Let's be honest. Nobody actually expected the Sex and the City reboot to be "good" in the traditional, prestige-TV sense. When And Just Like That first landed on Max (back when it was still HBO Max), the collective internet gasp was audible. We saw the death of a major character on a Peloton, the jarring absence of Kim Cattrall, and a version of Miranda Hobbes that seemed to have forgotten how to be Miranda Hobbes. It was messy. It was cringey.
Yet, here we are.
As filming for Season 3 continues into 2025 and 2026, the show has transitioned from a hate-watch obsession into something far more interesting. It’s a case study in how a legacy franchise survives its own growing pains. You see, the show isn't trying to be the 1998 version of New York City anymore. It can't be. The world changed, the actors aged, and the writers—led by Michael Patrick King—decided to lean into the discomfort of that evolution rather than pretending Carrie Bradshaw is still thirty-something and hunting for a cosmopolitan.
The Samantha Jones Sized Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about the Kim Cattrall cameo in the Season 2 finale. It was sixty seconds of pure nostalgia that reportedly cost a fortune and required zero physical interaction between Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker. Fans went wild. But the reality is that And Just Like That had to learn to breathe without Samantha Jones.
The early attempts were clunky. They introduced a whole roster of "new friends" like Seema Patel, Lisa Todd Wexley, and Dr. Nya Wallace to fill the void. At first, it felt like a diversity quota checklist. Honestly, it was a bit painful to watch the original trio navigate these new friendships with the grace of a newborn giraffe. But by the middle of the second season, something shifted. Seema, played by the brilliant Sarita Choudhury, stopped being a "Samantha replacement" and became a powerhouse in her own right. She’s cynical, rich, and deeply vulnerable in a way that feels authentic to a woman in her 50s who has built a life on her own terms.
Why the Miranda Hate is Slightly Misplaced
People absolutely loathe what happened to Miranda. I get it. The high-powered corporate lawyer who once told a man "I do not have a 'side,' I am the side" suddenly became a bumbling intern who blew up her marriage for a non-binary comedian named Che Diaz. The backlash against Che was so intense that Sara Ramirez is not returning for Season 3.
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But if you look closer, Miranda’s breakdown is the most "real" thing about the show. Midlife crises aren't tidy. They don't look like a glamorous makeover. They look like blowing up your stable life because you realized you've been sleepwalking for twenty years. Cynthia Nixon has been vocal about wanting to explore these messy transitions. While the execution was often "cringe," the intent was honest. Miranda had to lose herself to find a version of herself that wasn't just "Steve’s wife" or "Brady’s mom." By the end of the second season, seeing her find her footing in a new job and navigating a tentative friendship with Steve felt earned. It wasn't pretty, but life at 55 rarely is.
Carrie Bradshaw and the Grief Cycle
Carrie has always been the anchor, and And Just Like That forced her to do something the original series never did: stay still. For years, Carrie’s life was defined by the chase. The chase for the guy, the chase for the shoes, the chase for the perfect column. When Big died, the chase ended.
Watching her navigate widowhood was surprisingly grounded. The episode where she reads her memoir for the audiobook and can't get through the "death" chapter? That was Sarah Jessica Parker at her best. It reminded us that beneath the Dior and the questionable headpieces, Carrie is a writer who feels things too deeply.
Then came Aidan Shaw.
Bringing John Corbett back was a polarizing move. Some fans felt it was a regression. Why go back to the man whose heart you broke twice? But the show handled it with a strange bit of pragmatism. Aidan has changed. He has three kids and a life in Virginia. He isn't just a "choice" for Carrie anymore; he’s a person with his own boundaries. The Season 2 finale, where he asks Carrie to wait five years for him while he raises his son, was a gut punch. It was a rare moment where the show chose reality over a fairy-tale ending. Whether they actually stay apart for Season 3 remains the big question, but it gave Carrie a new type of conflict: waiting.
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The New York of It All
The city is still a character, but it's a different city. It’s a post-pandemic New York where the streets are a little grittier and the high-end boutiques feel a bit more like museums. The show’s costume designers, Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, have kept the visual DNA alive, but they’ve updated it. We’re seeing more vintage, more archival pieces, and a lot more "quiet luxury" mixed with the chaotic maximalism Carrie is known for.
It’s expensive. It’s aspirational. It’s totally disconnected from the reality of most New Yorkers. But isn't that why we watch? We don't want to see Carrie Bradshaw worry about the price of eggs. We want to see her walk through Central Park in a bird hat.
What to Expect in Season 3 (The Real Details)
Filming has been spotted all over Manhattan. We know that Rosie O’Donnell is joining the cast as a character named Mary. We know that the focus is shifting slightly away from the "learning curve" of the first two seasons and moving back toward the core chemistry of the ensemble.
The production has faced hurdles, including the 2023 strikes which pushed the release date into 2025. This gap has actually helped the show. It allowed the discourse to die down and gave the writers room to breathe. The buzz on set suggests a tighter focus on the burgeoning rivalry—or perhaps deep friendship—between Carrie and Seema as they both navigate being single women of a certain age in a city that prizes youth above all else.
The Critics vs. The Numbers
Critics generally trash this show. They call it out of touch. They point out the awkward dialogue. Yet, And Just Like That remains one of the most-watched original series on Max. Why?
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Because there is a massive audience of women (and men) who grew up with these characters and aren't ready to let them go. There is something comforting about seeing Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte still talking over brunch, even if the brunch now involves discussing pelvic floor PT and career pivots. The show fills a void in a television landscape that usually relegates women over 50 to the role of "the grandmother" or "the eccentric neighbor." Here, they are the protagonists. They have sex. They have ambitions. They make massive, stupid mistakes.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Viewers
If you’ve been on the fence about sticking with the series, or if you’re planning a rewatch before the new episodes drop, here is how to actually enjoy it:
- Stop Comparing it to 1998: The original show was a product of a pre-9/11, pre-social media world. It’s gone. Treat this as a spin-off, not a continuation.
- Pay Attention to the Background: The show is a masterclass in set design and fashion history. Even if the plot drags, the visual storytelling is top-tier.
- Embrace the Cringe: The awkwardness is the point. These are characters trying to find their place in a world that moved faster than they did.
- Follow the Creators: If you want the real "why" behind certain choices, Michael Patrick King’s companion podcast offers a lot of context that doesn't always make it onto the screen. It explains the "Aidan five-year plan" and the decision-making behind the new characters.
Ultimately, this revival is about survival. It’s about how friendships evolve when the shared history is decades long. It isn't always pretty, and it’s rarely "cool," but it is stubbornly, persistently itself. And just like that, we’re all still watching.
To get the most out of the upcoming season, revisit the Season 2 finale and pay close attention to the phone call between Carrie and Samantha. It sets the tone for a show that is finally comfortable with its own ghosts. Look for the small moments of growth in Charlotte’s career arc—she’s finally reclaiming her identity outside of being a "Park Avenue Mom," and that’s a storyline that deserves more credit than it gets. Stay tuned for the official trailer release, usually dropped about two months before the premiere, to catch the first glimpses of the new cast dynamics.