“Sex and the City” has become an absolute classic since its release in 1998. Throughout its six seasons, the show redefined the way that women were portrayed in television. The series became a source of empowerment, especially for partnerless women. There are few examples of media that effectively depict single women that are entirely happy to embrace their freedom, but this show grasped the importance of women finding themselves complete, despite their relationship status. “Sex and the City” has truly earned its iconic status.
The main characters — all single women in their 30s, navigating the dating world of Manhattan — are captured in such a fantastic light. Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is the main character. She is a stylish writer that has a weekly relationship column. This is a genius setup for the plot: Carrie narrates the show as she discusses the countless realizations she has throughout each of her dating experiences.
Her constant search for material for her column keeps her in the dating scene at all times. When Carrie is in a relationship, she continuously analyzes and discusses it; her perspective on love changes over the years in an insightful manner that keeps fans hooked.
Arguably the most famous aspect of the show is Carrie’s close-knit friend group, which consists of herself, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. Each woman represents a certain archetype: Miranda is a lawyer that prioritizes work over love and Charlotte is desperate to find the perfect man and settle down immediately, while Samantha is more than happy remaining single and dating who she pleases.
Carrie encompasses all of these different personality types, switching between these mindsets at different points. However, her main goal is to stay true to herself and find a partner that brings her genuine joy.
However, the reboot, “And Just Like That…,” has received mixed reviews since its release in December. The story is still unfolding, but it appears quite clear what direction it is headed in. “And Just Like That…” is a bit disappointing for huge fans of “Sex and the City.” To be fair, it may be simply impossible for a reboot of such a beloved show to ever be truly satisfying. However, “And Just Like That…” does, sadly, miss the mark.
The focus of “Sex and the City” is on the bond between these four women and the relationships they each find themselves in. The journeys they all endure in order to find genuine love are always riddled with hilarity. They are always meeting up for brunch or cosmopolitans in a new swanky club and swapping stories about new lovers; the perfect mixture of comedy and sincerity is captured through these discussions.
The basic premise of the show is also essentially dependent on the age of these women. In “And Just Like That…,” these characters are approaching their mid-50s, making such conversations far less likely. With this, fans are immediately faced with the fact that this reboot will be extremely different from the original series. The audience is no longer watching their beloved girls maneuver life as single women. Instead, they are witnessing these new trials that come about with marriage and children — topics that are just less fun to indulge in.
“And Just Like That…” also made decisions about the main characters that are frustrating for those that love “Sex and the City.” The strong personalities that these women once exhibited have become muddled. For example, Charlotte has achieved the high status and happy marriage with children that she always dreamed of, but she does not seem satisfied and lacks the grace she once displayed when facing difficult situations.
Miranda was originally a strong-minded lawyer that loved her partner and child very much. In this new series, she has randomly quit her job and is back in school. It is difficult to watch her be so unsure of herself, especially as she begins questioning her sexuality: She becomes unrecognizable. Carrie does undergo a huge change in the first episode, but it is unpleasant to watch her act so entirely different from the way everyone knew and loved her.
“Sex and the City” was once about Carrie’s love affair with New York City and the men that she encountered on the way. Without that premise, the show is lacking; each character has lost their initial traits that were so loved.
A large source of criticism for “And Just Like That…” surrounds the way it handles issues of gender, sexuality and race. Its predecessor “Sex and the City” is extremely tone-deaf in certain instances; the way it discusses these issues is usually insensitive. In order to make up for this past problematic behavior, “And Just Like That” is attempting to shoehorn every possible issue in order to prove the show has changed. But sadly, it becomes insincere.
At its core, “Sex and the City” is about friendship, love and fun. The way these topics are so perfectly depicted by these fabulous women in their 30s is simply impossible to replicate. Instead of focusing on the shortcomings of “And Just Like That,” people should remember how fantastic the original series is.
Hadley Freeman wrote an article for The Guardian in which she stated, “The reruns still totally work, and that is because of a simple if often forgotten truth: The scripts were brilliant. Yes, the show was wrapped in a gauze of fantasy, and its depiction of women’s sex lives was revolutionary. But the reason it spoke to women so deeply was for neither of those reasons: It’s because it was soaked in emotional truth, and it was extremely funny.”
The intense love that fans hold for these characters should not waver based on their actions in this new series. For peace of mind, one can simply pretend their stories ended when the last episode of “Sex and the City” aired.
