It’s official: Carrie’s much-discussed last supper will not be the last supper. Because, even after the Aidan-resurrecting, Big-denying, abortion-dodging, Nya-ignoring, wildly divisive whirlwind that has been the second installment of Michael Patrick King’s And Just Like That, it will indeed be back for another round of ill-advised and frequently baffling shenanigans. But, then again, considering the sheer amount of discourse the reboot’s return has generated—about Carrie’s increasingly erratic fashion and life choices, about the morality of Che’s stand-up style, and the emergence of Seema as both a feminist heroine and the show’s new style icon—is anyone actually surprised? And will any of us actually stop watching? I mean, is that even physically possible? In all likelihood, no.
This inexplicable addictiveness has, of course, made the series a roaring success for Max. “We are delighted to share that since the launch of Season 2, And Just Like That ranks as the number one Max Original overall, and is the most-watched returning Max Original to date,” said Max’s head of original content Sarah Aubrey, in a statement accompanying the announcement that surprised literally no one. “As we approach the highly anticipated season finale, we raise our cosmos to Michael Patrick King and his magnificent team of writers, producers, cast and crew who continue to charm us, 25 years later, with dynamic friendships and engaging stories. We cannot wait for audiences to see where season three will take our favorite New Yorkers.” And as for the man himself? “We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex and the City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors,” added King.
Relatable? Umm, sure. We have other, more pressing questions for King, anyway. Can Carrie and Aidan survive, or did his inability to step into her apartment, and by extension acknowledge their past, spell doom from the very beginning? Could Miranda’s Skipper call-back be hinting at the return of yet another original SATC ex who could throw yet another spanner into the works for our favorite self-confessed “sexually confused alcoholic going through a divorce”? (Surely not, but stranger things have happened.) And after Kim Cattrall’s much-buzzed-about cameo in the season two finale, will Samantha finally return to the fold for good?
You may say that’s preposterous, but remember: This is the show that pulled the rug out from under us with Big’s death in the Season 1 opener, and then went one better by attempting to reframe the entire franchise’s undisputed central relationship, built over two and a half decades, as a mistake; the same show whose creators told us repeatedly that given the history, Cattrall would never, ever make an appearance. So, all we’d say to the writers is, take your time. The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes mean that work on the third installment can’t begin for a while anyway. So, take stock, write Cattrall a ginormous check, and just say yes.
