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The Spinoff
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
And just like that, the Sex and the City spinoff has done the unimaginable
It's gone and killed the hate watch. The woman sat on her couch and steeled herself. Eager to shut out the city and ignore her rotting garden, she lowered the blinds. She sank into her polar fleece dressing gown, picked up the remote and listened for the distinctive static that whispers 'Babe, it's 4pm, time to watch And Just Like That'. Anyone still clinging to the wreckage of the Sex and the City franchise knows about 'the woman'. She is the character Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is writing in her new turn as a historical fiction writer in the third season of And Just Like That. She is the return of the once-iconic voiceover from Sex and the City. She has no plot. She has no joy. She has no fun. She is wafting about her inexplicably unfurnished Gramercy Park townhouse like the Grey Lady of Hampton Court, moaning and insufferable. She is an avatar for Carrie. When Just Like That first debuted in 2021, it was not welcomed with open arms. Its predecessor, Sex and the City, the flawed yet ground-breaking show about four women in New York dating and having a lot of sex, ended in 2004. Fans of the show were excited to see their favourite characters (minus Kim Cattrall as Samantha) back after the two-hour and 27-minute-long advertisement for Abu Dhabi that was the second Sex and the City movie. Fans were also wary. Aware of the entertainment industry's penchant for resurrecting and profiting from intellectual property, sequels, prequels and spinoffs often arrive with the baked-in challenge of overcoming a fan base's justifiable cynicism. Sex and the City was also derided when it first aired in 1999, and has been the subject of derision since. In 2013, Brett Martin wrote, 'It might as well have been a tourism campaign for a post-Rudolph Giuliani, de-ethnicized Gotham awash in money. Its characters were types as familiar as those in 'The Golden Girls': the Slut, the Prude, the Career Woman, the Heroine. But they talked more explicitly, certainly about their bodies, but also about their desires and discontents outside the bedroom, than women on TV ever had before.' Sex and the City was a product of its pre-woke time. Its early seasons were raw, politically incorrect, and outrageously unrealistic. It was also the first show to be unapologetic about women's sexuality, discussing 'taboo' topics like masturbation, bisexuality and women having casual sex. It helped transform HBO from a boxing and late-night soft porn channel into a prestige television juggernaut. Sex and the City walked so that Lena Dunham's Girls could run. It became a touchstone and a bona fide cultural phenomenon. It has also enjoyed some of the same revisionist treatment that Dunham's Girls has, as new generations discover it via streaming services and time grants it a more nuanced assessment and deserved canonical status. The first season of And Just Like That presented the women as they grappled with the challenges of middle age. I gave it a wide berth. I am middle-aged. I defended the show to friends and perplexed younger people, saying it was good to see women of that age on screen having sex, dealing with grief and midlife career change. The characters still trotted about in fabulous fashion, and it was a relief to see the show's 'fifth lady', New York City, still standing after the ravages of the pandemic. It was no high art, but like its predecessor, it was meant to be escapist; a night in with old friends. The first season was awkward and, like many television shows debuting during and right after the pandemic, struggled with how to address it without becoming a 'post-pandemic show'. It worked too hard to right the sins of its father. One of the main criticisms of Sex and the City was its lack of characters who weren't white and wealthy. And Just Like That overcorrected, leaning into storylines and characters that were meant to widen the view, but ultimately reduced new characters to near-empty shells of tokenistic representation. It also neutered the show. Early signs of a greater prudishness around the way sex was presented were creeping in. The dialogue lacked zingers, and the characters seemed afraid to say the wrong thing. There were too many side characters introduced and too many children I couldn't care less about, who were sucking up precious airtime. I love plenty of shows about family dynamics, but the children of Sex and the City are irredeemably boring. Steve was reduced to a bumbling fool instead of the strangely attractive working-class man he'd been, and Che Diaz, Miranda's love interest, divided fans. Ultimately, Carrie's grief plot line saved it. That is to say, having a plot line, something usually considered vital yet which would soon vanish from the show, saved the first season. When season two rolled around, I stuck with it, but was becoming increasingly irritated by how little it was doing or saying. Aidan was back, and following the real-life cancellation of Chris Noth, Mr Big – the so-called love of Carrie's life – was erased. The season ended with the ridiculous suspension of Carrie and Aidan's rekindled relationship for five years so Aidan could deal with yet another child I do not care about. Still, I had hope, drawn to the possibility of the next season exploring the very real wisdom of age, unconventional relationships and the letting go of expectation. Season three has been a train wreck. It's hard to put your finger on what this show is now. At times, it feels like a sitcom, with Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and LTW (Nicole Ari Parker) enduring scripts and set-ups where the Benny Hill theme wouldn't feel out of place. At other times, it's a poorly scripted and oddly paced drama. When Aidan reveals something that should shake his relationship with Carrie to the core, or at least push along an interesting storyline about unconventional relationships and expectations, it dies quickly. Carrie does not discuss it with her friends. Instead, she continues wafting about her townhouse, having no fun, going nowhere and patting her pussy (a literal cat – this show has left the sex behind). Budgets have clearly shrunk as we get far less of the fifth lady, its nightlife or its hum. The writers can't be bothered to fill plot holes or avoid plot clangers altogether. There are editing and continuity issues. It feels like no one gives a shit. As a woman approaching her 50s, I no longer want to defend the show based on its representation of women my age or older. I feel like I have less in common with these muddled characters than when I was at least 10 years younger than them, lighting durries off the toaster, and huddling under three sleeping bags in a shitty flat in Dunedin to watch Sex and the City. Precious minutes of screen time are devoted to exposition on plot lines that go nowhere. LTW's son, whom we know precisely nothing about, inexplicably sings three songs at a karaoke birthday party for Charlotte. It does nothing except highlight the squandering of having Patti LuPone (Giuseppe's mother) and Christopher Jackson (LTW's husband, Herbert) in the room at the same time. Both are Broadway stars, and yet they sing nothing. The son sings Fantine's 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Mis, and while I don't expect LuPone to drag her cancelled arse up for a reprise, it's a wink and a nod that feels entirely wasted. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), once sharp, messy and incredibly funny, has been given the Steve treatment, turning up at last week's birthday party as an overly enthusiastic clown. Davis is doing the most comedically and emotionally, but is saddled with her boring kids. The Samantha stand-in, Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury), is stuck in the same gear as a woman for whom no one is good enough. I don't know what LTW is for, other than wearing insanely large necklaces and couture at work. The greatest crime is the reduction of Carrie Bradshaw into a feeble, humourless, mean and utterly joyless character. Yet again, she is twisting herself into whatever shape is most convenient for the man she loves. Despite success, wealth, age and wisdom, she is regressing. She is awful to her friends and defensive about her relationship. There is a whisper of a possible new love interest with a famed biographer (a gimp room occupant of her townhouse not mentioned when she bought the townhouse in season two). Duncan Reeve, a character name that prompts a jump scare for anyone at The Spinoff, thinks her new book is brilliant, despite it sounding like something I could whip up in ChatGPT in two minutes, and having no plot that we know of. That's especially insulting when you consider Parker herself is a big-time lover of literary fiction, carrying a copy of Becky Manawatu's Āue under her arm in season two, and a recent Booker Prize judge. Perhaps this is all leading to something, maybe it isn't. At this point, I no longer care and have only persisted in watching this season so I could listen to two hours of lively recaps and viciously funny dissection on the Every Outfit podcast. This season, the show has earned the dubious honour of being labelled a hate watch. The act of watching something that you find terrible because you enjoy criticising and mocking it is a phenomenon that social media has turbocharged. My hate watches have fallen into a few different categories in the past. There are the smooth-brained vehicles for Nicole Kidman and her family of wigs. It's passable television, with enough intrigue to keep you going, but not very nutritious. I remember nothing about them except being profoundly irritated by plot holes and bad blonde bobs. There are shows like The Kardashians where the spectacle of living through an era where vulgarity is not just accepted but celebrated is seemingly impossible to turn away from. Each new episode spawns a million memes and a million moans. It's funny until it suddenly starts feeling empty and soulless. You know you're participating in the prolonging of the life of a franchise that's being rinsed for every dollar. What felt like perverse joy is now just grimly perverse. What was meant to glide over you, providing comforting escapism, is rotting your brain. And Just Like That is now so bad, it's car crash television, but I can't keep watching it on that basis. There is enough to be distracted by and plenty of reasons to be cynical about so much in life right now. I don't need it stoked by the corpse of a show that gave me so much joy and was genuinely foundational for women on screen. I have too much to do to spend another minute of my life pretending that the short-lived gratification that comes from communally hating something is a substitute for doing literally anything else with other people. And just like that, I am done with the hate watch.
Elle
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Miranda Considers Revisiting Bad Habits in 'And Just Like That...'
Spoilers below. It's been a sweltering, hot, and humid week in New York City, which means it's more important than ever that we, as a civilized society, do our duty and wear deodorant. During those crowded commutes, when you're smushed up against your fellow passengers, is no time to slack on personal hygiene. And Just Like That... knows that—especially Seema. So imagine the very chic realtor's surprise when her new lover—a gardener who spends hours doing physical labor outdoors—forgoes the Speed Stick and opts for crystals (???) instead. And speaking of bad habits, Miranda, who is a recovering alcoholic, toys with the idea of drinking again. Plus, Lisa can't stop flirting with her work crush. As Harry recovers in bed days after his surgery, Lisa opens up to Charlotte about her sex dream with Marion, her editor. Last night, she dreamt that he ripped her bodice off…at a farm! Charlotte theorizes that it's just a sign that the two have a great professional connection. When she heads to work at the gallery, Charlotte helps assemble a new exhibit that includes a disorderly bed with various provocative accoutrements, including a used condom filled with 'semen.' She then teaches her colleagues that this artwork is an homage to the '80s, 'a time pre-Lena Dunham before women were celebrated for being messy.' (Charlotte, may I suggest Dunham's new series Too Much?) Over at Carrie's apartment, Aidan is back—and this time he's packed for a longer stay than usual. Carrie sets aside a small closet for his belongings (which he'll share with her cat). After a 'nap' together, he reveals why he's available for a lengthier visit: His son Wyatt now wants to live with his mother Kathy, a.k.a. Aidan's ex wife, full-time. His other son, Homer, is living with a cousin, so Aidan's been home alone, wondering how he became the bad guy. Seema is having a lot more fun than her friends—in bed with Adam. After they finally went home together after Charlotte's birthday party last week, she and the hot gardener are on cloud nine, laughing under the covers. He even stuffs his face into her armpit, which sends Seema laughing with abandon. But when they go out to dinner later, Seema starts to see Adam in a different light. They see a woman putting on deodorant at a neighboring table, which sends them both giggling at the outrageous sight—for different reasons. While Seema saw it as a breach in etiquette, Adam disapproves of the deodorant usage altogether. Wait, Seema asks, You don't use deodorant? At first I thought this was a bit, but Adam keeps going with some bullshit about rubbing crystals under his armpits. He doesn't use the aluminum-loaded formula that Seema (and most New Yorkers, for that matter) prefer. She's in further disbelief when Adam signs the check and she learns his last name is Karma. His mother legally changed his and his siblings' names as a reminder. Is Adam more woo-woo than we thought? Seema seems to be getting the ick—a mini nod to Sex and the City season 6. When Lisa tries to get it on with her husband, things don't go as smoothly. She climbs on top of him for some surprise morning sex, but he ruins the moment with a bathroom run—and a request for Lisa to buy more toilet paper. During lunch at the office, though, Lisa is back to having the hots for Marion (who is boldly eating a single papaya as a meal). He invites her to a screening of a new documentary that was produced by the Obamas' Higher Ground company, meaning it could be the perfect way in for them to get Michelle Obama to participate in their docuseries. Although Lisa already committed to Charlotte's gallery event, she knows this 'work thing' is an opportunity she can't pass up. While LTW continues to keep her work flirtations a secret from her husband, Miranda also keeps a secret from her girlfriend Joy. When Joy makes an impromptu visit after a work trip, she gifts Miranda with a bottle of gin, forgetting that her partner doesn't drink. Miranda insists it's not weird though, and keeps the bottle at her place. What's actually odd is that Miranda hasn't yet told Joy outright that she is recovering from a drinking problem. Later on at the gallery, she tells Carrie and Charlotte that it's very unsexy to break that kind of news to a partner, especially one she really cherishes and doesn't want to lose. Still, her friends are concerned that Miranda might feel pressured to drink again. Miranda tries to reason that, maybe she was drinking heavily a few years ago because she was just confused—about her marriage, sexuality, and the overall state of her life. Now that she's in a good place, maybe she won't take things too far this time. Carrie and Charlotte don't look convinced. In fact, when Charlotte sees Miranda holding Joy's champagne glass for her later in the evening, she rushes to stop her from drinking it, but her vertigo kicks in and she falls onto the mattress on display—next to the nude performance artist lying face-down on the sheets. Even worse, the condom sticks to her arm. Also at the gallery? Charlotte's boss Mark Kasabian (Victor Garber!) and Giuseppe's mother Gia (Patti LuPone, returning from last week), who still has not warmed up to Anthony. While she's busy asking Mark about art, Anthony decides he'll win her over with a home-cooked meal. But Giuseppe won't be around to help. Aidan is also acting a little suspicious and judgy. He's made curious, snide comments whenever Carrie mentions that she and her neighbor, Duncan, a fellow writer, meet to discuss their drafts. Aidan can't believe that she knows nothing about this man. So he snoops around and asks Seema and Adam what they know. Their consensus: Duncan is a 'meanie.' As Charlotte waddles home from the gallery, Lisa calls her in a tizzy. She had to leave the screening early because Marion's knee touched hers and she couldn't handle the sexual tension. The flirting has gotten out of hand! Luckily, Marion knows how to keep it together while networking at the event. He calls Lisa to connect her with a rep from Higher Ground to discuss the doc series. It really was a 'work thing' after all. Later at night, when Miranda is at home by herself working, she cannot resist the temptation of the gin bottle in her cabinet. After trying to distract herself with some cookies, she goes to grab it and pours herself a bit, which she briefly considers, but then ultimately dumps in the sink. In the end, she snatches the bottle and tosses it in the garbage disposal, eliminating all distractions. She'll stay away from the drinks for now.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dexter: Resurrection's Michael C. Hall Says Premiere's Surprise Cameos Were the ‘Best Way to Start' — Who Came Back?
Dexter: Resurrection! A newly resurrected Dexter Morgan just got Scrooged. More from TVLine And Just Like That: One of Carrie's New Men Makes His Move - But Will It Last? Big Brother 27 Premiere Reveals Identity of That Mysterious 17th Houseguest - But There's a Twist Poker Face Finale Introduces Charlie's Ultimate Nemesis in a Shocking Reveal - Plus, Grade It! In the opening moments of Dexter: Resurrection (the first two episodes are now streaming on Paramount+ Premium, and will also air Sunday, July 13 at 8/7c on Paramount+ With Showtime), a bed-ridden and barely alive Dexter is visited by three different ghosts from his past — and boy, were these cameos big. It's 10 weeks after the events of Dexter: New Blood when we first find Dexter comatose in a bed at Iron Lake's Seneca Nation Clinic. Just minutes into this thing, boom! The Trinity Killer (aka, Arthur Miller) is standing in his hospital room. John Lithgow's appearance allows us to recap some of Season 4's best bits, as Trinity chastises Dex for downplaying patricide. 'If you hadn't thought that you could live the dream, your wife would still be alive and your son wouldn't have been left to sit in a pool of his own mother's blood, just like you were at the same age.' Wow, lay it on thick, why don't ya, Trinity. Next up is Jimmy Smits' Miguel Prado, who meets Dexter in the middle of a cemetery. Miguel commends Dex for saving lots of potential lives by slaying some killers but says, 'When you tried to be normal, people who didn't deserve it found themselves equally as dead.' Good point, Prado. Dexter then realizes he's standing at the graves of his dearly departed sister Debra, wife Rita and colleague Maria LaGuerta. After a rendezvous with his father Harry (watch our interview with James Remar below), he soon hears, 'Surprise, motherfu–er!' It's Sgt. Doakes (Erik King). Dex tells Doakes that he was right about him all along, only Doakes' response is an actual shocker. He says deep down, Dexter has a 'kernel of good,' and that Dex must hold on to it for the sake of his son. 'Go to him, Morgan. Otherwise you really are just some creep motherfu–er.' When TVLine sat down with Michael C. Hall ahead of the show's premiere, the actor revealed that he was stoked to 're-engage' with this lineup of franchise all-stars. 'It was awesome,' Hall said. 'It was such a perfect way to re-engage with the mythology of the character. For me as an actor, for the character, for the audience, to grow out of that soil was the best way to start.' Thoughts on the premiere of ? We want to hear them! Vote in the poll below, then light up the comments section. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Buzz Feed
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
And Just Like That Kills Off LTW's Dad For Second Time
It's fair to say that Sex and the City's much-anticipated sequel series, And Just Like That…, has courted backlash and ridicule from viewers ever since it first hit our screens back in 2021. In addition to uproar over the shock death of Carrie Bradshaw's husband, Big, in the very first episode of the show, the series has been criticized for everything from trying to be too "woke," to beloved SATC characters seemingly undergoing huge personality transplants. There was also the producers' defiant attempt to make 'queer, nonbinary, Mexican Irish diva' Che Diaz a thing despite overwhelming disdain from fans across the show's first two seasons before the character was finally axed ahead of Season 3, which premiered last month. In short, AJLT is hardly renowned for being the most high-brow show on air, however, it has maintained a loyal following of fans who simply can't get enough of it despite its apparent shortcomings. Which is why when showrunners made a pretty monumental faux pas in last week's episode of the show, viewers couldn't help but laugh at the oversight rather than be shocked by it. In case you missed it, AJLT has hit the headlines after it killed off Lisa Todd Wexley — also known as LTW's — father for the second time in three seasons. However, most people did not catch this continuity error until the most recent episode of Season 3, 'Silent Mode,' aired on Thursday, where LTW was shown learning about her father's death at age 90 following a stroke — and the online reaction has made this blunder even funnier. Reacting to an Indie Wire article about the error, one incredibly viral tweet simply reads: 'Perfect show.''some of you just can't grasp avant garde art,' one more joked. Another suggested: 'And Just Like That should really lean in and kill Lisa Todd Wexley's father every season.'Somebody else quipped: 'Jfc media literacy is at an all time lowww It's just not that complicated 😭 Her dad died, (which she mentions in the pilot ) and THEN the vampire that turned her was staked between seasons, which she's grieving. Do you people even watch tv?''literally who GAF like i hope her dad dies in S4 too,' another more theorized: 'Maybe it's a Mamma Mia situation and she has three dads? You don't know.''God forbid a prestige HBO show explores the nature of resurrection,' somebody else tweeted, while another simply asked: 'How could you not be obsessed with this show?' For what it's worth, on Monday, Entertainment Weekly reacted to the discourse by saying that they have just learned that the dad referenced in Season 1 was actually LTW's stepdad, not her biological dad as seen in Season 2. However, considering this pretty important tidbit of information wasn't actually mentioned anywhere in the actual show, it definitely seems more like a revisionist edit in response to the blunder rather than the showrunners' original intention — but I'll let you be the judge of that in the comments below!
Economic Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
And Just Like That Season 3: Is Charlotte's husband Harry going to die from prostate cancer in the upcoming episodes?
Charlotte continues to grapple with the weight of Harry's (Evan Handler) cancer diagnosis while trying to keep it hidden from those closest to her. The storyline echoes the emotional shock of Mr. Big's sudden death in Sex and the City Season 1. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Echoes of the Past: Big's Death in Sex and the City Evan Handler Offers Reassurance Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Kristin Davis on Charlotte's Evolution Parallel Tension: Carrie and Aidan Balancing Fragility and Fun The Emotional Stakes Are Real What Lies Ahead for Fans Final Verdict: Not the End (Yet) FAQs What happens to Harry in And Just Like That Season 3, Episode 3 (June 26)? Is Harry going to die in Season 3? In the June 26 episode of And Just Like That Season 3, viewers were taken aback as Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) learned that her husband Harry (Evan Handler) has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite Harry's reassurances that he's optimistic about treatment, Charlotte, ever the devoted partner, immediately doubles down on supporting him. She keeps their troubling news under wraps, shielding their children and friends from the weight of his storyline of illness and possible death evokes memories of Sex and the City Season 1, where Carrie's husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth) collapsed and died suddenly of a heart attack. That plot set a somber tone for the spin-off series. Charlotte's current emotional turmoil leads her to tell Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), 'I can't stop thinking that he's going to die,' recalling her fears about life falling apart after Big's loss, as per a report by The Hollywood actor, Evan Handler, recently spoke with CNN, dismissing rumours that Just Like That would kill off his character. 'I don't think the show is going to delve deeply into Harry's medical journey,' he the narrative will center on how the news influences the dynamics of a long-term marriage—especially because Harry has asked Charlotte to keep the diagnosis private. Handler says the show will explore the psychological implications of that request, drawing from his own experience of surviving acute myeloid leukemia at age Davis echoed Handler's comments in The Hollywood Reporter, emphasising that Charlotte's response reflects her loving, protective nature. She said: 'Charlotte does her best to be hopeful…and there are cracks after that episode.' The actress feels it's crucial to show Charlotte's growth, noting: 'You can't take care of everyone and not take care of yourself.' Davis hopes fans will be satisfied with how Charlotte handles this arc, even as her steady life Charlotte grapples with Harry's health, Carrie navigates her own relationship drama. In the July 3 episode, her boyfriend Aidan (John Corbett) reveals he slept with his ex-wife Kathy—a confession that tests their long-distance partnership. This storyline has divided fans, sparking debate online, though it mirrors earlier episodes where Carrie's past infidelity fractured her relationship with Just Like That creator Michael Patrick King describes Season 3 as a 'nice balance of fun and fragileness.' He told The Hollywood Reporter: 'Things are fragile. Life is fragile. At any moment, something can happen.' This echoes in the dual narrative—Charlotte and Harry confronting health fears, Carrie and Aidan dealing with emotional trust cancer diagnosis is used less as a plot device and more as a catalyst to explore relational depth. Handler explains that the series aims to capture what stretches a marriage—the unspoken, the heavyweight moments. Davis adds that while the storyline carries heavy weight, there are also lighter, humorous beats, reminding audiences that Charlotte's character retains her warmth even under will Harry die? Both Handler and Davis assure viewers that the plot isn't heading toward a sudden loss akin to Sex and the City's Big. Rather, it's about the emotional toll on Charlotte: her struggles to manage secrecy, to balance caregiving with self-care, and to cope with the illness of a lifelong partner. Fans can expect an unpredictable but heartfelt journey rather than a dramatic And Just Like That continues airing weekly new episodes, one thing is clear: producers are steering clear of rehashing Big's tragic exit. Instead, Harry's health battle serves as a mirror to Charlotte's own fears and growth. The evolving subplot suggests an emotional deep dive, not a plot twist designed for the June 26 episode, Charlotte learns that her husband, Harry, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. While Harry is optimistic, Charlotte struggles emotionally and chooses to keep the diagnosis a secret from their children and According to actor Evan Handler, who plays Harry, the show will not be killing off his character. Instead, the storyline focuses on the emotional and psychological impact of the diagnosis on Harry and Charlotte's marriage.
