And Just Like That… premiere: The Sex and the City ladies return in their 50s

Sex And The City’s eagerly-anticipated reboot And Just Like That… hit screens on Thursday – with fans set to see major heartache when a main character dies as well as a wholly new woke take on the series. 

The return comes 23 years after the original TV series debuted – and 11 years since the second movie, with Sarah Jessica Parker, playing Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon, starring as Miranda Hobbes, and Kristin Davis, as Charlotte York, all returning without Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones.

While the show loses one original cast member, it gains three new ones with Sarah Ramirez (Che Diaz), Nicole Ari Parker (Lisa Todd Wedley), Karen Pittman (Dr. Nya Wallace) and Sarita Chouhdury (Seema Patell) joining the ladies.

The first and second episodes are packed with glamour, sass, many nods to political correctness and sensitivity – however we soon see Carrie left as widower, when her husband Mr Big dies from a heart attack in the end of the first episode, while the second follows funeral plans and the final goodbye (and subtle nods to Samantha). 

EPISODE ONE 

The first episode begins at fictional New York hotspot Clee, where Carrie is waiting with Charlotte and Miranda. ‘Remember when we legally had to stand six feet apart from one another?’ Carrie asks, as Miranda says she misses it, as a crowd walks through them.

They recognize an old friend, Bitsy Von Muffling (Julie Halston), who wonders how they should greet each other, post-COVID.

She asks where the ‘fourth musketeer’ is, referring to Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), as Charlotte says she’s, ‘no longer with us.’ 

Bitsy becomes quite sad, thinking Samantha had passed away, but Miranda adds she’s not dead and Carrie confirms she’s in London. 

Bitsy says that she just assumed anyone she hasn’t seen in so long either died or ‘gave up and moved to Palm Beach.’

Miranda added she moved to the U.K. for work, as Bitsy adds, ‘sexy sirens in their 60s are still viable over there.’

Bitsy leaves and Carrie’s table is finally called as the group walks into the restaurant. As they’re looking over menus, Miranda says she stepped on one of her son Brady’s condoms, adding now her floor is a ‘minefield.

Carrie quickly changes the subject, which surprises Miranda and Charlotte, but Carrie just says ‘life is too short.’ They all joke about their ages and Charlotte says she misses Miranda’s red hair. 

Carrie arrives at her and Big’s apartment – dubbed Heaven Of Fifth – where she locks lips with her husband and jokes about their fishmonger trying to oversell salmon – Big then jokes: ‘I remember when you used to keep sweaters in your oven’. 

Getting flirtatious and joking about his age once again, Carrie replies: ‘I remember when your hair was black’.

The couple then discuss their ‘dinner ritual’ of listening to records, as Carrie selects Todd Rundgren – Hello It’s Me  from 1972. She then asks: ‘Can we go to the Hamptons on Friday Charlotte wants me to go to Lily’s recital’. 

In the next scene, Miranda attempts to get a glass of wine and being rebuffed due to the time of day, before then heading to her law class in Columbia and begins an awkward conversation with professor Dr. Nya Wallace about her being black.

Karen Pittman plays the character and is described as, ‘a brilliant, challenging Columbia Law professor,’ who is married to Andre, a successful musician (LeRoy McLain). 

She first assumes that the professor is a man – leading to one of her classmates stating: ‘You jumped to those pronouns pretty quick’, before a panicked Miranda states: ‘I didn’t expect you to have braids’ – and then locks into an awkward exchange about her being black.

Following on from Miranda’s embarrassment comes a red-faced Carrie. 

Her podcast appearance comes next as she chats to Che Diaz, a non-binary (they/them) stand-up comedian, and fellow guest Jackie Lee. Che opens the podcast, saying: ‘I am your post, a queer non binary Mexican Irish diva’ before launching a discussion about masturbation’. 

In the podcast recording, Jackie asks: ‘Why don’t we see women jerking off on the subway?’ Before stunned Carrie asks: ‘I hope that’s a multiple choice questions’ – and then jokes about not doing anal sex.

Carrie then gets awkward while she is asked about masturbation and then says her ‘not since Barneys closed’ to the embarrassment on her fellow co-stars.   

Her podcast boss Che is described as, ‘a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.’ 

As she is leaving the building Che then approaches Carrie to ask about her appearance and Carrie gets awkward. In a bid to get her to be more saucy, Jackie points out: ‘Trolls will label you the uptight cis old married lady.’

Carrie replies: ‘I’m not comfortable with the more graphic content, it’s just not me’. She is continually criticised for not being more crass. Jackie tells her to ‘step her p*ssy up’

In the next scene and showing more romance, Big and Carrie are then in her original apartment when she asks him if he masturbates to which Big says: ‘I feel like that’s a trick question’.

She then asks to watch Big masturbate as he appears shocked before indulging his wife and using lubricant as ‘he’s not 15’ – yet soon backs out and instead grabs Carrie for kisses and says: ‘Oh Carrie I must have you’. 

Carrie shoots to her other apartment and reaches for her iconic Manolos – which Big used to propose with. Big enjoys one of his cigars and they make their further plans to head to the Hamptons. Carrie decides to change the date of their departure – in a move reflected back on. 

We shoot to Charlotte’s apartment, where she locks horns with her daughter Rose over wearing a dress to her recital – much to the teen’s fury. As they agree on the dress, the scene shoots to Rose’s punky take on the ensemble. 

Anthony is then shocked and disgusted at the ensemble before Rose heads in.  Willy Garson’s Stanford then enters – in one of his last appearances before his real-life death earlier this year. 

Miranda then voices her worries about becoming a meme after her gaffes with her professor and says: ‘I guess I was so worried about saying the wrong thing in this climate’.  

Carrie says: ‘It’s funny you can’t stop talking and I’ve been told I can’t talk enough by my podcast boss’. The chat happens while Carrie is manning the door in the men’s toilets while Miranda uses the bathroom. 

We then see Lisa Todd Wexley, played by Nicole, who introduces Charlotte to her mother and calls Carrie her hero. Parker’s Lisa Todd Wexley, a Park Avenue mother of three who also works as a documentarian, married to a successful hedge fund manager Herbert (Hamilton’s Christopher Jackson).

While the women squirm at Lisa’s son’s performance, Big hits the Peleton exercise bike at home and we then see Miranda’s son Brady making out with his girlfriend in the recital – something Miranda tries to put a stop to.

It’s then Lily’s turn to take to the stage as she performs a epic performance which shoots between the recital and Big’s bike workout at home. 

As the music swells to epis proportions, Big is seen on his bike, working harder and harder before receiving a text and dropping his phone in the shower. As he reaches out to grab his phone, he is in great pain. 

Holding on to his arm, he then suffers a heart attack and is seen slumped next to the running shower. While viewers are uncertain of his fate, we shoot back to Carrie.   

An unwitting Carrie tries to grab a cab outside the recital and returns to her own apartment. She finds Big slumped on the floor – after a shocked moment, Carrie yelps: ‘JOHN’ and runs to try and help her husband while sobbing and holding his weakened body.

Then leaving audience’s jaws on the floor – Carrie says: ‘And just like that… Big died’. 

EPISODE TWO  

Episode two opens to Miranda and Steve listening to their neighbours having sex and appearing in a tense exchange before Carrie calls to share the news of her pain.

Miranda arrives at Carrie’s apartment to find her sobbing and coroners collecting the body. The scene shoots to Carrie dreaming about first meeting Big and a flashback to season one when we first saw the male lead.

Miranda is staying with Carrie and comforts her in bed when she complains of a bad back.

Carrie goes on her laptop to look at funeral homes before Charlotte is seen helping Carrie pick the funeral before Carrie says Big would hate the place they were choosing.

Charlotte breaks down into floods of tears leading to Carrie comforting her. Charlotte fears the death was her fault as Carrie was at the recital during his death.

She is comforted by Carrie who puts her in an Uber and said she wants to be alone.

Miranda is then back for her law class where she continues to discuss her professor’s identity.

Charlotte is seen getting ready for the funeral and speaks her daughters through death: ‘Death is the saddest part of life, it reminds us how much our loved ones mean to us’.

We shoot to Miranda and Steve getting ready and claiming he shouldnt have been on his Peleton: ‘It wasn’t the bike Steve, he used it for over 1000 rides’.

Miranda then says: ‘Death sucks’ while comforting her husband before Brady joins them for a hug.

Carrie sits in Big’s wardrobe looking heartbroken before arriving at the funeral alongside Anthony and Stanford.

She appears upset that there are flowers on the coffin – as Big had insisted he doesn’t want flowers at his funeral.

Carrie says she wanted the funeral to be perfect

As they look at the flowers – they then said: ‘Those flowers are for Samantha’. with all the woman looking sad – in the first nod to Kim Cattrall’s absence. 

Carrie speaks to Big’s assistant Gloria who lauds the late businessman.

It is Miranda’s turn to speak as she takes the stage and delivers the eulogy saying: ‘How lucky we all are to have known this amazing man…

‘How lucky to share dinners, deals and cigars with this one of a kind. How long it seems we have known him. How very long and yet not near enough. How large he was in all of our lives. 

‘He will leave a big hole. How very sad but for today let us remember how lucky.’

Miranda reveals Carrie penned the beautiful words before Big’s brother took to the stand and said: ‘When I spoke to Big last week he said it was the happiest he had been in his life so Carrie I thank you for giving him that’.

A montage of Big’s life then plays on the screen above his coffin while Gloria loudly sobs. Bitsy then appears to comfort Carrie and reveal that her husband Bobby passed away – and she is now with his pianist. 

Susan Sharon – Carrie’s friend from series three – surprises Carrie and announces that she held a grudge against Carrie, much to the widower’s shock. 

Miranda asks: ‘What happened between you two?’ before Carrie says: ‘I hope you knew’. 

Brady then smokes a bong with Che – leading to Miranda scolding Che saying: ‘He’s a minor – he’s 17 – who the f**k are you anyway?’ She then squares up to the podcaster and tells her to: ‘Back the f**k up’.  

She then scolds Brady – even saying: ‘Maybe I should kill myself?’

Miranda is left in shock as Carrie introduces Che as her boss, asking: ‘Why didn’t you tell me who you were?’ before Che forgives her for the move. 

The duo soon get flirty – in a possible nod to Miranda’s rumoured lesbian life. 

Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are seen in a lift to Carrie’s apartment, where her home is filled with flowers and gifts- including a gift playing disco music. 

She then sits down with her phone and pens messages to Samantha – with the screen showing a slew of unread messages, with one calling her London Lady and another reading: ‘I walked past La Perla today. Thought of you’. 

Carrie then receives a delivery – containing Big’s ashes. Stanford and Miranda sit with her drinking cocktails and look alarmed. Charlotte arrives and Carrie asks Stanford to hide to avoid Charlotte thinking she’s not invited. 

She says: ‘I’ll tell her I’m depressed, which I am’. Charlotte reveals she has bought Carrie Vogues from around the world. 

As predicted, Charlotte bursts into tears and Carrie begs her ‘not to make it about her’ and insists she is mad because she went to the recital. 

Carrie said: ‘I’m mad at myself because I should have gone to the Hamptons on Wednesday night like I wanted to’ and then invites Charlotte in. 

She then lies awake in bed with Miranda while rain pours outside and says: ‘I’m never goinG to fall asleep’ – before asking for a sleeping tablet, which she is not allowed for another five hours. 

She said: ‘And just like that, I learned how long five hours can be’.  

The final new character is Chouhdury’s Seema Patel, described as a, ‘single, self-made powerhouse Manhattan real estate broker.’ 

Filming started in New York City back in June, with production wrapping just days ago, with filming also taking place in locales such as Paris.

Photos taken from the Paris set caused quite the uproar among fans, as Parker’s Carrie was spotted kissing a new character, played by Jon Tenney.

Fans began wildly speculating about the marital status of Carrie and her long-time on-and-off lover Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who finally tied the knot at the end of the first Sex and the City movie.

The trailers released for the new 10-episode series seem to indicate that they’re still quite the happy couple, though given their on-and-off history, it’s possible they could split at some time in the series.

Still, while promoting the show Tuesday night on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis essentially confirmed that they filmed ‘fake scenes’ to throw rabid fans off. 

‘Yes, definitely!’ Davis exclaimed, while Nixon shook her head with a wry smile and said, ‘Absolutely not.’

Colbert pointed at Davis and said, ‘I believe you,’ and when Colbert asked again, Nixon shrugged and conceded, ‘It might be true.’

They didn’t mention any specific scenes, so it’s unclear if the Paris kissing scene with Jon Tenney was ‘fake’ or not.

Other returning stars include Mario Cantone (Anthony Marentino), Evan Handler (Harry Goldblatt), David Eigenberg (Steve Brady), and the late Willie Garson, who filmed three episodes as Carrie’s longtime friend Stanford Blatch, before passing away from pancreatic cancer in September at age 57. 

And Just Like That… was created by Michael Patrick King, based on the books by Candace Bushnell.