The second season of the next chapter in the Sex & The City series titled And Just Like That is nearly here. With the entire cast from the first season returning, the time jump of a year has allowed for the events of the previous season to settle in and the show settling into its own identity this time around. We no longer have to suffer through exposition about gaps in time for these characters and shock generational jokes that while still evident, are used far less this time around. What we are left with is a diverse look into New York today with a mix of single and married couples all navigating family, friendships and yes, sex in their late fifties and early sixties.
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) has moved on enough from John’s death in the previous season and is awaiting the release of her new book Love & Loss, in which she gets extremely personal about her experience losing the BIG love of her life. She is having a situation-ship with her podcast producer from last season and we begin the season watching Carrie and the gang get ready for their big night out at the Met Ball. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is still shacked up with Chase (Sara Ramirez) as their relationship is navigating their recent attempt at cohabitation. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is dealing with her two teenagers Lily (Cathy Ann) and Rock (Alexa Swinton) who are coming into their own and discovering their own identity. Newcomers last season Seema (Sarita Choudhury), Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) and Dr Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman) are front and centre here as a strong focus of the season. We get an insight into their lives and they are set as a definite part of this friend group interacting with the main cast at many different points during this season.
This feels like a wildly different show to last season, it could be that possibly the expectations were different, the writing feels focused this season with some great explorations of friendship and a definite uptick in the number of sex scenes from last season. The characters feel like the ones we grew up with, Carrie is no longer attached to Big and the sadness of that situation. She has clearly moved past the hard grieving and is in a much more positive headspace, she is even open to the idea of sex again. The biggest change is the character of Che Diaz who seems to have chilled a lot. Her relationship with Miranda feels real and their life together is plagued with all of the complications of a new co-habitation. The problems here lie with the lingering effects of Steve and Miranda’s son Brady who comes home broken-hearted needing his Mum. It’s a great way to showcase the size of the city and a great catalyst to force Miranda out of her current in-between place and into something that fits her again.
The city feels like its own character again with events like the Met Ball, restaurants, bars and other seasonal festivities playing an integral role in episodes. There are nods to the architectural styles of current apartments that used to be fire stations and the re-imagining of Carrie’s classic apartment with a fresh coat of paint and furnishings gives the show a completely modern feel. It’s good to see the city come back and feel like it’s a living and breathing place again.
Similarly, the cast feels rejuvenated and like they have figured out who these characters are at this age which is supported well by the writing. Parker in particular brings the fun and fabulousness back to Carrie, making her a character you want to root for again. The current pressures of podcasting with sponsored ads from wildly mismatched companies who just want the money. Carrie needs to relent in hiring an actor to record her audiobooks as audiences now want it read by the author, and watching this painful process helps her deal with her lingering grief on the incident with John. Fortunately, it is not overplayed and the fun, fashion and fabulousness that made Sex & The City so addictive finally feels like its back.
And Just Like That finally comes into its own during its second season run, by embracing its past and carving out a new chapter forward, we get to reunite with the characters we love and welcome new ones that offer a reflection on life and love in New York City.
And Just Like That season 2 premieres on June 22 with weekly episodes only on Binge. Check back for weekly recaps of each episode.
