Growing Up Is Realizing Charlotte and Harry Goldenblatt Are the 'And Just Like That...' Love Story Aidan and Carrie Want to Be

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Viewers of And Just Like That... have mixed emotions about the show, but the best part of it for me is Charlotte and Harry Goldenblatt
Unlike other characters, the two feel the most like their Sex and the City versions
And Just Like That... drops on HBO Max Thursdays at 9 p.m. ETFor a lot of Sex and the City fans, And Just Like That… hasn't quite struck the same chord as its predecessor. Whether it's the characters, the storylines or the tone, the reboot just hasn't lived up to the old show.
It's certainly a grown-up version, as there are fewer brunches and more focus on family, but I find myself wondering where all the whimsical, unserious and complex characters I loved in the original series went. The super dramatic Carrie, hyper-romantic Aidan, and the bold Miranda, who unabashedly shared her opinion no matter what.
All of them feel unrecognizable to me, with the exception of Charlotte (played by Kristin Davis) and Harry (played by Evan Handler) who, out of all the characters, seem to have kept their original quirky dynamic.
I first noticed it in episode 1, season 3, when Charlotte's entire arc was based on her standing up for Mr. Burton, her bulldog, who had been falsely accused of assaulting another pup at the park. The other owner, Jane Hayes, alleged that Mr. Burton was off leash when he came after her Peanut and that the incident resulted in part of her dog's vertebrae being shattered.
Jane was so incensed, she wanted Charlotte to pay for her vet bill and launched a smear campaign that saw the Goldenblatt's dogsitter quit, Mr. Burton ostracized from all the hot spots in the neighborhood and his Instagram flooded with unkind comments.
Mr. Burton was cancelled and in typical Charlotte fashion, she spent the episode obsessing over the situation and defended her beloved dog to anyone who would listen.
Finally, when she was ready to consider the fact that her Mr. Burton might not be the sweetheart she thought he was, he was redeemed, as it turned out Jane had confused him for another dog at the park.
It's the type of frivolous storyline that is so Sex and the City-coded, you have to keep watching.
Next came episode 5, when Harry had to tell his skittish wife that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Knowing that she was prone to freaking out, he made sure to break the news while they were on a nice walk with Mr. Burton around the neighborhood.
As expected — and if we're being honest, totally warranted for a spouse finding out their person has prostate cancer — Charlotte took the news hard. She wanted to immediately put the kibosh on their planned glamping trip and she offered to quit her job to stay home and take care of Harry until he got better.
Harry, being the super chill guy, shut down both ideas and assured her he'd likely be okay, given that prostate cancer had a high survival rate. He also made her promise she wouldn't share the news with anyone as he didn't want to be pitied. She agreed, but then spent the rest of the episode on edge, freaking out at the smallest things and totally not keeping it together.
In Sex and the City, Charlotte was always the heart of the friend group. You wanted her there to organize a last-minute baby shower or arrange for an alarmingly large bouquet of flowers for your mother's funeral.
Her relationship with Harry was always so light and funny to watch, as he was so laid back — almost too laid back — and she was so high-strung. When something bad happened, you wanted her there for emotional support.
Those attributes seem to have carried over. In episode 6, when Lisa a.k.a LTW told her that her father had died, she was there. Not only did she prove to still be the friend who knows what's the right thing to say, but she again, gave us that comic relief by then blowing the entire thing out of proportion, in the most Charlotte way possible.
The scene that followed showed her harranguing Harry, who was too enthralled by a baseball game to fully get the heart of her message. It gave Sex and the City season 6 episode 4, when she made her first Shabbat and she wanted it to be a big deal, but again, he just wanted to watch the game.
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I was in all my nostalgic feels.
In a show that feels as though it's struggled to find its footing — even three seasons in — it's nice to have some semblance of the old Sex and the City.
I get that And Just Like That… is supposed to be its own thing, but I think the reason most of us are tuning in is to see how those flawed characters we now love to hate have evolved. And while most of them have left me wanting more, the fact that Charlotte and Harry still have some of her old quirkiness is heartwarming.
Where other characters seem to be grappling, these two have really stayed true to their essence and are so entertaining to watch.
And Just Like That... drops on HBO Max Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET
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