And Just Like That... It's Season 2

episodes 1 and 2 of And Just Like That

I’m back with an extensive, complete recap of And Just Like That…, the controversial and critically disclaimed Sex and the City reboot. My mom watched SatC constantly when I was growing up and as a result, moments from the show are seared into my brain alongside actual childhood memories. If I’m not qualified to write this, I’m not qualified to write anything.

It’s Pride month and I’m about to embark on a big, expensive move, so subscriptions are 31% off until the end of June. If you love seeing this newsletter in your inbox and want to support the work, now is the time. xoxo, Maddy

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT #2!

SPOILER ALERT #3!

Episode 1: The first season of And Just Like That was criticized for being sexless, tonally confusing, and generally bonkers. There are no sudden deaths or bottles of urine in this season (so far). This is New York City, baby. Women are horny and ready to fuck. At the beginning episode one, Charlotte, Seema, and Lisa Todd Wexley emerge from their respective bathrooms in long silk nighties and instigate sex with their respective cis straight men. Nya watches a sensual sex scene on TV, while Carrie wears an oversized sweatshirt and poses in a doorframe before mounting Franklyn, her podcast producer. Che Diaz is sucking on Miranda’s titties in a hot tub. Where are they that they have a private pool?

Last season, Miranda turned down an important internship to follow Che Diaz to LA and support them while they work on a TV show entitled, ¿Che Pasa? Miranda feels so insecure about their relationship and to be honest, Che Diaz is being really evasive and gaslight-y. They don’t seem nearly as obsessed with Miranda as Miranda is with them.

Che Diaz has a last-minute meeting and can’t make their sensory deprivation tank appointment, so Miranda goes in their stead. She declares that she’s a new person who loves gay sex and being unemployed. Mid-soak, she gets salt in her eye and slips and slides her way out of the giant egg—”I HATE THE NEW ME.” Relatable!!

Che Diaz is at a costume fitting for the stand-up portion of ¿Che Pasa? Oh no, there’s a stand-up portion in ¿Che Pasa? The costume designer brings out a blazer that has goofy space cutouts on the lapels. Che Diaz puts it on and says, “hello America, I’m non-binary!“ in a Woody Woodpecker voice. I think they are saying that the jacket is ugly and thus communicates that non-binary identity is stupid? I’m not sure. They ask to wear their current outfit of jeans, t-shirt, and silver chain, but a hostile wardrobe gay insists they wear the jacket and body shames them. Nobody deserves rude body comments and I feel genuinely bad for Che Diaz in this scene, but all their outfits are so bad and they need an intervention.

The writer of ¿Che Pasa? walks in. Their name is BD and they’re played by Abby McEnany from Work in Progress!! Love to see Abby in literally anything, but especially in a goofy role. BD is kind of terrible and pulls rank with Che Diaz. I love that this show responded to all the complaints about Che Diaz by writing in an even worser Che Diaz.

Later that night, Che Diaz watches while Miranda struggles with a strap-on harness. It’s her first time wearing one!! This is the most convoluted harness ever. It has suspenders and a collar element. Che Diaz answers their phone (rude as fuck—who takes a phone call during the strap gap??). It’s Carrie asking for advice about Franklyn, her Thursday night dick appointment who Che Diaz knows from their podcast, X, Y, and Me.

I love that there’s a whole table of dicks

Carrie wants to keep their relationship casual, but is worried that Franklyn wants to date for real. Che Diaz says that some relationships are just about sex, which Miranda overhears and mistakenly thinks is about her. She takes off the harness and just looks really, really sad.

One of the big criticisms of this reboot is that Miranda is nothing like her character in the original series. This Miranda is inept and a doormat, yes, but I think the point is that everyone is a sucker for someone and we all make big mistakes in love, no matter how accomplished and smart we are in other realms. Also when lifelong “straight“ women leave their husbands for a queer relationship, it’s always the world’s corniest masc soaking their panties.

It’s the next night and we’re catching the final moments of Che Diaz’s comedy concert—“I am so lazy in LA. No one walks anywhere. Yesterday I took an Uber from my bedroom to my bathroom.“ NO!!!!!!

jokes for folx

Miranda is in the audience, but when she comes up to congratulate Che Diaz after the show, Che Diaz is cold and dismissive and doesn’t want to be touched.

Miranda confronts Che Diaz about how checked out they’ve been. They’re like, “I’m on a diet because I am experiencing body shaming from the entertainment industry.” Miranda is so relieved and says, “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” Che Diaz is like, “You’re right. I am the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen.” It’s a joke, but I do not trust Che Diaz! They’re being purposefully circumspect and not actually addressing Miranda’s concerns. I can’t believe this extramarital affair isn’t transitioning into a happy, healthy relationship lol

che diaz

Episode 2: This episode begins with Miranda rigorously blowing Che Diaz, who once again takes a phone call mid-coitus!! It’s their showrunner with some bad news. The network hates the script and Che Diaz needs to come into work immediately. Che Diaz starts panicking, but Miranda slurps on. Che Diaz is really annoyed with Miranda, who’s leaning so hard into sex because she thinks it’s what they want, which is really sad!!

Miranda goes to an AA meeting. She makes a new friend who invites her to a beach clean up. It’s a gross, sweaty time and Miranda isn’t having fun. She loses her phone and has no way to call an Uber and get home in time for dinner with Tony Danza and Che Diaz. When she finally borrows a surfer’s phone and gets a ahold of Che Diaz, they tell her that they can’t be late for Tony Danza. Ugh.

This dinner scene is actually funny. Tony Danza says he can’t play Che Diaz’s Mexican father because he’s actually Italian and “I’ve come too far to get cancelled!” He wants Che Diaz’s character to be Italian and Mexican instead of Irish and Mexican—”Italians are just Irish with better food.” Che Diaz is not excited about this correction. They’re not in charge of their own show and it’s getting to them.

Back at the beach, Miranda gets picked up by a mixologist named Lyle. Lyle is driving a purple truck and has big rockabilly energy. There are so many characters on this show and they all have a thing. It’s exhausting. Anyways, it turns out Che Diaz and Lyle are married!! When Miranda confronts Che Diaz about this, they brush aside her concerns and say that they and Lyle are slackers who keep forgetting to get divorced. It’s not great for Che Diaz to simply blow off Miranda’s concerns like this. Remember when they learned that Steve didn’t know about their relationship and freaked out? This is also lying by omission. Miranda left Steve and a Brooklyn brownstone for this relationship, and it seems like Che Diaz is just here for Che Diaz. They kiss by the pool and the episode ends.