The Strike Is Over, ‘And Just Like That…,’ We’re Getting a Season 3

It’s been over three months since Max announced that And Just Like That…, its revival of Sex and the City, will get a third season. Since then, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought Hollywood to its knees, hopefully emphasizing the importance of these professions to the studios once and for all. With the strikes over, production on backlogged programming can finally begin in earnest, and we’re looking forward to seeing where season 3 takes Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the girls.

And Just Like That… picks up the story of Carrie and her friends Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), along with a string of new and returning secondary characters brought on to increase the show’s diversity … and replace the gaping Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall)-shaped hole in fans’ lives.

As a recap, season 1 began 11 years after the second (and hopefully final) movie based on the series, Sex and the City 2. With all of the ladies well into their 50s, there are a host of new trials and tribulations to tackle. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) made a dramatic exit early in the season, leaving Carrie to cope with grief and loss, and giving early episodes an edge that counteracted the show’s usual frivolous vibe.

Season 2 brought back more of the fun, with some extra absurdity reminiscent of the original series. The strength in this show has always been the writers’ ability to blend the serious with the silly; mixing the “male Kegel” storylines with the heartbreak of loving someone you can’t have. The season ends with Carrie bidding farewell, again, to Aidan (John Corbett), for at least five years. We’ll see how long that lasts.

For some fans (including many TMS writers!), the second season was disappointing and dull, but the reboot has plenty of new (and old) fans. According to Variety, Sarah Aubrey, the head of original content for Max, stated And Just Like That… “ranks as the #1 Max Original overall, and is the most-watched returning Max Original to date.”

Which cast members will return?

Since Parker, Nixon, and Davis are all executive producers for And Just Like That…, we pretty much guarantee they’ll be back to reprise their iconic roles. The future is uncertain for Aidan, but something tells us Corbett will make a few appearances, even if he just phones it in, a la Samantha.

Speaking of Samantha …. To fans’ delight, Cattrall set aside her personal beef with Parker (sort of) to make a very short cameo in the last episode of season 2. Samantha couldn’t make the transcontinental flight to join Carrie for her apartment’s “Last Supper,” but the fact that she wanted to come gave fans hope. Perhaps the ice is finally thawing? Or, maybe Max finally backed a truck full of cash up to Cattrall’s house? We’re betting it was the latter.

As for the supporting cast, there’s no reason why Sara Ramirez won’t return as Che. After all, they may have broken up with Miranda, but the exes reached a truce at the “Last Supper,” and Che is still good friends with Carrie. Likewise, Carrie’s new BFF (and obvious Samantha replacement) Seema (Sarita Choudhury) should return, as should Anthony (Mario Cantone), Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) and Nya (Karen Pittman). And let’s face it, no SATC reboot would be complete without Steve Brady (David Eigenberg).

Any idea what the plot will be?

Sadly, no! We’re certain the showrunners are furiously writing and rewriting season 3 as we speak, so there’s no way of knowing where our leading ladies will go next. We’ll venture a few bets, though, based on 20-plus years of viewing every episode ever made. These are totally just-for-fun (sort of) educated guesses, so please don’t @ me if they turn out to be wrong.

Carrie and Aidan will both meet other people during their separation, allowing Carrie to once again live that single life in NYC. But don’t worry … Aidan turns up in this show like a bad penny. He’ll be back.

Miranda will continue to explore her sexuality, perhaps dating that nice lady she met at the end of season 2. She has some personal issues to work on, especially her tendency to go zero contact after a relationship ends.

Charlotte will fully come into her power, both at work and in the bedroom. Did anyone else notice how Charlotte, normally the most conservative member of the group, walked through a blizzard to get condoms for her teenage daughter? And the way she asks Harry (Evan Handler) to, er, finish on her chest as a treat? I don’t know when Charlotte became so open minded, but I like it!

When will season 3 premiere?

Presumably, the show’s writers were able to get back to work by the end of September 2023, when the WGA strike was resolved. Still, the SAG-AFTRA strike only wrapped up on November 9, which means filming will be further delayed. Once the script is set and the cast is called to shoot, we’ll have a firmer understanding of when we’ll get new episodes.

For reference, season 1 aired late in 2021, and season 2 premiered in August 2023. That’s a two-year gap in seasons under the best of circumstances, without adding strikes.

If you just can’t wait for And Just Like That…, we’ve got some good news: all six seasons of Sex and the City, both Sex and the City movies, and seasons 1 and 2 of And Just Like That… are available on Max for your viewing pleasure. Pour yourself a Cosmo and dig in.

(featured image: Max)