Latest news with #JonathanCake
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
And Just Like That finale review – a sad, heavy-handed and far too faecal farewell
And just like that: it's over. A mere two weeks ago, it was announced that the Sex and the City spin-off was ending imminently, with showrunner Michael Patrick King having decided season three was 'a wonderful place to stop'. It felt more than a little abrupt, leading to tabloid rumours that HBO was pulling the plug on the much-maligned series. An Instagram post from Jonathan Cake, who played Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) latest love interest was jokey, but – equally – didn't read like the words of someone who knew he had signed up for a bit part ('Wait, did I JUST KILL [the series]? Duncan finally has one night of passion with Carrie Bradshaw and the shows [sic] over … FOREVER???') In any case, the fact that anyone cared at all showed that we had come a long way. Back in 2021, this Samantha-free reboot was sternly judged, with critics using words like 'cringey' and 'cloying'. Efforts to diversify the cast felt cynical, while Carrie's pivot to podcasting and Miranda's foray into queer romance with non-binary comic Che Diaz led to scenes that made even those two mortifying SATC films seem bearable by comparison. But somewhere along the way, And Just Like That got good. Not Sex and the City good, to be clear. But it became the sort of warm, absurd escapism that slipped down like a classic Cosmopolitan. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Charlotte (Kristin Davis) braved a fierce snowstorm to buy condoms for her teenage daughter; when Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) deflowered a Wicked-obsessed nun played by Rosie O'Donnell; or when the writers accidentally killed off the father of fabulous side character Lisa not once but twice. Straight-shooting real-estate broker Seema (Sarita Choudhury) proved a solid stand-in for Samantha, and then some – which was lucky, because the closest we got to Kim Cattrall was an awkward one-minute cameo. By the time we reached the second half of season three, the show had found its stride – even if a post-Big, post-Aidan Carrie was consumed with writing her turgid historical novel about a lonesome woman who definitely isn't just a stand-in for her. And then, alas, came the news that it was almost over. Some viewers may have arrived at this point with a sense of relief, but for many there will definitely have been disappointment. Why give us this ludicrous curate's egg, only to snatch it away? And how, dear God, do you wrap it all up? Luckily, all TV writers know that setting an episode at Thanksgiving means teary resolutions in the company of friends and family. Sadly, this is the And Just Like That writers we're talking about, so that didn't happen. Carrie spent the holiday chez Miranda, who was navigating the news that she was to become a grandmother with the same shrill hysteria and general alarm that Nixon has long brought to the AJLT universe. Miranda then legged it to hang out with her uptight British girlfriend, Joy (Dolly Wells), whose dog Sappho was undergoing emergency surgery (noooo!), leaving Carrie to play host to bland gallery boss, Mark, as well as Brady's lactose-intolerant baby mama, Mia, and her corral of obnoxious gen Z pals (as ever, the episode delighted in caricature). The crescendo of the evening involved a toilet overflowing with lots and lots of poo. Could this have really been the intended finale to the entire franchise? And yet, well … it was sort of perfect, a fitting fever dream of an ending where this most lovely of holidays and a chance for human connection ends with a vile plumbing disaster. Elsewhere, the plot about our heroine and 'the woman' from the novel concluded. Carrie began the episode at a Chinese restaurant where a well-meaning waiter plopped a stuffed toy in the booth opposite her as a lunch companion, sending her into a tailspin. Speaking of unsubtle: Seema, Lisa, Charlotte and Carrie then spend an afternoon at a bridal fashion show, nattering about relationships. Lisa and Charlotte's view was more or less that marriage was hell on earth but that they'd do it all again anyway, while Carrie was more hesitant: 'I have to quit thinking, 'maybe a man', and start accepting: 'maybe just me'.' She would later pull a French exit from Miranda's faecally charged party to strut around her apartment in heels one last time, serenading herself to a karaoke version of Barry White's You're The First, The Last, My Everything. It was a clear callback to the final moments of Sex and the City, when – over a remix of Candi Staton's You Got the Love – Carrie declared that 'the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself'. Except that she ended that line with, ' … and if you find someone to love the you that you love, well, that's just fabulous'. Here, there was no such coda, as she finished her novel with the words: 'The woman realises she was not alone – she was on her own.' It was emotional, but let's just say it wasn't exactly convincing based on previous evidence. And so, the weirdest reboot of them all ended with a whimper, as though the anaesthetic was finally wearing off and we were all collectively coming to. Really, it deserved something bigger, sillier and camper, instead of this sad, heavy-handed farewell. Still, at least they didn't bring Che back to pay their respects. And Just Like That is on Now TV in the UK, HBO Max in the US and Binge in Australia.
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
And Just Like That star worries if they're to blame for axed Sex And The City reboot
An actor on And Just Like That is questioning if his character is to blame for the Sex And The City spinoff's recent cancellation. Following the bleak news, initially shared by Sarah Jessica Parker and creator Michael Patrick King, actor Jonathan Cake, 57, took to Instagram to reflect on his brief time on the show. He shared a photo of his character Duncan in bed with Sarah's main character, the divisive Carrie Bradshaw, and wrote in the caption, 'Wait, did i JUST KILL @justlikethatmax?' Adding a spoiler, he cheekily continued, 'Duncan finally has one night of passion with Carrie Bradshaw and the show's over…FOREVER??? Was it, judging by this picture, his surprisingly small head? Or something else a little underwhelming?' The playful note went on, 'Ah Duncan Donuts, I guess America won't run on Duncan, but it was exquisite pleasure while it lasted.' The actor also shared a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Sarah smiling while wearing eyeglasses. He shared a photo of his character Duncan in bed with Sarah's main character, the divisive Carrie Bradshaw, and wrote in the caption, 'Wait, did i JUST KILL @justlikethatmax?' In his message he named costars Sarah, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, creator Michael and producer John Melfi before writing, 'You gave the world SUCH joy for nearly thirty years. 'I don't think there's a higher calling for people in our business. You knocked it out of the park and it's still traveling, traveling, traveling. 'Thank you for having me on your team for a hot — a very hot — minute. You're all brilliant.' Cake joined the third and final season of the reboot as a writer who lived in the apartment underneath Carrie's. The two characters initially bumped heads before finding common ground in their writing careers. The most recent episode saw them take their relationship from professional to personal as they explored their romantic chemistry. Fans are now anxiously waiting to see how the final two episodes of the franchise will tie everything together. Sarah acknowledged the show's culmination with a heartfelt post shared on Instagram. Sharing a montage of photos from the history of the two series, she wrote a poem that read in part: 'She crossed streets, avenues, rubicons, so it seemed. 'She broke hearts, heels, habits. She loved, lost, won, tripped, leaped. Fell short and into puddles. 'Aged. Got wiser. She has made the hardest worst and best decisions. 'Traveled near and far. For the new. The vintage. Friends and love. 'Changed homes, time zones, boyfriends, her mind, her shoes, her hair, but never her love and devotion to New York City. 'She had dates, drinks, boyfriends. A husband and truly great loves and romances. 'She hailed cabs. She ran in heels. And danced with Stanford. She told the truth and she lied. 'She typed. Wondered. Wrote. Published. Grieved. Forgave. Got stood up. Stood strong. Stood out.'
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘And Just Like That' actor wonders if he's to blame for the show ending: ‘Did I just kill' it?
Carrie's love life is to blame. On Friday, Sarah Jessica Parker and 'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King made the shocking announcement that the 'Sex and the City' spinoff would abruptly end after Season 3 concludes on Aug 14. Two days later, co-star Jonathan Cake spoke out on Instagram — joking that it's all his fault. Advertisement 'Wait, did i JUST KILL @justlikethatmax ? Duncan finally has one night of passion with Carrie Bradshaw and the shows over…FOREVER???' he wrote in the caption, next to a photo of his character, Duncan, shirtless in bed. 8 Jonathan Cake as Duncan, in the photo he posted on Instagram. HBO 8 Jonathan Cake and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.' HBO Advertisement Duncan is a new addition to the show in Season 3. He's Carrie's new neighbor who she butted heads with and even texted Samantha (Kim Cattrall) about. But after Carrie struck out on her rekindled romance with Aidan (John Corbett), Duncan became her new love interest. Joking about his own appearance in the shirtless photo, Cake quipped, 'Was it, judging by this picture, his surprisingly small head? Or something else a little underwhelming? Ah Duncan Donuts, i guess America won't run on Duncan, but it was exquisite pleasure while it lasted.' He also tagged fellow stars Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, producer John Melfi, showrunner King and 'the one and only ever' Parker. 'You gave the world SUCH joy for nearly thirty years,' he penned. 'I don't think there's a higher calling for people in our business.' Advertisement 8 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis in 'And Just Like That.' Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max He gushed over his co-stars and producers, 'You knocked it out of the park and it's still traveling, traveling, traveling. Thank you for having me on your team for a hot- a very hot- minute. You're all brilliant.' The original show, which aired for six seasons from 1998 to 2004, followed Bradshaw and her friends Samantha Jones (Cattrall), Miranda Hobbes (Nixon) and Charlotte York (Davis) through dating adventures in New York City. The series also spawned two movies in 2008 and 2010, and a spinoff prequel, 'The Carrie Diaries,' which aired on The CW from 2013 to 2014. Advertisement 'And Just Like That' premiered in 2021 on HBO Max, and follows the ladies through love and life in their 50s – sans Samantha, amid behind the scenes rumors of a feud with Cattrall, which Parker has denied. 8 Jonathan Cake attends Max Original's 'And Just Like That' Season 3 Photo Call at Crane Club on May 21, 2025 in New York City. WireImage The 'Sex and the City' spinoff was allegedly not cancelled, however. King insists that he thought this was a good place for the story to end. 'And just like that… the ongoing storytelling of the' Sex And The City' universe is coming to an end,' King wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. 'While I was writing the last episode of 'And Just Like That…' season 3, it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop,' he continued. 'SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn't want the word 'final' to overshadow the fun of watching the season.' 8 Jonathan Cake and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.' HBO 8 Jonathan Cake as Duncan in 'And Just Like That.' In her own Instagram post on Friday, Parker, 60, wrote about Carrie Bradshaw – who she has played since 'Sex and the City' first premiered in 1998 – that the character 'has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years. I think I have loved her most of all.' Advertisement Ratings had been dwindling for the show, with the Season 3 premiere averaging a paltry 429,000 households during the live-plus-three-day viewership window, according to Forbes. The show has also faced backlash over plot holes, and a hollow attempt to be 'woke.' This was especially apparent in the fan backlash to Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), a new character who wasn't in 'Sex and the City,' but was in Seasons 1 and 2 of 'And Just Like That.' 8 Jonathan Cake, Sarah Jessica Parker and John-Corbett in 'And Just Like That.' HBO MAX Advertisement Che, a queer nonbinary podcaster comedian, had a 'woke moment' button on their podcast, and quickly became dubbed one of the most 'annoying' TV characters. 'Che seems like they are a manifestation of… an irritating Twitter account come to life,' Texas writer Atif Riaz, 32, told The Post after the first season aired. 'Che diaz single-handedly set back non-binary representation 70 years,' one critic seethed. Another fan on Reddit called Che, 'insufferably woke' and said, 'Parts with Che in them are entirely unwatchable and cringey.' Advertisement Che didn't appear in Season 3, but the damage was done to the public perception of the show. 8 Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon on the set of 'And Just Like That.' GC Images It didn't help that the show wasn't on the same page as the audience, as Parker said she was 'shocked' by the fans' negative reaction to Che. The show also faced backlash for killing off Carrie's longtime love, Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, in the very first episode. He suffered a heart attack following a Peloton ride. Advertisement One fan wrote on X, 'Me trying to process that Big died in the first ep of 'Sex and the City' reboot. Can Carrie never be happy or?? We literally went through 6 seasons and 2 films of pain, drama & happy endings now this?! I'mma pretend this show never existed for my own happiness.' Big's death prompted the brand's stock to drop as it scrambled to recover after sexual assault allegations emerged against Noth just days after the Season 1 premiere. Sources told Page Six the series was likely cut because — like Bradshaw's clothing budget — its spending habits were too high. The final episode airs Aug. 14 on HBO Max.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘And Just Like That …' Season 3, Episode 5 Recap: Heels
Season 3, Episode 5: 'Under the Table' I'm sorry, there's a crappy apartment below Carrie's lavish Gramercy Park palace? With a tenant — her tenant — she has never met or heard of? This is an unexpected (and, like many things on this show) somewhat unbelievable twist. Sure, garden apartments are common, but Carrie is a rich person who bought this house from another rich person. Would either owner really leave the bottom floor in such shambles? Maybe so if it doesn't bother the sexy biographer Duncan Reeves (Jonathan Cake) who lives there only six months of the year solely to write — and smoke a pipe, apparently, which is a detail that took the brooding London author thing a step too far. The only thing that does bother Duncan is the clickity clack of little Carrie heels, which keeps him up all day long as he is trying to sleep. (Brooding London authors can write only at night, see.) It's this complaint that kicks Carrie into her petty era. Duncan requests that Carrie please remove her shoes when she is home, which offends her to her core. He even gifts her a pair of slippers, which she impolitely declines. 'It's New York. There's noise,' she tells him, and continues to click-clack away, albeit with a bit more tiptoe. From there, Carrie's pettiness only grows. When Miranda's Airbnb neighbor comes at her half-naked with a meat cleaver, Carrie insists that her friend come stay in the safe harbor that is Gramercy. Miranda obliges, and then Carrie immediately begins to pick at her for consuming the last yogurt, the last banana and the last Mexican Coke. Again, Carrie is a rich person. And they are best friends. Why is Carrie acting as if Miranda should put down a credit card for incidentals? However, Miranda is rich, too, and she has been divorced from Steve for what, three years now? (Season 1 was a long time ago!) Why she still hasn't found a permanent place to live is perplexing to say the least. Remember the first time Miranda left Steve in the first 'Sex and the City' movie? All she had to do was walk through a gentrifying neighborhood and say the incredibly regrettable line 'White guy with a baby. Wherever he's going, that's where we need to be, and boom, she had a new apartment. (Where was Woke Charlotte when we needed her?) Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Graziadaily
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
And Just Like That: Who Plays Carrie Bradshaw's Handsome British Neighbour?
As she navigates her five-year hiatus/ long-distance confusion with Aidan Shaw in the third season of And Just Like That, Carrie Bradshaw is due a new love interest - or at least a romantic distraction. We have the hot gardener Adam (played by Logan Marshall-Green), and now the next man to bring a smile to Carrie's face comes in the form of handsome and suave British neighbour – a Patrick Dempsey 'McDreamy' lookalike played by British star Jonathan Cake. Here's everything we know about him… Jonathan Cake ©Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images Jonathan Cake is a British actor, who's best known for roles in Desperate Housewives, The Affair and historical drama Empire. British fans may recognise him from Press Gang and Grange Hill from back in the day. He's classically trained, graduating from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Jonathan is 57 years old. A child actor, Jonathan started off on stage with roles in Shakespeare productions for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre before making his TV debut in Press Gang in 1993. The following year, he had a small role in the US film First Knight alongside Sean Connery and Richard Gere and was cast as Ewan in Grange Hill. Since those early days, Jonathan has worked on a lot of British TV shows and productions with some of the industry's biggest names, and switches from the UK to the US. Most notably, he was in Brideshead Revisited, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Chuck, Stargirl and Grey's Anatomy. Jonathan Cake and Julianne Nicholson ©Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Jonathan is married to American actress Julianne Nicholson. The couple married in Italy on 24 September 2004. Jonathan and Julianne have two children – son Ignatius, 17, and daughter Phoebe, 16. Jonathan is on Instagram, where he's been promoting his new role. You can find him @ Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.
