Into the Sex and the City Cinematic Universe
And just like that… I watched every episode of Sex and the City. I must be a really good judge on how to spend my time! This includes all 94 episodes of the original series, the first Sex and the City movie, and all 10 episodes of the reboot And Just Like That. Unfortunately, due to a lack of will power, I was unable to finish the second Sex and the City movie. I recognize that this creates a gap in my SATC knowledge, but this is a gap I have no desire to fill. After watching the beginning of the movie and reaching the point where Liza Minelli performs as Beyoncé at a wedding, I had to stop watching and move onto And Just Like That – a more sophisticated form of entertainment. Overall, SATC became a comfort show, one where I can escape into the perfectly implausible lives of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and up until a point, Samantha.
I began my journey into SATC to become more culturally fluent. This show is a cornerstone of American television and a glimpse into the idealized early 2000s life. I wanted to know what people were talking about when they thought they were a Charlotte. It seemed like the perfect time to start watching with the production of And Just Like That and a resurgence of SATC beginning. Therefore, I began my binge-watch.
SATC is mostly harmless. It follows the world of four 30-somethings and their luxurious life in New York City. Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist, is the ultimate love-hate character. She is fabulously dressed and makes some of the worst decisions ever, but you still find something to love and sympathize with. There’s Charlotte, a preppy, prude, and often judgmental character. On the other hand, we have Miranda – the hardworking, more serious type. While Samantha Jones was not featured in And Just Like That due to a feud between Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, she is the character that rounds out the group. Samantha is unapologetically herself, balances her personal life with an impressive career, and lives her life to the fullest.
The lack of Samantha in And Just Like That was consistent, further upsetting the feeling of the show. Showing Samantha as a ‘text friend’, only communicating with Carrie and the others via text message, was a blow to their life-long friendships. However, this might have been the only realistic part of the show, as it showed friends growing apart over time. This plot device was clearly created solely to account for Kim Cattrall’s absence, but it could not make up for the lack of Samantha.
It would be wrong to write about SATC without mentioning Big. Mr. Big, Carrie’s on-and-off boyfriend-turned-fiancé-turned-husband, who is a focal point of the loose plot of the show. Even when Carrie wasn’t involved with him, he showed up everywhere in minor plot moments throughout the show. That’s why, when And Just Like That began, it was assumed that he would be a key player. However, Big was a key player for a different reason and that reason involved a peloton bike. I am not considering Big’s peloton-induced death to be a spoiler as it was ubiquitous in the media at the time and happened early on in the series. This death set the tone of And Just Like That as it established itself as a more ‘serious’ show. However, the death was so bizarre (including Carrie’s delayed reaction), that it ended up establishing the show as laughable in its seriousness.
While SATC at its core is a lighthearted comedy, it has some horrific moments that downright aged terribly. From its disgusting treatment toward trans people, fat-shaming, sex-shaming, and frequent stereotypical characters, it was honestly surprising that they would reboot the show. Upon watching And Just Like That, it was clear that they were forgetting about the misdeeds of the original six seasons and moving forward with an acute sense of wokeness. While at times their approach is cringey and out-of-character, AJLT did create a show that is more relevant today. Yes, Miranda was slightly villainized as she embarked on a journey of self-discovery, but in the end she learned her lessons the hard way and became happy. Charlotte had some problematic storylines, like her initial rejection of her child’s question of their gender identity, but she learned to accept them and it turned out to be heartwarming. Somehow, Carrie was the least problematic character in the reboot, which says a lot considering her questionable actions in the original series (i.e. all of Carrie’s interactions with poor Natasha, Big’s ex-wife).
After watching the totality of the Sex and the City cinematic universe, I learned to not take the show too seriously. In the end, the show is pure fantasy. Sex and the City is escapism in its purest form and allows us all the chance to live vicariously through Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha.
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