Spoiler alert: This article discusses major spoilers from episode one of And Just Like That.
The writers of And Just Like That succeeded (with flying colours) in getting people talking about its premiere episode—so much so that even those who hadn’t watched it and wanted to avoid spoilers were physically unable to, frankly speaking.
Yes, we’re talking about that death at the end of episode one, which sparked uproar, backlash, disbelief and a whole lot of criticism directed at Carrie for not calling 911.
But more than anything else, fans were sad. Like really sad—why kill off such a central character in the very first episode? Of course, we know the writers have a greater purpose for Carrie here, and we know things will slowly get better as she processes the grief, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the beginning of the new season was very dark indeed.
Fans and media were quick to lay judgement on that fact alone—phrases like “fallen short” and “ruined the franchise” were thrown around left right and centre.
But there is something we hadn’t considered—and the show’s main actors Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis have pin-pointed it perfectly.
In a roundtable discussion, Glamour asked the actors what they thought of the show’s dark themes.
“The show was always a show that never forgot it was a comedy but had a lot of gut punches in it and had a lot of emotional moments. I think that’s one of the things people love about it: It’s not just a comedy,” Nixon replied.
Davis also added her two cents: “The show before, we had some really serious things: We had breast cancer, infertility. But I think people don’t always remember all of that.”
They make a good point…
They did however appreciate that the bombshell in episode one was unexpected and would’ve been difficult for fans to watch.
“We’re not dumb, we understand. It’s a lot,” Davis said before adding another valid point: “We’re doing a show about people in their 50s. Not everyone, but the three of us.”
She continued: “All of us who have lived this long and are still alive have lost people; this is how it is. Life is this way. We’ve gone through a global pandemic; we’re still technically in it. It’s not all rosy.”
“I think the main point and the reason we’re called And Just Like That… is that things suddenly change in ways you’re not expecting. Life isn’t all wrapped up and finished.”
Honestly, we couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
Of course, the show will always be scrutinised by its fans for anything from its eccentric wardrobe to its controversial storylines. But the main takeaway from the reboot is that the characters have grown older and are dealing with different challenges compared to when they were in their 30s. With that said, perhaps when episode three drops, we’ll be a little more prepared for whatever comes next.
Stream And Just Like That… on BINGE from December 9, 7pm, and sign up here for a two-week free trial.
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