I enjoyed SEX AND THE CITY, but I was not a groupie. The hi-jinks of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha were often funny yet jaded look at life, money, sex, clothes, friendship, and love and of course sex in the big city. The series earned great acclaim and was justly celebrated for its inclusion of members of the queer communities. But I always felt a bit left out, as if watching the party from a distance.
AND JUST LIKE THAT has brought the friends – now in their 50s - back together, and the episodes have been powerful and moving. It seems the series, like the characters, has grown up.
You probably know the quartet of friends is now a trio. As embodied by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristen Davis, the friends have only gotten more interesting and exotic with age. The early episodes have dealt with grief and the challengers of the modern world in ways the previous series never did. Relationships are tired, children are difficult, and what one was winsome can now be tedious.
But when a death occurs the series vaults into uncharted by very welcome territory. Some might complain that too many issues cloud the comedy, as the characters deal with pronouns, race, and non-binary characters.
Sara Ramirez carries most of the messaging, and she is very funny as a non-binary podcast host/stop of comedian. Her standup routine is outstanding.
Thanks to Production Designer Miguel López-Castillo, Art Director Sam Bader, and Costume Designer Molly Rogers, New York has never looked more stunning.
Creators Michael Patrick King and Darren Star deserve the many accolades coming their way. They have brought a beloved series up to date, making it once again the much-discussed topic in the cultural landscape the same way the original did more than two decades ago.
AND JUST LIKE THAT can be found on HBOMax.