“Sex and the City,” which originally starred four leading ladies — Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall — proved to be one of the most successful romantic comedy-dramas of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Though problematic at times, “Sex and the City” was notorious for exploring the sex lives and adventures of the four women in their 30s and 40s.
The show followed the chic yet thrifty Carrie Bradshaw, a freelance sex columnist living in New York City. Carrie and her closest girlfriends created a life for themselves and overcame adversity with the help of Samantha Jones’ sexual confidence, Miranda Hobbes’ strong work ethic, Charlotte York’s Waspy attitude and Carrie’s obsession with fashion.
However, the uncertainties of how the upcoming “Sex in the City” reboot, “And Just Like That,” will pan out leaves quite a bit to unpack. The series left off with most of the characters just living their lives. Carrie ended up with Mr. Big, her on- and off-again boyfriend and sometimes friend throughout the series. Samantha remained her most authentic, accessible self by always exploring outside her comfort zone — as if she had one. Miranda had a child with Steve, the sweet man she eventually married. Charlotte finally found love and adopted a child with her husband after a previous failed marriage and infertility difficulties.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-yRIH6W81E
Now that I think about it, it’s a bit ironic that, with the exception of Samantha, the characters of a television show built on independent women bucking the status quo eventually settle down with a man in the end. That’s not to say this should be seen as a negative — everyone deserves love. Still, love can be portrayed in various ways, like the unbreakable bond of female friendship, a dream job or even with the designer clothes each character sported.
Flash-forward four years after the series ended, and “Sex and the City” fandoms were blessed with the “Sex and the City” movie and then “Sex and the City 2” two years later. The first movie starts off chaotically when Carrie gets stood up on her wedding day after Mr. Big gets cold feet. The problems keep snowballing when Steve confides in Miranda that he cheated on her and Charlotte struggles with juggling being a housewife and a mom of two with an aloof husband. Samantha reels in her sexcapading as navigates a monogamous relationship with Smith Jerrod.
Loose ends were inevitably tied up at the end of the first film. Still, the second movie saw the friend group head to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which sparked controversy due to the apparent culture clash. Of course, it goes without saying that the two “Sex and the City” movies are practically only tolerable if you’re hate-watching them because the cringiness in nearly every scene — especially in the second film — is almost unbearable.
On another note, even after the show had ended, more and more people began to criticize some episodes of “Sex and the City,” as many of them are insensitive toward topics like sexuality, the almost unobtainable upper-class lifestyle and the #MeToo movement. Let’s not forget Carrie’s repulsion and confusion toward dating a bisexual man and Miranda’s claim that bisexuals are greedy and must “pick a side.” Furthermore, each character’s excessive lifestyle calls for rightful questions, such as how Carrie could afford her fantasy lifestyle as a freelance journalist living in Upper East Side Manhattan.
Lastly, the blatantly obvious grooming and sexual harassment Carrie faced at the hands of her Vogue fashion editor in Season 4 was quickly shrugged off as an overly friendly man in power who means well but doesn’t know when no means no. It’s a shame the show didn’t take a deeper dive into this abuse, as it’s a reality that still very much exists today.
Though the late ’90s and early 2000s may seem like ages ago and possessed quite a different atmosphere compared to 2021, watching how the “Sex and the City” revival will address the characters and their situational awareness will be intriguing.
An article by Vogue stated that many of the original characters will come back to the big screen in “And Just Like That.” There are reports of Mario Cantone returning as Anthony Marentino and his husband, Stanford Blatch, being played by Willie Garson, who filmed a few episodes before his death in September. The recent passing of Garson may provide some obstacles for the story, as his role as an iconic fashionista and Carrie’s best friend was a substantial one. Whether they will produce a second season of “And Just Like That” is up to the reviews and praise it potentially receives.
On top of Cantone and Garson, a number of other actors will be reprising their roles, including Chris Noth as Mr. Big, John Corbett as Aidan Shaw, Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt and David Eigenberg as Steve Brady.
The other character leads are an even bigger wonder, as Kim Cattrall will not be returning to the reboot. It’s reported that newcomers include Sara Ramirez from “Grey’s Anatomy,” who will star as Che Diaz, a nonbinary stand-up comedian who often hosts their and Carrie’s thriving podcast. Sarita Choudhury will play Seema Patel, a successful real estate broker. Nicole Ari Parker is slotted to play Lisa Todd Wexley, a working mother who creates documentaries, and Karen Pittman will portray Dr. Nya Wallace, a powerful lawyer and professor at Columbia.
Although the plot of “And Just Like That” is not yet confirmed, it is implied that the reboot will cover the lives of the returning characters, who are now mostly in their 50s, and how they intersect with newer players as they all navigate the urban jungle that is New York City.
Anticipating fans can look forward to the reboot featuring the original show’s classic fashion choices, the still-close friendship among Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda, past fan-favorite characters making a return, new and exciting characters adding value to the show and each personality showing how they cope with the tricky thing people call life.
