And Just Like That…, the Sex and the City reboot, has been shrouded in controversy since its inception. While Chris Noth’s sexual abuse scandal is the most pressing issue at the moment, fans of the original show have been concerned about how the series would deal with the absence of Samantha Jones for months. While viewers were mostly OK with how the series has explained the missing character, a recent episode suggests there is hope for a reconciliation between Samantha and Carrie Bradshaw.
Episode 5 of And Just Like That…, “Tragically Hip,” was packed full of action. Not only did fans watch Miranda Hobbes hookup with Che Diaz, but they saw Harry Goldenblatt and Charlotte York deal with big news from their youngest child. The episode, however, heavily focused on Carrie’s recovery from hip surgery.
While a lot was going on, fans focused on a short text conversation between Carrie and the estranged Samantha Jones. In the latter half of the episode, Carrie texts Samantha about a story she shared on her podcast. Samantha responded, much to Carrie’s surprise. Fans are sure it means something for the future of the series.
The text conversation was short-lived, but fans are convinced it leaves the door open for Kim Cattrall to return as Samantha Jones, or, at the very least, for Samantha to be reintegrated into the storyline more significantly. Before And Just Like That… premiered on December 9, a reported insider claimed there was room for Samantha to return in the show’s second, unconfirmed season. The conversation between Carrie and Samantha seems to be leading the storyline in that direction, but real-life events might ensure it never happens.
While “Tragically Hip” certainly seems to be leading up to a potential reconciliation between Carrie and Samantha, it’s possible fans will never see it come to fruition. Rumor has it that Chris Noth’s sexual assault scandal has stopped discussions about a second season in their tracks.
Us Magazine, reportedly speaking to an insider, claims any discussions about season 2 of And Just Like That… were halted following Noth’s scandal. Whether that means a potential second season has been completely scraped remains to be seen. HBO Max has not publicly discussed season 2 of the series. Michael Patrick King has said that he would be open to returning for more, though he did not confirm if there had been discussions.
While the door seems to be left open for Cattrall to show up, it seems unlikely to happen. Years before Noth was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, Sex and the City was in the news for a completely different kind of scandal. A heated feud between Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker made headlines for years. More recently, Cattrall has taken aim at the production in its entirety.
Cattrall has asserted that her time on Sex and the City led to her divorce. She also said the series played into her decision not to pursue motherhood. She’s called Parker a hypocrite and has openly accused the cast of “mean girl” behavior. Cattrall has made it clear that she had no desire to reprise the role of Samantha in 2017. Even if season 2 does go forward, it seems like it would be a tough sell for Cattrall. Cattrall is currently working on How I Met Your Father for Hulu.