'Sex and the City' reboot gets second season; fans have mixed feelings

'…And Just Like That', the reboot of HBO's 'Sex and the City', will have a second season after all. However, after the mixed reaction to season 1, one cannot help but feel uneasy about what's next.

'Sex and the City' fans are very loyal and dedicated to the show. So when a reboot of the series was announced, 'Sex and the City' fans were thrilled!!

However, when the show started airing on HBO, fans of the show had a lot to say about it and a lot of criticism. Click on to read about the issues that upset viewers of 'And Just Like That...'

‘Sex and the City’ is a TV show that needs no introduction. One of HBO’s earliest hits, the show followed the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte as they struggle to find love (or at least a good lover) in The Big Apple. This massively successful series ran from 1998 to 2004.

‘Sex and the City’ was followed by two movies and more recently a new TV show, with the title ‘And Just Like That...’ on HBO Max. However, fans of the original have mixed feelings about the sequel series, to say the least.

The elephant in the room (or the lack of) is that Kim Cattrall isn't part of the show. The performer, who played the outspoken and outrageous Samantha Jones in the original show, declined to be part of the revival.

No official reason were given, but Cattrall’s feud with Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays NYC columnist Carrie Bradshaw, is well-known.

According to a 2019 interview by The Guardian, Cattrall admits that while she "loved Samantha Jones," she has had enough of the character after the second movie.

The ‘Sex & the City’ writers still tried to include Samantha Jones, somehow, by writing around Kim Cattrall’s absence. Maybe they hope they can convince her to participate next season?

Speaking of characters and demises. Spoilers for ‘And Just Like That…’ from this point beyond. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Photo: HBO Max

‘And Just Like That’ begins with Carrie Bradshaw collaborating with a podcast. Right off the bat, something just feels off...

We’re supposed to believe that Carrie Bradshaw, someone who has no qualms talking about the intricacies of female sexuality, feels iffy talking in public about pleasuring herself? We're as baffled as Che (Sara Ramírez) here!

Photo: HBO Max

Overall, the writers seem to try (and fail) to bridge the generational divide between the stars of the original ‘Sex and the City’ (now pushing their 50s) and younger viewers.

Photo: HBO Max

It just comes off forced and cringy, such as the interactions between Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and her Master’s program professor. Miranda is better than this!

Photo: HBO Max

An important aspect of ‘Sex and The City’ was Carrie’s relationship with Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth. When we meet them in ‘And Just Like That’, they seem like the perfect couple, living their "happily ever after."

For a moment, it seems like ‘And Just Like That’ is going to focus on Carrie and Mr. Big exploring intimacy as a mature couple…

Photo: HBO Max

…and just like that, Mr. Big dies while riding his Peloton bike. This was an idea originally meant for 'Sex and the City 3' which was recycled here, according to movie news website Screenrant.

Photo: HBO Max

The scene actually caused a small controversy between the makers of Peloton and the producers of the show. Peloton had not been informed about how the producers were going to use their brand. Chris Noth had to star in this Peloton ad to make it up for it.

Photo: Peloton

However, Peloton retired the ad in December 2021 after a series of allegations emerged, accusing Chris Noth of inappropriate behavior.

Still, Mr. Big’s funeral is one of the highlights of the revival and a proper send-off of the character. However, the same cannot be said about Stanford's exit.

Photo: HBO Max

Willie Garson, who played Carrie's gay friend Stanford Blatch, passed away in September 2021 from pancreatic cancer. He tried to keep his illness a secret as much as it was possible.

Garson managed to record a few episodes of 'And Just Like That…' before passing away. The show explains his sudden demise by having Stanford decide to leave his husband to pursue a job in Japan.

Fans felt Stanford’s exit was out of place and a disservice to the character, who was always one of the mainstays of ‘Sex and the City’ outside the four lead actresses.

Showrunner Michael Patrick King (pictured) commented that the revival wouldn’t reference the death because "it’s not charming." More than a few fans of the show retorted on social media that it was an insult to Garson and his character.

Another shock for the fans is Steve, played by David Eigenberg. Miranda’s steady partner was a cute, nice guy, as you can see in this 2002 photo with Cynthia Nixon.

After 20 years, Steve appears to have become a doddering old man in a frigid marriage with Miranda, leaving his fans heartbroken. Chris Noth is ten years older than David Eigenberg, but one wouldn't believe it just from watching 'And Just Like That'.

The revival hasn’t been kind to Miranda, either. She manages to make amends with her college professor after embarrassing herself in episode one, though.

‘…And Just Like That’ portrays Miranda as having a drinking problem in a somewhat clumsy, obvious fashion. Carrying empty bottles in her backpack, only to be conveniently found by Charlotte. Don't they have garbage bins in New York City?

Photo: HBO Max

It also seems there’s a double standard of Miranda cheating on Steve with Che. Particularly after all that she had to go through after Steve cheated on her in earlier stories.

Image: HBO Max

One thing is letting Miranda explore her sexuality, which is a nice reflection of Cynthia Nixon's real-life status as a gay icon, but another is infidelity.

However, this IS a show where people wear pearls at the hospital before getting hip surgery, so who knows at this point.

Photo: HBO Max

Still, characters like non-binary comedian and podcast host Che (played by non-binary actor Sara Ramírez) or real estate agent Seema (Sarita Choudhury) are nice additions that add a diversity that was missing in the original series.

Photo: HBO Max

Plus, the storyline of Charlotte doing her best to deal with her child questioning their gender is one of the quiet highlights of the show.

Photo: HBO Max

Overall, the biggest issues with '…And Just Like That' stem from two major problems.

One is having potentially good ideas that are executed in a pretty lazy way.

And two, trying to undo all the growth the characters have done in 25 years, so they can go back to square one: A group of friends dating in New York City while figuring out themselves.

Image: HBO Max