Season 3 of Max’s Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That…, is a welcome course correction. It’s a flawed but diverting ensemble dramedy that’s easier to enjoy than the previous seasons, which suffered from something of an extended identity crisis. Fans of Sex and the City, even those who’ve been conflicted or even outright dismissive of And Just Like That so far, will likely be pleasantly surprised by how much the latest installment aims to capture the magic of HBO’s iconic sitcom. It doesn’t fully match the revolutionary qualities or — crucially — the hilarity of the original series’ glory days, but it’s a decent substitute.
What Is ‘And Just Like That’ Season 3 About?

And Just Like That… Season 3 (which made the first six of 12 episodes available for review) resumes with the five upper-crust New York-based female leads right where we left off with them at the end of Season 2. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is reconnected with Aidan Shaw (John Corbett), with a five-year pause clause for the sake of Aidan’s teen sons and complicated family life. Meanwhile, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) has broken up with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) for good (cue many viewers breathing a sigh of relief), and is still figuring things out as a divorced lesbian. Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is raising kids who are no longer children, with Rock (Alexa Swinton) and Lily (Cathy Ang) now navigating young adulthood. Documentary filmmaker Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) balances challenges at work with family life, and real estate broker Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) is similarly thrust into some challenges along professional and dating lines — but that’s about as far as a plot description can go without getting into spoiler territory.
This Is Easily the Best Season of ‘And Just Like That’ So Far

Image via Craig Blankenhorn/Max

The first two seasons of And Just Like That received something of a mixed (if undoubtedly buzzy) response, so it’s a pleasure to announce this is the strongest season yet by a margin. And Just Like That Season 3 mostly succeeds in giving us the relationships, New York socialite travelogue, and outrageous fashion that fans crave. There’s a half-baked romantic plot thread in the premiere that just feels like empty shock value for the sake of shock value, enough to nearly stop the show dead in its tracks, but it’s over and done with pretty quickly; beyond that, Season 3 is frankly a fluffy pleasure. The latest, refined iteration of the show is fun enough that it’s hard to imagine it won’t lure in a returning audience, especially among die-hard fans of the original, iconic property. So what’s missing? Unfortunately, And Just Like That just isn’t all that funny, which is something you could never say about virtually any stretch of Sex and the City. Three seasons in, there is yet to be one moment that’s so hilarious it makes you snot with laughter, which was a standard occurrence on HBO, Sunday nights between 1998 and 2004 That said, it’s important to remember that Sex and the City was always more dramedy than straight comedy, and its sequel series follows suit. Some of the better moments here are acting beats played entirely straight, including a chaotically convincing look into Aidan’s home life, as well as a more serious exchange between Carrie and Charlotte at the end of the sixth episode. Earlier episodes of And Just Like That relied too heavily on some painfully unfunny, jokey would-be humor (anyone remember Che’s stand-up set?), so it’s actually really nice to see these characters given room to breathe.

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‘And Just Like That’s New Cast Often Outshines the OGs

Image via Craig Blankenhorn/Max

And Just Like That Season 3’s performances are generally fully formed and enjoyable to boot. Parker has always been, and forever will be, one of television’s greatest comedic actors, and literally no one who’s a fan of Sex and the City could say it isn’t nice to be back in the presence of Carrie Bradshaw, for any period of time. Davis is given more dramatic work this time around, with Miranda now bearing a much stronger resemblance to the Miranda of the original show — especially in the wake of And Just Like That’s initially aggressive changes to her character. It’s important to mention that And Just Like That’s new cast members often outshine the core trio. Parker has a screen presence that elevates Lisa’s storylines, even when they drift too far into cartoonish territory, and Choudhury (who originally broke through with Mississippi Masala back in 1991) often steals the show. The actress has a subtle, smart intensity about her that has allowed Seema to evolve beyond a mere Samantha replacement. Here’s hoping the show continues finding better, compelling directions for her. It may have more to do with the performance than the writing, but Seema often feels like the most fully realized character in the show. And Just Like That still doesn’t nearly match Sex and the City for innovation or gut-busting laughs, but now that it’s been its own thing for several years, perhaps it’s time to stop comparing the two. Much of Sex and the City’s core fandom will enjoy the frothy escapism of these new episodes, partly thanks to the series’ magnetically charismatic actors. For now, thanks to some much-needed refinements between seasons, maybe that’s enough.

And Just Like That…

And Just Like That returns with its strongest season yet, with writing that evokes Sex and the City’s glory days and strong performances.

Release Date

December 9, 2021

Network

HBO Max, Max

Pros & Cons

Season 3 is the best yet thanks to improved storylines and charming actors.
Some of the dramatic beats are surprisingly impressive.
Sarita Choudhury and Nicole Ari Parker often steal the show.

The show could be funnier, and is simply too outlandish for its own good at times.
Kim Cattrall’s singular comedic chops are still greatly missed.

And Just Like That Season 3 streams on Max May 29.