What Worked—and What Didn’t—About ‘And Just Like That…’

“Seema is a great stand-in for Samantha, and I would love to see her more fleshed out in season two.” —B.C.

“Seema is great, and I hope we see more of her next season! I get the sense she is more of a Samantha-like ‘replacement,’ and I’m here for it. I wish we saw more of her this season!” —C.B.

“Seema is bold and confident and sexy—basically Samantha—but also very honest and vulnerable when it comes to the realities of being single and never married in your 50s. If there’s a season two, I hope we get to delve into her world more because she’s one of the best characters to come along in a long time.” —J.R.

Real estate

“This isn’t Selling Sunset! There are too many apartments on this show.” —N.P. 

“Carrie buying a new apartment about once an episode had me losing my mind. I know that this show is a fantasy, but watching this woman grumpily purchase homes the size of Grand Central Station had me googling ‘How to join Democratic Socialism.’” —J.S. 

Body diversity

“As a style lover well over the typical sample size, I was hopeful we would have a fashionable plus-size character who uses her clothing as a means to be as flamboyant and vibrant as the other women on the show. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I’m really hoping the writers introduce a wonderful plus-size character in the next season, but as in most mainstream media, I’m doubtful plus-size representation will be celebrated on the show.” —A.E.

Steve

“Everything Steve says about marriage is so heartbreakingly true, and let’s not be afraid to talk about it. Marriage is boring. You get up, you go to work, you come back to the same person, you talk about your kids, you eat shit in front of a TV show, but you have intimacy. That’s all he wants. He doesn’t need to meet anyone else. And that doesn’t make him pitiable—it’s what a lot of what people want. He’s like the truth teller of the hard parts of life in the show, and I love him for it.” —N.P.

“I am truly heartbroken for Steve, but I do think their splitting feels real in the sense that so many couples are divorcing post-lockdown. Do I wish it was more amicable and Steve wasn’t so heartbroken and surprised by it? Definitely.” —C.B.

Parenting

“It was cringe-worthy at first when Charlotte couldn’t accept that Rock (at the time, going by Rose) didn’t want to wear a dress. But as time wore on, Charlotte came to understand that Rock was nonbinary and their new name wasn’t a request; it was reality. Watching Charlotte—and Harry—learn how to grow as parents, while admitting that it’s still a difficult adjustment, was the show at its finest.” —J.R.  

“I was very moved by this storyline! I mean…I wish the writers hadn’t given so much unchallenged screen time to characters comparing a child who identifies as nonbinary to a child who identifies as a dog. But! By the time we arrived at Charlotte and Harry throwing their child a supportive, nonbinary they-mitzvah (which synagogues are actually calling ‘B-mitzvahs’ these days!), I was cheering. Every show should have a trans woman rabbi played by the spectacular Hari Nef emerge from a bathroom stall to dole out unsolicited life advice.” —J.S.  

Final thoughts

“What made the O.G. show so good is that each episode had a theme that tied each woman’s plot line together. It often feels like we are in three (or four or five depending on side characters) different shows. But I love anytime Carrie’s old clothes come out to play, and Hot Fellas Bread is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.” —B.C.

“I’m still curious about Aidan’s return. I would love to see if him and Carrie reconnect for the 100th time, because I love nostalgia.” —C.B.

“Okay, so And Just Like That… wasn’t perfect. And it was fun to criticize the parts that didn’t work. But overall I looked forward to watching it every week. It brought me joy and entertainment, and frankly, that’s all I can ask for. So maybe we can all stop bashing it next season (if there is one) and admit that we actually are having a good time again with some familiar faces and new ones.” —J.R.