‘And Just Like That’s Latest Episode Proves How Much Better It Could Have Been

At this point, I’m starting to feel like a sucker. Max’s And Just Like That continues to be absolutely ridiculous, yet I keep crawling back to it all the same. Part of it is because it’s a fun thing to watch and discuss with my mom, who got me into Sex and the City in the first place, and part of it is because, I suppose, we all derive some pleasure from absurdity. The Bachelor used to hold this place for me, up until it got a little too real for my liking.

Therefore, I went into this newest episode fully expecting it to be as uneventful and frivolous as the last, and while yes, much of it was, there were some surprisingly interesting glimmers of what the show could have been. These little moments reminded me of how it felt watching SATC, which is to say … I was genuinely entertained, not because of the absurdity, but because the writing was solid!

So, while I’m sure you’re all dying to hear about how Charlotte’s eldest daughter announced she was planning on losing her virginity, and then made her mother go fetch her some condoms in the middle of a bomb cyclone (at which point said mother somehow got lost looking for condoms in a snow-ridden NYC, despite the fact that Duane Reades are literally everywhere), I’d rather focus on the show’s lost potential today. Because, holy moly, these little peeps really showed me what could have been.

Steve lays it down

Many of us were rooting for a Steve comeback tour this season, not because we don’t want Miranda to be queer, but because the poor guy was done so dirty. While Steve certainly isn’t without his faults, he’s overall one of the easier guys to root for because he genuinely means well, cares about his family, and is just charming at his core.

The lack of any real Steve-centric scenes this season, beyond the boxing scene and the therapy scene, made me wonder if he was just another subplot they were going to shove under the rug. In a twist that truly surprised me for the better, they absolutely proved me wrong.

Steve comes home and finds Miranda still crashing on their couch. She asks where Brady is, and he coldly tells her that Brady’s working the bar. Then, he asks if she “has a problem with that, too?” Wow, ouch. Apparently Steve isn’t as cool with this separation as he tried to seem. And that’s realistic! Any breakup is painful, and with longer relationships especially, there’s bound to be some lingering resentment when one party doesn’t get a chance to fully express themselves.

That expression is what ends up happening, as their terse exchange blows up into a full argument. Steve refuses to let go of the house, and though Miranda tries to assert that it’s her name on the mortgage, Steve angrily retorts that he’s the one who wanted it, who refurbished it, who built so much of it. He then hits her with a deep cut: She never actually wanted any of it, including Brady.

And yeah, that’s a low blow, and it devastates her to hear, but honestly, I was waiting (and hoping) for an escalation like this to happen. Part of what’s made AJLT so annoying to watch is the lack of consequences for literally anything that happens in these characters’ lives, leading it to feel less like a real, captivating series of events (like SATC), and more like a bougie wish-fulfillment fantasy nobody asked for. In the old show, characters messed up and faced the consequences of their actions. This includes Steve, who actually cheated on Miranda in the first movie. But Steve certainly went through the ringer for that, so why shouldn’t Miranda when she ended up doing the same thing?

I don’t love how this whole argument ends, with Miranda feeling like she’s “won” because, apparently, Steve wasn’t as much of a sad-sack as she worried he was. She gets angry at him when she finds out he’s started sleeping with other people, because … she worried for nothing, I guess? I think that’s the logic here? It’s a weak ending to an actually great moment within the series. But the takeaway is: We got a great moment.

And, speaking of Miranda and sleeping around, it isn’t the only glimmer of a better sequel.

Oh, Che Diaz

In this episode, we see Che going through a depressive episode following their pilot getting lambasted in a focus group. Per usual, we find it hard to feel sorry for them when they’re so inconsiderate of Miranda’s feelings and are continuously dismissive of Miranda. But then, something magical happens that makes me realize where Che went wrong: We get to see Che away from their relationship.

And my god, what a difference it makes! This episode really focuses on the bond between Carrie and Che (if you forgot, we only got to meet Che because of Carrie and their old podcast). As such, we got to see a Che who was more playful, relatable, and just plain sweet to watch. When Carrie calls Che and we cut to them getting high and eating Pirate’s Booty on the couch at 11AM, good god I felt that. And when Che ends up attending WidowCon (don’t ask) as Carrie’s plus-one, I really enjoyed their presence as a witty, supportive friend.

All of which made me realize: Che Diaz is yet another character who got done dirty by the show’s inconsistent sense of self. Che has all the trappings to be a really good fit for the cast, who could be a funny, elevating presence. Instead, the writers insist on forcing their character into a relationship that has become emblematic of a specific type of toxic queer relationship that sends all the wrong messages to all the wrong people.

And look, there’s merit in showing that kind of relationship, too, but good lord, have they been careless about it. They’ve given us a relationship that’s really unpleasant to watch without giving us a reason to care about, let alone like, Che in the first place. Che became Miranda’s queer awakening, and their character was subsumed in the process.

Well, thankfully, Che and Miranda do break up in this episode, and it’s actually a pretty solid wrap-up of this whole plotline. I just hope it stays that way.

Honorable (petty) mention

Rachel Dratch (one of the best SNL alums, in my opinion) has a cameo in this episode as one of Carrie’s old writing partners, and though she doesn’t have more than ten minutes of screen-time total, she still manages to bring a phenomenal energy to each scene she’s in. I felt like I was tripping out during her first scene with Carrie, because it felt like a completely different show.

And it made me realize that a lot of what this show is missing is genuine wit and energy. So much of it feels like an unfinished, collegiate writing project, which I feel qualified to say because I’ve created many of those. To create a good story, you need to know when to set aside your own proclivities and make a story work, as well as make the characters within it feel alive. So much of this show has felt like set-dressing for an idealized life that the actors and producers don’t quite know what to do with.

Then along comes Rachel Dratch, who’s funny without even trying, and whose character isn’t one of the many who kiss Carrie’s ass this season, and suddenly we have a scene that could have come straight out of SATC. The feeling is similar with the aforementioned scenes with Steve and Che. Compelling stories can’t all be nice outfits, good luck, and fanfic-y banter. Even Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette had to end with the titular protagonist losing it all.

Aiden’s finally returning in the next episode. Ugh. I hope this good-writing streak continues, or else it’ll just be Country Bear Round 3.

(featured image: Max/SNL)