'And Just Like That...' Che Diaz Is Public Enemy No. 1 Again

OK, this is kind of beside the point, but the acting in this scene when Aidan calls Carrie was horrible. The fake crying was just overdone to the point where I almost started laughing. Anyway, this was the wrench I’d been waiting for in Aidan-Carrie 3.0. I knew something was going to happen to get in the way of them fully being together. They’d been hinting that Aidan’s son Wyatt was having a really hard time without his dad. But sheesh, this was … a lot. — Erin

I agree that Aidan’s breakdown was… a bit less-than-believable and uncomfortable to watch, though we knew something had to jeopardize his future with Carrie. Also, between the first “Sex and the City” movie and the first season of this series, this is Carrie’s third attempt at selling her apartment — and, as we know, the deals fell apart in both of the previous instances in dramatic fashion. I’ve never embraced the idea that she’d put her place up for sale simply because her boyfriend won’t step foot in it for dubious reasons, so I’m curious to see how this will be resolved. Plus, the interior and the exterior of the original apartment have been the setting for so many iconic scenes — why do the writers seem so determined for her to leave it behind? — Curtis

OMG, me too, I was on the verge of laughing. It really took me out of the scene.
We’ve sensed that Aidan-Carrie 3.0 was probably doomed and heading toward its demise. Eagerly awaiting what fireworks or bombshells might be unleashed at this Last Supper — for them, and for all of the characters. — Marina

I’ve never seen a conversation like this on television, and well, I watch a ton of TV. Anthony makes a nod to their age gap and how they approach sex differently because of their generational differences. While I mostly do not actually care about them as a couple, I did at least find this conversation about sex, sexual positions and the role of the partners to actually be interesting. But I’m curious to know what y’all think! — Erin

I agree! This conversation helped me see their relationship in a new light. While I’m still not sure it works as a plotline, it’ll be interesting to see it helps Anthony make a fresh start, now that he’s gotten some semblance of closure with Stanford. — Marina

So, I don’t know why I thought Lisa was happy about the baby? It makes no sense in retrospect, since she is finally starting to make strides in her career. But the way she told Herbert in last week’s episode made me think all was fine and dandy. — Erin

I was interested to see where Lisa’s pregnancy storyline would lead, so I’m disappointed that it seems to have ended by the conclusion of this episode. Miranda’s pregnancy in the original series was so compelling, especially for its time — has there been another mainstream show that depicted a female character who was less-than-enthused about the realities of impending motherhood since then? I’m not sure. So I hope we’ll see a more profound outcome for Lisa and Herbert here. Herbert’s revelation about the vasectomy that never happened raises some questions, too. — Curtis

Do I have an essay for you! But yeah, I wrote a whole essay about this plotline because I couldn’t stop thinking about how strange and disappointing it was for this episode to tiptoe around the subject of abortion and the complexities of motherhood. Like you mentioned, Curtis, the original series was really groundbreaking in this regard. By contrast, this episode seemed so cautious, as if it was specifically designed not to offend. — Marina

OK, did anyone else think this felt off for Seema? Not necessarily her telling Ravi “I love you” during sex, but kind of how she reacted to it? I think of Seema as pretty self-assured and no-nonsense, so watching her here, it kind of feels like she is flailing through their relationship, which … doesn’t seem like her? I don’t know. Someone make this make sense to me. — Erin

My only explanation is that I know some people have noted the ways the character of Seema seems constructed in the mold of Samantha. Samantha, of course, was famously relationship-phobic and would often pull away the minute she started to feel romantic feelings for someone. But I’ve preferred not to directly compare the two characters because they are so distinct, and I think focusing on those parallels does both characters (whom I love!) a disservice. But yes, this is one area where they are certainly similar.
Curious to see how Seema deals with this, and whether something dramatic happens at this Last Supper (which we’ll talk more about below). — Marina

This definitely felt like a nod to Samantha’s relationship with Richard in the original series. The key difference, of course, is that Ravi responds favorably. So I’m eager to see what transpires in this coupling. — Curtis

Finally, Charlotte has a full storyline here. She’s excelling at work and hanging out with co-workers and letting her family fend for themselves. More of this, please! — Erin

Drunk Charlotte is the best Charlotte. I loved her drunkenly telling Harry and the kids that she used to have a life before she was responsible for them. Also, her calling out Harry for all the times he got to skip out on tending to their kids’ every need — and him finally realizing he needs to step up! — was excellent. I also liked the Sam Smith cameo. Celebrity cameos can be hit-or-miss for me: Sometimes, they feel too much or too forced. But this was a fun little moment. And it was great that Charlotte selling a piece of art to Sam Smith even made her look cool in Rock’s eyes. Love to see her winning! — Marina

Seeing Anne Hathaway toss her phone into a fountain may have been iconic in “The Devil Wears Prada,” but I wish we’d stop having other film and TV characters attempt to prove a point with similar stunts. It’s something real people of sound mind just never do. The loss of Charlotte’s phone in a pitcher of margaritas aside, I’m really enjoying her storyline here. I’m also glad that the series is showing Harry and Aidan having to grapple with the challenges of parenthood and readjust their priorities in the process. Sam Smith’s cameo was cute, too. — Curtis

We love a callback to the original “Sex and the City” series. So when Miranda mentions Skipper, her little boo for a few moments in Season 1, it felt like such a delight. “I can’t treat Che the way I treated Skipper,” Miranda tells Carrie. Miranda played Skipper to the left so many times in SATC, and he adored her so much — to the point where he was having sex with someone else and answered her phone call. So I was kind of like, Miranda, the truth is, you need to treat Che the way you treated Skipper, because Che has been absolutely awful. Leave them in the past. — Erin

What an amazing throwback! It made me hopeful they’ll find a way to get Skipper (Ben Weber), who was so adorable in the original series, to make a cameo. — Curtis

OK, but I’m trying to understand Nya’s logic in buying that expensive gift for her ex Andre and his new baby mama. Like, sure, I get it would be a flex, but the way I would never acknowledge him and that relationship, especially if we aren’t even really at the point where we’re having conversations about our new boos and our lives post-divorce, why on earth would I spend a dollar on you and your new future? No. Shoutout to Miranda for essentially closing her laptop before she could make that purchase. Also, when Nya said she wishes she could just cut off her exes like Miranda, I felt that. — Erin

I agree with you, Erin, and at first, I was thinking the same thing Miranda was thinking: “Close that laptop, Nya! Walk away! You don’t owe him anything!” But I did get a kick out of Nya getting to stick it to him one more time, like, “Don’t mess with me! I’m a successful Columbia Law School professor with a lot of disposable income!” Maybe this is one of those things that in real life would be ill-advised, but on a show like this, it’s very fun to watch. The confidence! The dramatic flair! — Marina

I also thought this was a bizarre decision on Nya’s part, but if it makes her feel better about the situation — have at it! I loved the push-and-pull she and Miranda had in this scene together. — Curtis

This was disgusting. I was wondering when we were going to see rude-ass Che again, and there they were, all up and through this episode. I have one question: How on earth will Carrie continue her friendship with Che after this? It better be dead now. END IT. You think you’re going to talk to my bestie like she’s a piece of gum on the bottom of your show? Hell no. — Erin

Man, I was dreading this. I had a feeling Che was going to make their standup set about Miranda since standups often draw from their own lives. So it was always going to be a recipe for disaster for Miranda to show up to Che’s show by surprise. But this was beyond any sort of defense: Che’s jokes were so mean-spirited, and frankly, low-hanging fruit in terms of the actual content of the jokes. What purpose does this serve, other than a way for Che to express their anger publicly? Of course, they have every right to be angry at Miranda. But this was a bridge too far. — Marina

Che may not have been aware that Miranda would be attending their show, but they clearly knew Aidan and Carrie would be in the audience. So it’s shocking (though not entirely out of character) that they have no qualms about mining their now-defunct relationship with Miranda for such cringey jokes in front of their former colleague, who also happens to be Miranda’s best friend! I don’t know how Carrie or Miranda can move forward with any semblance of a friendship with Che after this. — Curtis

I don’t even think there’s really much to say about Miranda and Joy, yet. But there was something about their conversation after meeting at the United Nations conference that felt like it wasn’t going to be the end of their relationship.

I had been wondering how they were going to close out Stanford’s storyline — and I don’t know how to feel about how the writers did it. Obviously, actor Willie Garson, who portrayed Stanford in the original “Sex And The City” series, died in 2021. But it seemed like it had been forever since they mentioned him and his move to Japan (honestly, I had totally forgotten that storyline). I was very weepy when Carrie read the letter; it was so touching. Anyway, I assume they were drinking cosmopolitans in that scene? But also, why did Carrie gulp it down like that? — Erin

I feel for the writers because there’s no easy way to write off a beloved character, especially when it’s due to the death of a beloved actor. So I didn’t know what to expect from this or how to feel. I did appreciate that Sarah Jessica Parker and Mario Cantone looked very emotional — I’m sure it was an emotionally tough scene to film.

Did anyone else think Anthony’s line about “good Photoshop” was a cheeky nod at the awkwardness of this situation? Like, that photo of Stanford as a monk did look very obviously Photoshopped, and reinforces how there’s no good answer about how to craft this plotline. — Marina

Even though I’m not sure Stanford’s storyline is entirely plausible, I appreciate the writers for making an effort to close it out in a creative way. Also, it was certainly a poignant moment between Carrie and Anthony. — Curtis

It was good to see Steve again this week. He’s my fave guy in the series. Seeing that he bought a spot on Coney Island and hearing that his bar, Scout, is still running and successful was really nice. Later in the episode, when Carrie basically tells Miranda she needs to get her shit together and check in with Steve, I was screaming in agreement. We can chat later about Nya’s comments about Miranda cutting off her exes in a sec…
— Erin

I recently rewatched most of the second half of the original series and the first movie (I did not dare touch the second one). It reminded me of how Steve was basically the only good man in the original series, especially in contrast to you-know-who. He always showed up for Miranda! That’s a huge reason why Miranda’s arc in this revival series has been so complicated to process. I wonder if next week’s season finale will feature some attempt at reconciliation. They were married for 20 years! They don’t necessarily have to remain close, but totally cutting him off? Steve doesn’t deserve that! — Marina

This was such a great scene. I’m glad we get to see Steve move forward with his life via this new endeavor, and I always love seeing Coney Island on screen. I’d also like to see Miranda and Steve maintain some kind of meaningful friendship even though their marriage went bust. — Curtis