Craft Talk: And Just Like that…

It's a shit show.

We need to talk about And Just Like That… but this isn’t a hate post. This is a rant about character. I still want to love these women, but I don’t recognize any of them. Even Samantha’s texts have no voice. I’ll admit, I‘ve never had to age a character from 30 to 55, so maybe I have no business being so critical, but I think this is a worthy discussion about arcs, backstory, transformation, motivation, and goals. No shade to the actors, only the writers. Let’s get into it.

How is Seema broke? Seriously, we were introduced to a luxury real estate agent at one of the best firms in the city. Right? Luxury meaning multi-million dollar listings. Even Serhant wanted her. She had a driver, that poo colored Mercedes, and designer clothing / Jewelry. She’s also still working—whisper listings don’t just drop in your lap. Are we seriously supposed to believe she didn’t have any savings? I assume this woman not only owns her home, but probably has it paid off. Which is why I don’t understand why she didn’t get her loan. Also, why does she need a fucking loan? Was she planning on renting out a storefront? Other than showing the listings, everything she does she could do from home…or in that car. If she was worried about keeping her driver, she should have sold that hideous jewelry. I could go on, especially since I can see the makings of a Something New type of romance happening. I may have to do a follow up.

Miranda can’t seem to meet a woman she doesn’t want to fuck. She even stalked that server at the Mexican restaurant. These are predator vibes. And her clothing, I mean, it’s bad. Is that why they gave us the full monty? Cringe. What type of person is just walking around naked in their friend’s home? Especially when said friend has no blinds. Go to a hotel! This woman has been a lawyer for thirty years, she has money, and just like that… it’s gone? They just let Cynthia Nixon write her own arc, didn’t they? It’s disappointing because Miranda has had the most interesting arc so far. Uptight straight married lawyer, to divorcee, to exploring lesbian—she was on track to be Kyle Richards—but now Miranda is living in an Airbnb, saying cunt on TV, and eating her friend’s last yogurt. Is this a college student or a 50-year-old woman?

Lisa. Let’s just say the quiet part out loud. This character is a token. And the writers don’t care enough to remember that her father passed away the first season. Shame on her wigs; they are laughable. Just as laughable as when Anthony calls her an influencer. She’s a documentation and a philanthropist, how does that translate into influencing the masses to buy sexy bread? Rhetorical question. No one cares.

In the latest episode, Charlotte has left the UWS to buy male diapers. Yes, Harry has prostate cancer. He peed his pants at a club and couldn’t keep it up in the bedroom. Still having fun with these two? Why is she in Carrie’s neighborhood buying these diapers if she doesn’t want anyone to know? Anyone who knows NY drugstores knows you will never get a bag big enough to carry around that giant package of diapers. You’re lucky if the store even has bags. Order those diapers online like a normal person; I’m sure they’d come in an unmarked cardboard box. Also, Charlotte is the prude of the group, she always has been. She does not care if she ever fucks her husband again; basically shrugged when Harry said he may never get it up again after surgery. So supportive. Here is my problem. This is barely a health scare and because it’s not serious, it’s not interesting. Charlotte spent years looking for a husband, got it, struggled to get pregnant, got two kids out of it, and now her husband has a 90% chance of beating prostate cancer. This character got everything she wanted, that’s why she’s boring. Charlotte needs a storyline where she could lose it all. Can we dump the wealthy dits persona and get this woman into beast mode?

Last but not least. If your boyfriend told you to wait for him for 5 years, told you not to call, then randomly called you for phone sex that satisfies only his needs, then shows up at your home only to vandalize your 18^thcentury windows (By the way, as a furniture maker, he should have known better. Ridiculous. I swore out loud when that window broke.), then tells you he slept with his ex-wife, do you then take him to your bed? No, you tell him to get the fuck out of your life because you have some British dick downstairs to bounce on. I think we all know that’s coming, but how much Aidan ick do we have to endure? I also need to point out that this woman has been cheated on in the past, moved to Paris with a man who only loved his art, and had a whole husband die in front of her. Why is she floating through life like it’s okay that the man in her life is calling the shots? I need some growth, please. Apparently, she’s writing a novel. Has anyone seen her write anything other than two sentences? She doesn’t have furniture, still! Where is she writing this masterpiece? At least the Brit has his laptop open, with pages sitting around. Carrie used to write columns and have actual dialogue. Now she has one-liners and a few sentences. “Little house on the Carrie?” No. Just no.

These women have problems, but their stories don’t mesh with each other the way they used to, and they certainly don’t push their protagonists toward a goal. I’m still trying to figure out what these women want, and I think that’s the show’s biggest flaw.

Until next time,

T