4 things And Just Like That… needs to fix in season 2 – from thin plots to the Che Diaz of it all
Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon filming And Just Like That. (Getty)
And Just Like That… will have a chance to right some wrongs with its second season.
The Sex and the City reboot left viewers divided with its attempts to bring the iconic characters kicking and screaming into the 2020s.
Even best-selling author Candace Bushnell, who wrote the newspaper column and Sex and the City novels that inspired the iconic TV franchise, admitted she was left puzzled by some of the plot choices made in the HBO Max program.
While some new storylines didn’t quite land like the program’s creators might have hoped, there is still plenty of time to steer things back on course so the series can continue to explore important topics in a way that can resonate with viewers.
Here are some of the things that need to change when And Just Like That… returns for season two.
Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes in And Just Like That… (HBO)
Can we get the old Miranda back?
In Sex and the City, Miranda was the straight-talking one in the group, calling out toxic traits where she saw them. Sure, she had her problematic moments, but we loved her.
In And Just Like That…, Miranda embarks on a new path in her life and somehow turned into the most embarrassing type of Karen.
We love the idea that recent social justice issues inspired the lawyer to do more for others but we aren’t sure fans will be able to take any more scenes of Miranda and the other ladies having to become more socially aware in ways that are so painful to watch.
They need to do right by Steve… somehow
Watching Mirdana abandon her long-term marriage to Steve for Che Diaz was not something any fan had on their bingo card when the series began. While we could somewhat understand the idea that Miranda was no longer happy with her life and her marriage, it was hard to watch Steve get hurt.
Season two will have to feature Steve getting his groove back in some way. It seems unlikely that he will actually end up back with Miranda at this point so we are going to need to see poor Steve bounce back with someone who can appreciate him as he deserves.
Che and Miranda in And Just Like That… (HBO)
Make Che Diaz’s relationship with Miranda more believable
Oh, Che Diaz. Due to the fact Miranda’s queer awakening with Che led to Steve’s heartbreak, viewers just found it hard to root for these two.
Plus, there was that intensely awkward sex scene in Carrie’s kitchen.
What doesn’t help is the fact Miranda is utterly blind to all of Che’s faults and seems willing to follow them across the country simply because she hasn’t had such good sex in her life.
For many, Che and Miranda’s relationship simply doesn’t have enough depth. We need to see more of them having fun together, learn why their connection is so strong and why Che would want to be with someone who is still so new to the exploration of her sexuality.
And they need to really dig into some big issues like the part race might play in their romance.
More than anything, we need Miranda needs to stop prioritizing Che over her own decades-long friendships.
Supporting characters need to be fleshed out more
Seema (Sarita Choudhury), Nya (Karen Pittman), and Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) were all excellent additions to the cast and added much-needed diversity – but they need far more story development.
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It’s hard to believe that someone as fun and successful as Seema didn’t have better plans on her birthday than to follow Carrie around. Thankfully, the character was coming more into her own by the end of the season and we want that to continue. Her romance with the sexy French club owner (William Abadie) was exactly the kind of sex-positive vibes that the show needs.
Nya’s fertility struggles and changing desires about having children was well executed and we are keen to see more about how she deals with the conflict it’s causing in her marriage.
Elsewhere, Lisa needs to be given more to do than just being the put together mum that Charlotte wishes to emulate. The pressures she faces as the wife of a high profile husband and her insecurity around his mother can all be explored further in interesting ways.
More than anything, we need these ladies to all start having plots together as a new, bigger group.
Time will tell what And Just Like That… season two delivers but we can only hope they take some of this advice on board.
