Michael Patrick King, the creator of And Just Like That, has defended Sara Ramirez’s character Che Diaz.
In the Sex and the City revival, podcast host Diaz plays the love interest of Cynthia Nixon’s character Miranda.
The two characters have an affair that eventually leads to Miranda leaving her husband, fan-favourite Steve (David Eigenberg).
Diaz has not been popular with fans of the show. One headline called them “the worst character on TV”.
The character has been described as “cringy” and “unhinged”, with many taking issue with the sex scene between them and Miranda in Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) kitchen.
Defending the character in a new interview in Variety, King said: “I said in the writing room, ‘Uh, get ready. Because what’s coming is outrage about Miranda calling out her marriage.’ Whoever is in the activating of that will be an issue.”
He added: “But the real issue is – and I say this with love – 90 per cent of long-term relationships are watching television, sharing dessert and talking about kids. So that’s trouble when Miranda points a finger at that relationship, which a lot of people are very happy with, and says, ‘This isn’t enough.’”
King said “people are going to look for who’s the villain”, adding: “Che is, in my estimation, honest, dangerous, sexy, funny and warm. What everybody else is projecting on that character has a lot to do with what they want to have happen to Miranda in the story. It has so little to do with Che.”
