For 20 episodes so far on the And Just Like That series, we have continued to follow the lives of three of the four main Sex and the City characters Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York-Goldenblatt into this new chapter of their lives today. Now, for the season two finale premiering Thursday on Max, the original foursome will return to the small screen with a rather brief cameo expected from Samantha Jones.
What has already been teased in the press and across social media is that Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall) will appear in the flesh during a phone call with Carrie (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) in the newest episode. Before season two began streaming on Max back in June, I sat down with Michael Patrick King, the executive producer, writer, director and showrunner of both And Just Like That and Sex and the City to address this long-anticipated reunion of sorts that fans have been anxiously waiting for.
“The interesting thing about Samantha and And Just Like That is I feel she’s always been in the show,” King said. “She’s living in London and she’s texting with Carrie, primarily because Kim Cattrall was like, ‘I’ve retired Samantha for awhile, or forever.’ So, that was the reality. Then this year, all of a sudden, something shifted emotionally in the universe. The fans have created some sort of multiverse swirl of enthusiasm of the [Sex and the City] 25th anniversary and wanting to see them all again.”
King added, “All of a sudden, it manifested that Kim was like, ‘I’ll play Samantha for you for this little, sweet treat.’ So, I don’t know whether it’s about the nostalgia for the 25th, which is great. For me, it’s a great treat for the fans. What you’ll see, I’m not going to tell you because I’m mad you even know that you’re going to see it because my goal was to keep it a secret as much as we did Big’s death, but didn’t happen. It kind of magically just appeared. It was fun to write Samantha again. It’s great to see her in the show.”
Following six seasons of Sex and the City (1998-2004) on HBO, two theatrical movies (2008 and 2010) and two seasons so far of And Just Like that (2021-) on Max, I wondered why King believes this expanding cast of characters and these evolving storylines continue to intrigue audiences of various ages and backgrounds.
“It is our own little Marvel Universe that keeps multi-versing more and more and more. It’s a miracle, really. You rarely get to do a series for longer than two seasons. To do a character group for over 25 years is amazing and then to have the same actor play those same parts is unheard of. It’s unbelievable!”
King went on to say that he has noticed the increasing fanbase firsthand during a recent Vogue party for Sex and the City’s 25th anniversary, where he recalls most of the guest list being around the age of 30 and witnessing their excitement of being in Carrie’s universe as much as older viewers who have watched these stories since they began airing more than two decades ago.
King said, “When something is an original, it wears well. The storylines from And Just Like That are current. The storylines from Sex and the City still feel current to me. If you’re in that frame of mind and you’re single and society is telling you should be with somebody, this is your show. And if you are 55 and society is telling that you’re done and you shouldn’t be dressing like that and you should have it all figured out, then this is your show.”
Between on-screen character struggles, growth and the “amazing” fashion featured in the second season of And Just Like That, King believes there is more actual New York City featured in this current season two than there has ever been in any season in the 25-year television universe.
Today, Max announced that it has renewed And Just Like That for a third season, releasing a quote from King saying, “We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex and the City universe telling stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors. And Just Like That…here comes season three.”
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