‘And Just Like That' showrunner defends bizarre finale toilet scene that left fans enraged: ‘Relationships are a lot of s–t'
'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King is defending his choice to feature a disgusting toilet scene in the series finale of the 'Sex and the City' spinoff.
In an interview published Thursday night, King told Variety, 'We cannot take ourselves too seriously. For the gorgeousness of Carrie's pink, sparkly top and tulle skirt — that's the high — the low is a toilet filled up with s–t.'
He added, 'Because guess what? Being single, there's a lot of s–t, and relationships are a lot of s–t. It's the comedy, with the drama, with the romance, with the fairy tale. I guess it's a response to the fairy tale.'
12 Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie in the 'And Just Like That' finale.
Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max
12 Michael Patrick King in Paris, on May 28, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
'And Just Like That' had its series finale on Thursday night after 3 Seasons – ending Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) reign on TV that began when 'Sex and the City' premiered in 1998.
During the episode, Carrie attends an awkward dinner party where there's an incident with a toilet overflowing. The camera shows crap in the toilet onscreen. Enraged fans slammed the scene on social media, saying it made them feel 'insulted' and made them 'vomit.'
The episode ends with Carrie alone, in no relationship after Big (Chris Noth) died, and after she split with Aidan (John Corbett) for the umpteenth time.
12 The toilet scene in the 'And Just Like That' series finale.
HBO
12 Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker in the 'And Just Like That' finale.
HBO
King said Carrie ending up alone is a 'call and response' to the criticism 'Sex and the City' got when that show's 2004 series finale ended with Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) all in relationships.
'It is something that I've always thought about. Because, as much as I made sure in the 'Sex and the City' finale that they weren't all married — because the anarchy of 'Sex and the City' was that, at that time, that being 34, with someone, but unmarried, was unacceptable…So Samantha was not married. That was my loophole,' he said.
The showrunner added about the end of 'SATC' that Carrie 'did say that beautiful last speech about the most significant relationship of all being the one you have with yourself — while holding a phone, with Big calling.'
12 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall in 'Sex and the City.'
HBO
12 Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristin Davis in 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
12 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis in 2002.
Getty Images
The end of 'And Just Like That' finds Carrie dancing around her apartment, seemingly at peace with being single.
'It's 'the real, real, this-is-now Carrie. Many, many years later, having gone through deaths, heartbreaks, new romances, saying, 'I'm grown-up enough to face this, because I've created a life that's so magnificent for myself,'' King told the outlet.
He added, 'She's on her own. And that sentence is… mostly for someone who feels bad because they don't have someone. That's really what it is. It's to say: Look at her, how fabulous she is, and she's exactly where you are. That's what it's for.'
12 Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) dancing in her apartment at the end of 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
12 Carrie writing the epilogue to her book at the end of 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
Before Season 3 premiered, HBO didn't announce that it would be the final season.
King and Parker both made the announcement on social media on Aug. 1, just two weeks before the series finale aired.
He explained, 'We didn't tell the press — people do tell, to get a bump. And I didn't need the bump, and I didn't want people looking at the Carrie-Aidan relationship with the word 'final' over it. I don't think they would have invested. They would have said, 'All right, just end it.''
12 Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) in 'And Just Like That.'
HBO
The showrunner said, 'If the word 'final' had been in the mix, you would have seen everything differently. You would have seen Harry's prostate cancer as final. And we never wanted that to be final.'
He continued, 'If we had told the press at the premiere 'final,' they would have said 'How does it end?' Guess what? We didn't know. None of the actors knew. We were just following the feelings of the writing and story and where we could bring Carrie that would be enough of a finish that people could continue with their fan fiction writing on their own.'
At the end of Season 3, Carrie – who is writing a novel about a woman in the 1800s – ends the book by writing, 'The woman realized she was not alone — she was on her own.'
12 Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon in 'And Just Like That.'
GC Images
King wrote that scene in the middle of the Season 3 production, he said.
'The resonance of that felt so profound that I knew it was a very significant end to the season as we wrote it.'
He continued, 'And then… wait, more is coming? Can we do more? I talked to Sarah Jessica and said, 'I think this is it. This feels like where we should leave Carrie Bradshaw.' She said, 'Then we stop.''
12 Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.'
Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max
When asked if Carrie's story could ever return to TV, he said, 'It is closed. Because I care so much about what we've done. …she's this hero in her late 50s, wearing a Hindenburg hat and eating sherbet in Washington Square Park,' he said, referring to the giant cloud-like accessory that Carrie wore on her head in Season 3 of 'And Just Like That.'
He explained that Carrie has 'made her mark,' and 'as a writer, I feel we've made our mark. I never thought once about continuing…Anyone else could keep going. I can't.'
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