TV Tuesday: And Just Like That ...

Back in July, my husband went away for a week to play golf with his two best friends from high school in their hometown. Major Oklahoma road trip for him, and major alone time for me! I was searching for the perfect TV show for me to watch on my own, and after several false starts, I finally settled on And Just Like That ..., the sequel/reboot of Sex and the City. This show didn't even occur to me at first because--admission time--I never watched Sex and the City! I missed that whole 6-year-long pop cultural phenomenon (I was busy with my kids), though of course, I heard about it and recognized the four actresses who starred in it. But I gave And Just Like That ... a try because it was about women my age (ish). While it's not a perfect show, I enjoyed watching it during that week alone and during lunch on golf days since.

Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, was at the center of Sex and the City, and she is back here, along with two of her best friends from that previous show: Miranda, played by Cynthia Nixon, and Charlotte, played by Kristin Davis (Samantha has moved away). At the start of the first season, all three of them are married (presumably to the men they ended up with at the end of Sex and the City) but not all are happy. I'll avoid spoilers here, though I already knew what happened in the first episode from seeing it on the Today Show! They each make some new friends, too. Dr. Nya Wallace (played by Karen Pittman) is the Black law professor in Miranda's new program at Columbia. Che Diaz (played by the wonderful Sara Ramirez of Grey's Anatomy fame) is a non-binary, bisexual, half-Mexican podcaster, who asks Carrie to be on her podcast discussing sexuality (the show's new version of Carrie's old newspaper column). Miranda is quite taken by Che when she meets them. Lisa Todd Wexley, a very accomplished, wealthy Black woman played by Nicole Ari Parker, is Charlotte's new mom friend from the private school their kids attend. And Carrie ends up befriending her real estate agent, Seema Patel, played by Samita Choudhury. As the show moves forward, all of the women deal with their own highs and lows: divorce, death of someone close, sexual wondering/awakening, dealing with teen kids, work-life balance, and more. They are also dealing with the more minor aspects of aging, like hair turning white. 

I watched the two seasons that are currently available and enjoyed getting to know these characters. I made a point in my description above of pointing out the race or ethnicity or sexuality of some of the new characters because it felt so obvious to me that the show was making a concerted effort to update itself and become more diverse. I'm guessing the original show was pretty focused on the four white privileged women at its center? Don't get me wrong--I was happy to see a diverse, interesting cast, but it sometimes feels a bit forced here. And, almost all of them are still quite wealthy and privileged! But I enjoyed most of the characters, old and new. It was refreshing to see some of the issues and situations of 50-ish women get some attention on TV; that's a rare thing. The characters all get their own storylines, background, history, and dreams (even the newer ones), but somehow it didn't feel like too much. I'm assuming, from the title, that the original show was quite outspoken about sex, and this one is, too. This is not a show for the faint of heart or the easily offended! From gay sex to teen sex and much, much more, this is a very open, honest, sexual show. Overall, it's not a perfect show, but it was enjoyable entertainment for me and a refreshing change of pace.

There are currently two seasons of And Just Like That ... available on Max (formerly HBO Max). A third season is coming in 2024, according to IMDb.