(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
OK, now it feels like we’re being trolled.
After the first part of the And Just Like That finale delivered a lesson in navigating the push-pull between audience expectations and creative choices, the concluding episode goes all-in on overflowing toilet imagery. Paris, this ain’t.
Given the level of criticism that has been thrown at the Sex and the City spinoff since its debut in 2021, it is hard not to read this plumbing issue as a metaphor. If people think AJLT has gone to s--t, then here is the literal representation in all its horrifying glory.
Not that co-creator Michael Patrick King hasn’t embraced toilet mishaps before (hello, poor Charlotte in the first movie). Yet, now it resembles pointed commentary rather than a low-brow gag.
“What happened to my life?” Miranda asks, while on her hands and knees in the “powder room” (side note: Carrie and Miranda exclusively use this extra delicate name for the bathroom). Many viewers might be thinking the same about the current state of things on this show. There is some payoff for Miranda; her girlfriend, Joy (Dolly Wells), arrives at dinner in time for pie. Joy’s earlier absence is due to a dog emergency, meaning she only endures the tail end of a chaotic Thanksgiving.
Instead of the ensemble of series regulars I was hoping for, Miranda’s eventual guest list is a mish-mash of people we barely know or have only just met. Having Brady (Niall Cunningham) cooking is a lovely idea that immediately crumbles when he has to go out to get baby mama Mia’s (Ella Stiller) seaweed and brown rice. I am always thrilled to see Victor Garber, but it’s not a great sign that he came out of the Alias series closer in a better position than this. For those who haven’t seen it (spoiler alert!), his character dies (RIP Spy Daddy).
Garber was introduced last season as gallery owner Mark Kasabian, whose interest in Charlotte (Kristin Davis) goes beyond the professional. Charlotte forgot to tell Mark that she is no longer going to Miranda’s for Thanksgiving, which turns out to be her attempt to set single Carrie up on a date. It is clear from the jump that Mark is not a serious romantic prospect sent to turn Carrie’s historical novel epilogue into a present-day reality.
Instead, Carrie does everything in her power to shake Mark’s attention. Little does she know that an overworked toilet is about to save her from accepting an awkward ride home. If only we could be spared from seeing the contents of the lavatory
There is something almost Curb Your Enthusiasm about this scenario, or maybe King is switching early to The Comeback mode (I have high hopes for this, despite the wonkiness of AJLT). Tonally, it misses the mark of those two comedies, while also leaving me aghast at its placement here. While the characters in the SATC universe have all experienced various humiliating moments across two shows and two movies, it doesn’t feel befitting to have this much crap on TV in the last episode.
The detour this finale takes into lactose intolerance and New York City pipes was not on my list of burning questions or predictions. But as soon as Epcot (Spike Einbinder) starts tucking into the array of French cheeses, there is a whiff of what is to come. When Epcot asks for a match after exiting the bathroom, it could be a throwaway, hahaha line about the perils of ignoring dietary requirements. Unfortunately, this cautionary tale continues.
My dread levels immediately rise the moment the camera focuses on Mark’s stream of p---. Nothing good can come from paying this much attention to someone urinating. Unaware of the horror that is about to be unleashed, Miranda and Carrie gab about the mayhem of this particular group at Thanksgiving. Carrie laments having to agree to a ride home with Mark as the polite thing to do, considering the meal he has just endured. “Ugh, God, my new relationship is exhausting,” Carrie purposefully and playfully exaggerates.
Mark flushes, and what follows is more feces on my TV than I would ever wish to see. I am not someone who has to turn away at the mere sight of poop, but this gag-worthy sequence takes the amount of human waste to heights that none of us should have to endure. Mark’s repeated use of the word “no” is extremely relatable, which is also what I am saying on repeat.
His embarrassment upon exiting Miranda’s bathroom also makes my stomach clench, as does his explanation of the ongoing disaster occurring behind the closed door. Calling it a “plumbing mishap” is an understatement. Miranda’s “Oh, God” is far more muted than I would be if faced with something similar. Mark also makes it abundantly clear that he is not the guest who has a problem digesting cheese.
Instead of sticking around, Mark makes a swift exit. At least Carrie is a winner.
It is worth noting that rather than call out an emergency plumber, Miranda gets down on her hands and knees to fix it herself. Miranda likens cleaning up other people’s number twos to how much she is dealing with that is other people’s baggage.
“Well, s--t happens,” says Carrie in response. Okay, that I couldn’t help but laugh at.
Great comic timing is an often-overlooked part of Parker’s Carrie performance. Here, she knocks it out of the park. From her look of horror as Mark briefly explains the literal s--tshow to her quip when there is a knock at the door. Carrie jokes that Mark has returned to pick up his dignity. Instead, Joy has come over for pie. It must be love, as Joy doesn’t even flinch at the smell, immediately kneeling on a floor that was recently full of sewage. Love conquers all!
It is going to take a lot to scrub these post-Thanksgiving-dinner visuals from my mind. AJLT has taken some turns, and whether you think it has gone down the toilet, it will certainly not be forgotten.
