Let’s be real for a second. Whether you’re hate-watching it with a glass of Pinot Grigio or genuinely rooting for Carrie Bradshaw to find her groove again, And Just Like That has become one of those rare cultural artifacts that people simply cannot stop talking about. It’s messy. It’s loud. Sometimes it’s deeply cringey. But it’s also undeniably addictive. Max (formerly HBO Max) knew exactly what they were doing when they greenlit a third season back in August 2023, right before the Season 2 finale aired.
The revival of Sex and the City hasn't just been a stroll down a designer-shoe-filled memory lane. It has been a total overhaul of the brand’s DNA. We’ve seen the death of Big, the departure of Samantha Jones—mostly—and a pivot toward a more diverse, if occasionally clumsy, New York City. People have opinions. Strong ones.
The Casting Shakeups Everyone Is Texting About
You can't talk about And Just Like That without addressing the revolving door of the cast. It’s kinda chaotic. Honestly, the biggest news hitting the trades recently isn't who’s coming back, but who’s officially out.
Sara Ramírez, who played the polarizing non-binary comedian Che Diaz, will not be returning for Season 3. Whether you loved Che or spent every episode screaming at your TV during their "comedy" sets, their exit marks a massive shift in the narrative. Che was Miranda’s catalyst for a total life upheaval. Without them, where does Miranda go? We also know Karen Pittman, who played Nya Wallace, is out due to scheduling conflicts with her other projects like The Morning Show. It’s a bummer because Nya’s storyline felt like it was finally gaining some real traction.
But then there’s Rosie O’Donnell.
Yeah, you read that right. Rosie posted a photo of a script on Instagram titled "Episode 301: Birthday," confirming she’s joining the fray as a character named Mary. The internet immediately went into a tailspin. Is she a new love interest? A tough-talking New Yorker who puts Carrie in her place? We’re still waiting on those details.
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And what about Kim Cattrall? Look, don't hold your breath for a full Samantha Jones revival. After that 71-second cameo in the Season 2 finale—which Cattrall reportedly filmed without ever seeing her former co-stars—it seems the "peace treaty" was a one-time deal. Showrunner Michael Patrick King has been pretty vague, but the reality is that the bridge between Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker remains, well, complicated.
Why the Season 3 Timeline Feels Like Forever
If you feel like you’ve been waiting for ages, you’re not wrong. Production for And Just Like That Season 3 officially kicked off in New York City in May 2024.
The dual strikes in Hollywood—WGA and SAG-AFTRA—pushed everything back. Most industry insiders and Max executives have confirmed that we aren't seeing new episodes until 2025. It’s a long wait for a show that relies so heavily on "of-the-moment" cultural references. By the time it airs, will we still be talking about the same trends Carrie is trying to navigate in her mid-50s? Probably not. But that's always been part of the charm/frustration of the series.
The Carrie and Aidan "Wait"
The Season 2 finale left us with a massive, somewhat infuriating cliffhanger. Aidan Shaw—the man who apparently has the patience of a saint and the floor-planning skills of a master carpenter—told Carrie he needed five years. Five. Years.
He wants to focus on his kids in Virginia after his son Wyatt’s accident. Carrie, in a moment of uncharacteristic maturity (or maybe just exhaustion), agreed to wait.
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This leaves a huge question mark for Season 3. Are we going to see a five-year time jump? It seems unlikely given how much the show loves the day-to-day minutiae of NYC life. More likely, we’ll see Carrie navigating "the wait." She’s bought a massive new apartment—the "Gramercy Park" era—and she’s single-ish again. It’s a return to the roots of the original show, but with more money and more expensive grief.
The Production Reality in New York
Walking around the Upper East Side or the West Village lately, you might have spotted the telltale pink "No Parking" signs for "S&C." That’s the production code.
Filming in New York is expensive and logistically a nightmare, but the city is the fifth character. Always has been. We’ve seen leaked set photos of Carrie in some... interesting outfits. One featured a massive, oversized checkered hat that only Sarah Jessica Parker could attempt to pull off. These leaks are part of the marketing machine now. They fuel the TikTok "Get Ready With Me" videos and the fashion blogs before a single line of dialogue is heard.
Breaking Down the Supporting Players
It isn't just the core three anymore. The show has worked hard—sometimes too hard—to expand the universe.
- Charlotte and Harry: Still the most stable, yet hilariously stressed, couple on television. Expect more storylines about Charlotte reclaiming her career in the art world, which was a highlight of last season.
- Seema Patel: Sarita Choudhury has become the breakout star. Her character brings that "Samantha energy" without trying to be Samantha. Her relationship with Ravi Sansari is expected to be a major point of contention or growth in the upcoming episodes.
- Lisa Todd Wexley: Nicole Ari Parker’s character dealt with a heavy pregnancy loss storyline last year. Season 3 will likely explore the aftermath of that and her career as a documentarian.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Revival
There is a common narrative that And Just Like That is a "failure" because it isn't Sex and the City.
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That’s a misunderstanding of what the show is trying to do. It’s not a sitcom anymore. It’s a dramedy about aging in a world that doesn't particularly like old people—especially old women. When the characters act out or make bad decisions, fans get angry because they want the frozen-in-time versions of these women from 1998. But the show is leaning into the awkwardness of the 50s. The fashion is more experimental because, at that age, who are you trying to impress? The conversations about grief and colonoscopies and career pivots are real, even if they are wrapped in a $5,000 silk robe.
Addressing the "Cringe" Factor
Let's talk about the dialogue. It's often "kinda" stiff.
Critics have pointed out that the show struggles with how people actually talk in 2024. There’s a lot of explaining of social norms that feels like it’s written by people who just discovered Twitter (X) last week. However, there’s a strange authenticity in that too. Watching Gen X characters try to navigate a Gen Z world is cringey. It’s supposed to be. Whether the writers are doing it on purpose or by accident is the great debate among the fandom.
What to Expect Next
As we move closer to the 2025 release date, expect a slow drip of information. We’ll get a teaser trailer that shows Carrie walking across a street, a brief glimpse of a Cosmopolitan, and maybe a shot of Aidan looking wistful on a Zoom call.
The stakes are actually higher for Season 3 than they were for the first two. The "novelty" of the return has worn off. Now, the show has to prove it has a reason to exist beyond nostalgia. It needs to settle into a rhythm that balances the high-fashion fantasy with the grounded reality of life's second act.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Viewers
If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve or just want to prep for the new season, here’s how to handle the long hiatus:
- Follow the Costume Designers: Forget the official accounts for a second. Follow Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago on Instagram. They are the costume designers, and they often post "sneak peeks" of the shoes and bags that will define the season's aesthetic long before the trailer drops.
- Revisit the "Key" Episodes: To understand where Season 3 is going, re-watch "The Last Supper" (Season 2, Episodes 10 and 11). Pay close attention to the vibe in Carrie’s new apartment—it’s a total shift from her iconic brownstone.
- Ignore the Fake Leaks: Every week, a "leaked script" pops up on Reddit claiming Samantha is coming back or Big is a ghost. Stick to trade publications like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter for actual casting news.
- Check the Filming Locations: If you’re in NYC, look for the "S&C" filming notices. Most production happens around the West Village and the Silvercup Studios in Queens. You can often see the fashion in person from the sidewalk.
- Manage Expectations on the Timeline: Mentally prepare for a mid-to-late 2025 release. Big-budget streaming shows have massive post-production cycles now, and Max is likely positioning this as their "summer tentpole" for next year.
The story of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte isn't over. It’s just evolved. For better or worse, we’re all still invited to the party.