And just like that, the Sex and the City spin-off has rediscovered its zing
And Just Like That... (season three) ★★★★
Ladies and gentlemen, I have not come to bury And Just Like That…, I have come to praise it. If you want a critical assessment of the Sex and the City spin-off, go elsewhere.
After two seasons, the show has finally found its feet – yes, they are still shod in Manolos – but they have cast off the grief of season one (RIP, Big), the ridiculousness of season two (bye, bye Che Diaz) and the shadow of the absent Samantha (Kim Cattrall). Now, for season three, it has found its rhythm in the joys and terrors of being a woman in her 50s, of managing teenagers and older parents, of finding meaning in work and lasting relationships.
Crucially, it's also rediscovered its zing. It's funny and flippant and light on its feet. Yes, it still probably has too many puns, but you know what, if you want serious drama, go elsewhere. We don't need your cynicism here.
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) has a new address, having abandoned her West Village one bedder for a lush townhouse in the upscale Gramercy Park, but she is, essentially, unchanged. Character development be damned, when it comes to Carrie, we want the familiar. We want her in high heels, typing at her laptop, in love (even if that means accepting Jon Corbett's Aiden again) and surrounded by friends, old and new.
By shedding two of the new characters introduced in season one – Dr Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman) and Che (Sara Ramirez) – and beefing up the roles of real estate broker/Samantha substitute Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and documentary maker Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), the series has found renewed focus on friendship, which is what gave Sex and the City its strength.
Once upon a time, fans, critics and the curious may have come for Samantha detailing her latest sex-capade, or Miranda's cynicism or Charlotte's prudishness, but they stayed for the bond between the core four. Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Cattrall) revolutionised television in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By showing four single women in their 30s – who enjoyed sex, spoke openly about it and weren't ashamed of their choices – they paved a way for other women. Suddenly, you didn't have to be a desperate housewife or a mob wife, or just the girlfriend, instead, you could, just like Carrie, be the narrator of your own story.
And Just Like That… has finally remembered this.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sarah Jessica Parker: Women don't flat line at 50 or 60
Sarah Jessica Parker wants to remind the public that women "don't flat line at 50 or 60". The 60-year-old actress has reprised the role of Carrie Bradshaw to star in the latest season of 'And Just Like That...', the 'Sex and the City' revival series, and Sarah is determined to spread an inspiring message through the TV show. She told Sky News: "You don't flat line at 50 or 60. "People are living pretty colourful, interesting, exciting lives and they have influence and authority. They're trying new things. They're leaving marriages. They're saying goodbye to kids. They're starting new jobs, they're leaving jobs, and they're getting married, they are widows, there's just endless amounts to talk about and it should be." Kristin Davis, her co-star, also hopes to challenge certain taboos and stereotypes for women in their 50s and 60s. The 60-year-old actress actually thinks there should be more shows like 'And Just Like That...' on TV. She said: "It is insane that there aren't more shows like us, you know? I'm hoping that there will be. "It's very interesting that somehow women, especially at a certain age, you're just supposed to just vanish. I don't know where we're supposed to be and that just makes no sense." Meanwhile, Kristin recently confessed that she hates to be "out of sync" with Sarah. The actress has learned some important life lessons from her 'Sex and the City' co-star, explaining that she always has to "check in" with the actress before a red-carpet event. During an episode of her 'Are You a Charlotte?' podcast, Kristin explained: "I need to know what Sarah Jessica's gonna wear to our different events, because she might be wearing something that is, like, way dressier than what I pictured in my mind, and I hate to be out of sync with her." Kristin - who plays Charlotte York in 'And Just Like That...' - actually loves getting "dressed up" for work. She explained: "There's a part of me always, like, 'Oh my gosh, why do I have to dress up so much all the time?' But on the other hand, it's fun to dress up. "And in life, I really don't dress up at all. So when we haven't worked for a while, then we go back to work and we get to get in all the clothes, I love it so much, because I don't do it that much."
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Cynthia Nixon opens up on 'intense' relationship with her And Just Like That... co-stars
Cynthia Nixon has an "intense" friendship with her 'And Just Like That...' co-stars. The 59-year-old actress has reprised her role as Miranda Hobbes in the 'Sex and the City' spin-off and explained that bond with co-stars Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker is all a result of how long they have all been working together. She told People: "I just think the longevity, I mean the intensity of it, but also the longevity of it, because there's something about knowing and loving a person, but then when you know them for so long, you know their children and their parents and their spouses and their friends. "When you understand somebody in their complete context, I feel like that's when you really know them." Meanwhile, actress - who starred on 'Sex and the City' throuhgout its original run from 1998 until 2004 and has appeared on the spin-off since its inception in 2021 - recently saw her alter-ego have a dalliance with a character played by Rosie O'Donnell, and explained that the writers had been trying to get the famed comedienne on board for years. "Michael Patrick King, who writes our show, and is one of the chief writers on our show, has been trying to write a part for Rosie every season and it's never quite worked out. She said: "So this time when he told me what the idea was, I thought, 'Oh this is fantastic, and he let me text her myself and describe it and say, you know, could we please send you this script?' With all our fingers and toes crossed.' "She is so funny and she is so funny in the part, but she's so centered and so real. "I think that we knew she would be hilarious, but I think we were unprepared for how moving she would be in the part, how incredibly sincere and how much she would wear her heart on her sleeve."
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Sarah Jessica Parker gives up dream of Irish citizenship
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have given up on their dream of gaining Irish citizenship. The 'Sex and The City' star and her actor husband fell in love with the country and bought a holiday home in Donegal where they spend vacations with their children. They have looked into the possibility of relocating to Ireland permanently but the dream has been shelved after they found out they don't qualify for permanent residency status. Sarah Jessica worked with Rosie O'Donnell - who moved to Ireland earlier this year - on the new series of 'And Just Like That ... ' and the actress admitted Rosie had an opportunity which was not afforded to the couple. She told the Sunday Independent newspaper: "We're [myself and Rosie] not in the same position." Sarah Jessica added: "We do feel enormously privileged to be able to visit the country as much as possible, however, which of late has just worked out – our kids' school schedule and our own work schedule has allowed us to be in Ireland a lot. "So we've given up on the idea of being able to call ourselves Irish citizens. But it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect our love of the country and our time spent there." Rosie, 62, relocated to Ireland along with her 12-year-old child Clay after Donald Trump was re-elected as US president, and she has since insisted she's loving their new life there and has no regrets about the move. She told Variety: "Never, for one moment since I arrived here, did I regret my choice. People have been so welcoming, so accepting, and they have a different view of celebrity in the culture here. "They are not prioritized over other people. People are much more friendly and intimate with each other in a real way. Every time I go into the pharmacy, I fall in love, because the pharmacist talks to you. Have you ever spoken to a pharmacist at CVS? ... "I call my friends every time, going, 'I think the pharmacist has a crush on me.' But it's a beautiful way of life. The smallness of this nation fits me very well."
