How do you say goodbye to Carrie Bradshaw? When And Just Like That ends this week, it will be the fourth time this question has been asked. With Big (Chris Noth) dead and buried, all bets are off about Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) walk into the sunset.
Unlike Sex and the City, which had over a year between announcing the final season and airing its last episode, AJLT ripped off the band-aid with a surprise announcement. Instead of fans spending the previous 12 months speculating about Carrie’s concluding chapter, it has been condensed into two weeks (maybe because this wasn’t the original plan). In a sense, each of the two series in the Sex and the City universe had the build-up that felt the most fitting for it.
It is easy to look at the brilliance of what had been on SATC and compare it to the shell of what followed. Still, even at its most chaotic, AJLT has enlivened the TV landscape and will be missed.
But one episode remains, and there are plenty of loose ends to tie up before we bid adieu to Carrie, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Seema (Sarita Choudhury), Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), Anthony (Mario Cantone), and everyone else who has graced the screen over the last three seasons—not you, Aidan (John Corbett).
Here are the seven of the most pressing questions ahead of the finale.
Is Carrie’s novel epilogue a glimpse into the future?
After Carrie’s editor told her to sprinkle a little more joy at the end of her first attempt at fiction, Carrie teases a potential new love interest for her unnamed protagonist. While the Woman’s story takes place in the 1840s, many of the events mirror Carrie’s journey navigating love, loss, and learning to fly solo. The historical novel is destined to be best-seller number eight for Carrie (despite sounding awful), but is it also setting up a meet-cute?
Carrie writes that the Woman receives an invitation for a party in honor of Joshua Perry, a “handsome widower” returning from London. Duncan Reeves (Jonathan Cake) isn’t a widower, but he does live in London (so does Samantha Jones). Carrie doesn’t need to end the series with a man on her arm, so there is a chance this “clue” is a big red herring. Perry could also be a nod to Perry Street, which is the real West Village location of Carrie’s iconic apartment.
Are the stakes too low for a series finale?
Paris was the big destination for the SATC two-part finale, with Big crossing an ocean to declare his feelings. The goals are less defined or even ambitious in this farewell. Miranda’s first time hosting Thanksgiving is being set up as a centerpiece event, bringing the series regulars together. Some of my favorite TV moments take place on this holiday (Gossip Girl’s “Blair Waldorf Must Pie!” tops that list), giving AJLT another tough act to follow.
In a season where a lot of the supporting characters have suffered through patchy storylines while we suffered through too much Aidan, this ensemble set-up is welcome. There will still be fireworks as Brady (Niall Cunningham) is furious that Miranda invited his baby mama, Mia (Ella Stiller). At the very least, Carrie has ordered enough pie.
Who will end up happily ever after?
There are a few couples who could go the distance if they don’t let other issues get in the way. Anthony and Giuseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi) are engaged, and Anthony is already panicking, thinking he has made a mistake. There is the age gap, the fact that Giuseppe’s mother (played by Patti LuPone) loathes Anthony, and he has one failed marriage under his belt. All of this together could be a dealbreaker, but Giuseppe seems ready to risk it all for Anthony.
One newer couple taking the plunge is Seema and Adam (Logan Marshall-Green). Despite Seema’s brief moments of self-sabotage, they are taking the next step: meeting the family. Seema is not enthusiastic about her forthcoming tofu Thanksgiving with Adam and his vegan sister. Still, the real estate mogul is showing vulnerability, pointing to longevity. Seema is ending the season with her burgeoning solo business and a hot romance—Duncan is not the only man with a great cardigan connection.
Miranda and Joy (Dolly Wells) have survived Miranda becoming a meme, cringe-inducing karaoke, and meeting each other’s friends. It took a beat for Miranda to share why she doesn’t drink, and they are now on relatively solid ground. If only Joy’s entire personality didn’t revolve around her dogs. Dare I say that an appearance from Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) might be what this finale needs?
Will Harry get a b---r? Is Charlotte’s vertigo gone?
There is no shaking the only couple who are still together from the original series. I love Charlotte and Harry’s (Evan Goldberg) relationship, but this season has been rough. First, Harry p---ed himself in a nightclub, and then couldn’t get an erection: prostate cancer is the reason for both ailments. Since his surgery, Harry has not been able to get hard. Charlotte has played the dutiful wife throughout this, first enduring the cancer secret alone, followed by a two-episode bout of vertigo. Then this storyline was dropped just as quickly as it had begun.
It is this patchiness that makes some plotting resemble an afterthought. Now, Harry wants Charlotte to get out of Thanksgiving at Miranda’s due to his previously unmentioned fears of dying before this holiday. It is all so exhausting.
Should we expect Next Gen: Sex and the City?
Also in the York-Goldenblatt home, Charlotte is experiencing sadness about Rock’s (Alexa Swinton) gender identity after seeing them dressed in ultra-feminine attire for the school musical. After sensitively navigating Rock’s journey, this obstacle coming this late in the game seems designed to throw more conflict in the mix, while also forgetting the whole Lily (Cathy Ang) poly boyfriend drama. Will any of this get resolved?
If not, there are spinoff options. What about taking a page from the Bravo commissioning book with a Next Gen featuring the many offspring and friends? It could be a ready-made nightmare, which I would gladly watch until it is also pulled from the air.
Is LTW going to finish her documentary? Will Michelle Obama cameo?
LTW has spent all season working on her docuseries, and for our (and LTW’s) sake, there needs to be some payoff. Considering how many times Michelle Obama’s name has been mentioned, the odds are in our favor that the LTW will snag the First Lady. And as long as LTW’s dad doesn’t die for a third time.
Bonus if we never have to hear about Herbert’s (Christopher Jackson) election again.
Are we delusional to expect a Kim Cattrall cameo?
Yes. Especially if Cattrall’s Instagram post after the cancellation news came out is anything to go by. There’s nothing to say that this isn’t purely a diversion tactic to ensure a huge surprise, but considering Cattrall has only briefly appeared once in AJLT, it is pretty unlikely that Samantha Jones will grace our screens one last time. Or, if she does, it will be via text message.
