and giving us a look today. Because people will be expecting it! She’s kind of our Jackie Kennedy!”

 

Are they making Samantha look nice to win back Kim Cattrall? Think about it. They could’ve had Samantha’s character completely ghost Carrie, but our girl broke down and sent flowers the moment she heard about Big’s death. She’s not ready to talk to Carrie, but she would never leave her high and dry in such dark times!

If the writers really wanted us to be done with Samantha, I think they would’ve just let her go after the first few scenes she’s mentioned in—but the funeral gift makes me think she might return. That said, it doesn’t seem as though anything is locked in.

I’m just hoping Cattrall sees the episodes, likes how Samantha isn’t portrayed as totally heartless, and agrees to come back and grace us with our favorite PR maven fresh off a red eye from London. Kim Cattrall, listen to your devout fans! This cast is a lot less fun without you.

 

Is there really still sex in this city? Because so far, the only “sexy” moments we saw were from teen Brady screwing his girlfriend (which felt…wrong to watch) and Big masturbating in front of Carrie. Neither of these moments struck me as particularly hot.

And now that Big is gone, it’s safe to say Carrie will eventually start dating, right? I mean, hopefully not too soon, but she’s never been good at being alone. She’s a relationship girl through and through! I can already feel an onslaught of cheesy dating app zingers pending.

Seriously, though. The girls aren’t giving me the same warm-and-fuzzy friendship vibes they did in the OG, and they also seem pretty darn unhappy in their relationships and roles as parents. Would the writers really kill off Big just to get things spicy again?

 

…Is anybody going to go shopping? I’m sorry, but I don’t think shopping was mentioned once in the first two episodes. We didn’t even get to see Charlotte purchase that trio of Oscar De La Renta floral dresses—she already had the garment bag ready to go in the very first scene! In my opinion, the show got itself off to such a heavy start, I just don’t know how it can work its way back to lightness.

I mean, were the water-soaked Manolos meant to be symbolic of the end of this crew’s fashion-y fun times altogether? I have no doubt Carrie mourned the closing of Barneys as emotionally as the death of Big (Joking, but not really), but that doesn’t mean she can’t give Saks or Bergdorf Goodman a go!

* This article was originally published here