AND JUST LIKE THAT
Sky Comedy/NOW
★★★★
Hold onto your Manolos, this Sex and the City sequel returns with an X-rated bang, Carrie’s ex-fiance Aidan and the tease of a cameo from Samantha.
Rest assured, there is enough emotional baggage in this series to fill Carrie’s walk-in wardrobe twice over.
And Just Like That, back today, reeled me straight back into the glam world of this Manhattan trio, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis holding their own as Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte.
It remains a glorious, aspirational vision of female friendships, so many brunches and fabulous (often ridiculous) fashion that would look stupid on 99% of people (not Carrie).
At one point she looks like Mary Poppins and the next she is holding a plastic pigeon purse in a combat jumpsuit.
But the women are in their 50s and there are grown-up issues to deal with, like grief. I mean, Big died, and no, I’m still not over it.
Producers have a neat nostalgia trick up their sleeve this season in the form of Aidan (John Corbett), otherwise known to hardcore fans as “the one that got away”.
He was Mr Nice to Big’s Mr Mean. And he could make a damn good cabinet. I will just say Carrie reaches out to him on email “and just like that”, they’re having dinner together.
“Sitting here with you, it’s like ten years just…” Aidan says, as he snaps his fingers, while looking better than ever.
The scene hit me square in the heart, sending me right back to the early 2000s and no, you’re crying. Show runner Michael Patrick King is tight-lipped about their future, but he does call the pairing a “perfect, imperfect match”.
After Carrie was last seen at the end of season one scattering Big’s ashes in Paris (in a ballgown, obvs), to be honest, we need this.
And so to the elephant in the room, the rumoured feud with Kim Cattrall that has seen Samantha’s absence so far, but news has leaked that she’ll be back in this season finale.
Cattrall allegedly shot her single scene without seeing or speaking to King or Parker. Perhaps they should have left her out?
Aiming to shock, the season opens with a hell of a lot of sex. There was always sex, but Miranda seems to spend most of the first episode naked as she experiences her sexual awakening with non-binary partner Che (Sara Ramirez).
Carrie’s grief is the thread throughout the season as she records the audio for her new book Loved And Lost, but entwined are various insane side plots.
In a game of And Just Like That bingo, you can tick off in each episode: one filthy conversation, one sex problem, one misunderstanding, one tearjerker, one awkward encounter and at least one new pair of shoes.
They are all still self-involved and will occasionally have a crisis meeting in a restaurant so posh they bring stools for the handbags to sit on.
There’s a mention of Carrie’s friend Stanford sending her a kimono from Japan – a nod to the absence after actor Willie Garson died. Oh and Steve (David Eigenberg) is now ripped, by the way – we first see him boxing topless and I may have gasped.
Big issues are brought to the fore, including racism and gender identity, but don’t expect anything to get too deep. The show remains true to its shallow self, and that’s OK. What would it be without the indulgent navel-gazing?
For all its flaws, this is a nostalgic, witty and fun ride that keeps you hooked. I couldn’t help but wonder… if this may run and run.
* And Just Like That… is exclusively available from June 22 on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW
