On August 14th, 2025, And Just Like That came to a close. In an Instagram post on the show's official Instagram account, showrunner, Michael Patrick King goes as far as saying "the ongoing storytelling of the Sex and the City universe is coming to an end". In the same post, he claims he while writing the finale, he felt like this would be a good place to stop. However, many fans including myself, couldn't help but wonder, was this true?
From the very beginning, And Just Like that had been a controversial show. With the absence of Samantha Jones, the immediate death of Big, the controversy surrounding Chris Noth, and one of television's most hated characters, Che Diaz, this show made no shortage of headlines. It soon became the internet's favorite hate watch. I watched many of the show's episodes with my mother, and we spoke about how even though this show could be awful the majority of the time, we couldn't help but keep watching. That being said, it felt like at certain times the now final season was actually making some great progress. It became clear that things with Aidan weren't working out, so we were treated to this subplot with Carrie and her downstairs neighbor, Duncan, that ended up taking over towards the end of the season.
I honestly found the Carrie and Duncan storyline to be the most compelling of Carrie's love stories. Duncan saw her not for her body or her looks, but for her brain and her writing. They were able to balance each other for their creativity. This was truly a bright spot of the show. The chemistry between these two was incredibly solid. However, Duncan leaves, then we are treated towards an ending that just doesn't seem fitting. Carrie ends up being alone, which isn't necessarily a bad ending. It just feels tacked on and half baked after a season that spent its time phasing out Aidan, and phasing in Duncan. It felt unsatisfying. If they wanted Carrie to be single and find the love in herself, great. Then why waste the time with Duncan.
Throughout And Just Like That, it was a common belief amongst fans that Miranda didn't feel like the Miranda from the original series. I did find the Joy storyline to be interesting at times, but again, it is left feeling unfinished. If where they left off was the end of a season, it would have been a nice stepping stone in their relationship, but to leave it here? It feels weird. The whole final episode felt really bizarre. We are given a storyline where Miranda comes off as crazy and insane as she invites Brady's baby momma to this Thanksgiving event. One of our last scenes with Miranda, presumably ever, is her cleaning an overflowing toilet. This is how you want to leave off an icon of television? It just feels wrong. I also didn't feel any closure with her, Steve, and Brady. The storyline just felt disrespectful. Like I said if we had a season four coming, it still would have felt weird, but we would still get to see more. This is yet another reason why I feel this season was not supposed to be the true ending to this series.
Charlotte and Harry are given one of the better, more emotional storylines of this final season, with Harry's diagnosis. I think at times this storyline is handled very well, although at other times it is played for a weird joke to scoff at. Another one of their storyline's is that Harry has difficulty getting it up in the bedroom, however in the series finale, he overcomes this. The big climax of the end of a story that started in the 90's is one of the character's defeating erectile dysfunction? This is just a weird development and honestly one of the main reasons I believe the show got cancelled, but was given the chance to say that is was just the plan all along. This is the only storyline I felt got true closure at the end of the season, there is no way this was how this universe was supposed to conclude.
Moving on to the Wexleys, they have a storyline that spans the majority of the season with Herbert running for city comptroller. Although not necessarily a bad storyline, it wouldn't be my pitch for the final season of the show. There is so much time spent on this election, that ends up not going in Herbert's favor. Herbert is pretty much made unlikeable after this loss, and then spends the rest of the season moping around the whole time. It feels weird that so much was such a focal point of this season. If it was a normal season, this leading Lisa to question a possibility of a future with Marion wouldn't feel bad or out of place, but for the final season?
Out of all the storylines I have discussed so far, I actually feel Seema came out the best. This being the final ending for Seema is pretty solid. Would I like to see more and how she deals with the struggles of trying to fully settle down? Sure. However I don't feel cheated like I do with the rest of the characters. I think Adam is a great fit for her and they are a really strong couple in this universe.
I also can't help but mention how much of a missed opportunity this Thanksgiving dinner was. Last season we had the "Last Supper" at Carrie's apartment, a gathering of the majority of the show's characters with important story beats. Instead we get a series finale that barely has many of the characters interacting other than for small moments. This tells me there was no way this was the initial plan, as the season 2 finale feels much more like a better ending to this show than this seasons. The main cast are all basically in separate houses, Carrie spends most of the episode with Brady and a group of annoying characters who have either only been in a couple episodes, or are introduced here. No one gets real closure, and characters that have left the show get no mention. I understand that many people hated Che, and that Nya's departure was due to a scheduling conflict, but to see these characters barely even get a mention this season feels completely wrong. I want to know what came of those characters. I want to see Miranda connect with Che again since that was someone who caused her to make so many drastic choices, I'm not asking for them to end up together, but I would like to see a final conversation between the two. So much of this final season feels like a complete afterthought. There are rumors that Sarah Jessica Parker is determined to revive this show, despite that Michael Patrick King claims they decided to end it. Who knows if this is true? Honestly this is a terrible and disrespectful way to end this universe. So is this truly the end? What could come next? I think people do need a break from this story and this place for a while, but I don't think it should be the end. So what do I suggest?
I mentioned that audiences needed a break, and I also feel this universe needs a massive creative overhaul. So my suggestion for what to do next? A show set in the universe that features many of the same characters, but not directly following them and their day to day lives. Our lead? Lisette. From her introduction, Lisette feels like a spiritual successor to Carrie Bradshaw, the next Carrie. I found her to be one of the best characters in the new series. I think maybe if you paired her as the lead with some of the writing staff of another HBO show that got cancelled, The Sex Lives of College Girls, you could have something special. The Sex Lives of College Girls felt like a modern day Sex and the City to me. It also was able to tell many modern stories in an organic way that just felt real and not forced, something And Just Like That was never able to accomplish. I love that And Just Like That tried to raise awareness for queer issues and storylines, and having a non-binary character as one of its leads. That being said, it often came off as box checking and them announcing HEY LOOK AT US, rather than organic. The Sex Lives of College Girls pulled this off flawlessly. So give me a Lisette show and enlist some of those creatives, and have our Sex and the City characters be apart of a supporting ensemble, and maybe one day we can shift the focus back to them for a meaningful and true final ending, cause this was not it. And Just Like That... I've said all I need to say, but I couldn't help but wonder, is this the last time we will see Carrie Bradshaw?
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