WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for And Just Like That season 3, episode 12, “Party of One”.
While I’m sad to see the last of Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda,And Just Like Thatseason 3 was the right place to end theSex and the Citysequel series. Still, it was a surprise announcement when showrunnerMichael Patrick King announced the conclusion ofAnd Just Like That, as it was mere two weeks before the season 3 finale, which aired this Thursday.
TheAnd Just Like Thatendingcentered around Miranda’s disastrous Thanksgiving dinner, but saw positive conclusions for the characters we’ve watched for almost 30 years. Charlotte and Harry are able to make love again, Miranda has a wonderful partner in Joy, and Carrie is happy living life on her own.
It’s no secret thatAnd Just Like Thatwas controversial, with many criticizing the series as being a shell of whatSex and the Cityonce was. In some ways, I agree with that sentiment, butAnd Just Like That’s writersalso gave us some excellent moments that made the show worth watching. Interestingly, it’s because of both these highs and lows thatAJLTended at the right time.
Carrie Bradshaw’s And Just Like That Ending Was So Perfect, There’s Nowhere Else To Go
Most ofAnd Just Like Thatseason 3 was dominated byCarrie and Aidan’s toxic relationship, and it was like watching a horror movie. I couldn’t understand why Carrie kept jumping through flaming hoops for a man who repeatedly pushed aside her needs but demanded she meet his own, all while doing no work on himself as a person.
But Carrie gives us insight into this in the series finale, where she tells Charlotte she always thought she would end up with a man, and after Big’s untimely death, Aidan seemed like the most obvious next step. But when Carrie saw her relationship for what it really was and delivered an empowered breakup speech to Aidan, something unlocked in her.
Carrie realized that while romantic love is a wonderful thing, she doesn’t need itfor her own happy ending. She instills this into her novel, giving her protagonist a similar conclusion, much to the dismay of her editor, who thinks a 19th-century woman ending up alone is “tragic.”
This is a sentiment shared by almost everyone around Carrie in theAnd Just Like Thatfinale, from the restaurant staffer who seats her with a boy doll to Charlotte, who invites Mark to Miranda’s Thanksgiving dinner in an obvious and awkward attempt to set him and Carrie up.
ButCarrie has finally taken control of her own destiny, entirely on her terms,proudly being “not alone, but on her own.“Maybe things will change and she’ll meet another great love, or maybe Duncan will sweep Carrie off her feet after all, but I don’t need to see it. Watching Carrie solo dance at home in her sparkly pink dress and sky-high heels is exactly how I want to remember her.
We Can’t Take Anymore Humiliating Charlotte & Miranda Storylines
Yes,And Just Like Thatgot some things right, but forSex and the Cityfans especially, it was tough watching the sequel series continuously make Charlotte and Miranda the butt of the joke. Sure,they got into their share of embarrassing situations in the original show, but they also had meaty and complex storylinesworthy of their incredible characters.
Charlotte especially had some ridiculousAnd Just Like Thatstorylinesin season 3, with the premiere seeing her in a tizzy because her dog got canceled. We also had not one, but two episodes where her entire plot was vertigo-induced pratfalls — including onto an art installation with a (fake) used condom.
Meanwhile, Miranda’s storylines were wholly unworthy of the biggest badass of the entireSex and the Cityuniverse. We didn’t need to see this witty, high-powered lawyer desperately picking up a clingy nun at a bar, dealing with creepy Airbnb neighbors, or becoming a meme. The fact that the finale literally saw her cleaning poop off her floor was awful, but at this point, unsurprising.
This isn’t to say it was all bad for Charlotte and Miranda in season 3. Charlotte’s coping with Harry’s cancer saw some of the greatest, most heartfelt moments of the series, and proved what Kristin Davis can do with proper material. Meanwhile,Miranda finally got the romance she deserved with Joy, a storyline that was anchored by Cynthia and Nixon and Dolly Wells' electric chemistry.
In fact, Miranda and Charlotte being so well-written inSex and the Citymay have contributed to their storylines' downfall inAnd Just Like That.They were already such complete characters that there wasn’t a lot to explorewith them. IfAnd Just Like Thatkept going, we likely would have just seen more of what was so off-putting in season 3.
Charlotte & Miranda Got Their Happy Endings Too
Image via Max
For as annoyingly slapsticky as Charlotte and Miranda were inAnd Just Like Thatseason 3, their endings prove that theSex and the Cityuniverse still cares about them, as they went out on high notes. Charlotte had the perfect Thanksgiving with her family and proved her acceptance of Rock, while Miranda enjoyed a quiet moment and slice of pie with the love of her life.
Had future episodes eschewed their humiliation,I’m not sure where else they could have gone with theAnd Just Like Thatcharacters, unless it meant putting these happy endings in jeopardy. As someone who deeply loves these characters, that would be difficult to watch.
Honestly, like many fans, I don’t care how outlandishAnd Just Like Thatwould have gotten — theSex and the Cityuniverse has me hook, line, and sinker, and I would watch a dozen more seasons should they release. But I also want what’s best for Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda, and from where I’m sitting, they’re getting a heck of a happily ever after.
And Just Like That…
Cast
And Just Like That is a continuation of the beloved franchise Sex and the City, chronicling the experiences of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte as they transition from the complexities of life and friendships in their 30s to those in their 50s.
