And Just Like That: How Finale Ended the SATC Story After 27 Years
Warning: This story contains major spoilers from the Aug. 14 episode of And Just Like That.
And just like that, Sex and the City’s latest chapter has come to a close.
During the Aug. 14 conclusion of the sequel series And Just Like That, fans said goodbye to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis)—again—as the iconic trio’s fates were revealed in the finale of the third and final season.
After ending her long-distance relationship with longtime love Aidan Shaw (John Corbett)—and briefly rebounding with downstairs neighbor Duncan Reeves (Jonathan Cake)—Carrie was busy putting the finishing touches on her latest novel, a historical romance that took more than a few cues from her own life.
In the end, Carrie settled into the idea of being without a love interest for once, a concept she was determined not to view as a "tragedy." In fact, as she concluded her novel, she made the distinction that her protagonist—and perhaps she herself—was "not alone, she was on her own."
Meanwhile, the penultimate episode of season three saw Miranda butt heads with her 20-year-old son Brady (Niall Cunningham) over his handling of an unplanned pregnancy—specifically, his fury over Miranda inviting the baby’s mother (Ella Stiller) over for Thanksgiving behind his back.
But as her Thanksgiving dinner went down the toilet (in more ways than one) in the finale, Miranda seemed to finally accept the chaos in her life with her colleague-turned-girlfriend Joy (Dolly Wells) by her side.
As for Charlotte, whose husband Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler) was recovering from surgery—and experiencing erectile dysfunction—after his prostate cancer diagnosis, her Thanksgiving plans were momentarily put on hold when Harry's manhood suddenly showed signs of life, leading the couple to immediately run off and "give thanks" for their renewed sex life.
The finale also wrapped up the storylines of Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), who were introduced to the friend group in AJLT’s first season. Following some offhand comments about weddings from Seema's boyfriend Adam (Logan Marshall-Green), both parties separately confirmed to Carrie that their commitment to each other didn't necessarily require any formalities.
And while Lisa contemplated her feelings for her editor Marion (Mehcad Brooks) throughout the season, she ultimately set a boundary in their work relationship before renewing her commitment to her husband Herbert (Christopher Jackson).
Prior to the series’ final bow, SJP reflected on her decades-long portrayal of Carrie by paying tribute to the character’s inner circle, which also included Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall).
“Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, there will never be better friends,” she wrote in an Aug. 1 Instagram post, “and what great fortune for Carrie to come to know and love Seema and LTW, most divine new connections.”
“Carrie Bradshaw has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years,” she continued. “I think I have loved her most of all.”
Keep reading for a look back at the most memorable romantic arcs from the SATC franchise.
Ugh, what an a--hole.
Best moment: N/A.
It's hard to remember the couple's early banter-filled, cute moments after all the horrible, passive-aggressive crap the writer pulled later on. HE BROKE UP WITH HER ON A POST-IT.
Best moment: None are coming to mind at the moment, Berger. We're sorry, we can't. Don't hate us.
No one believed this relationship would last, right? Still, Samantha gave it the ol' college try.
Best moment: After a night out with Carrie and her new beau, during which Samantha told Big to "back off," Maria told Samantha she couldn't be just friends.
Not on fans' bingo cards when they tuned into Max's revival series And Just Like That...? Miranda ending her marriage and following a standup comedian across the country!
Best Moment: For the pure comedy of it all, it has to be Che and Miranda hooking up in Carrie's kitchen while a recovering-from-hip-surgery Carrie peed herself in bed.
Oh, the Russian. Their relationship started off too romantic to be true…and it was. He didn't get along with her friends and Carrie's impulsive move to Paris proved to be a disaster.
Best moment: After too many grand romantic gestures, Carrie literally swooned. So naturally, Petrovsky took her, in her dream ball gown, to McDonald's, where they slow-danced while waiting for fries. We literally swooned.
On paper, Trey was the perfect guy for Charlotte. But, the cracks began to show (overbearing mother, "Trey can't get it up," not wanting kids, etc.) soon after their wedding. Also: he gave her a cardboard cut-out baby. Who does that?!
Best moment: When Trey took Charlotte to Tiffany's so she could pick out her dream ring to make up for the infamous "Alrighty!" comment.
The first relationship Samantha had that wasn't based on sex came to an end because of, well, sex. Or James' small penis, to be exact.
Best moment: When Samantha told James she loved him. A huge (no pun intended) moment for her.
Poor, poor Skipper. He was kind of like a Steve-lite, and Miranda was able to walk all over him.
Best moment: When he calls her "luminous" during their chance meeting at a bodega.
Sure, it came out of nowhere in the movies that Carrie's BFF and Charlotte's wedding planner-turned-bestie would get together, but it kind of works for us.
Best moment: In their wedding vows, when Anthony said, "It wasn't love at first sight, but it turns out it was love. You are the first man to accept me for the man that I actually am."
Let's face it, Aidan was a great guy but he wasn't The Guy for Carrie…no matter how hard they both tried to convince themselves that he was. However, season two of And Just Like That... may just prove that second chances are the hottest trend this summer. (Yes, we are refusing to acknowledge their dalliance in Sex and the City 2.)
Best moment: Is it weird that we loved their breakup scene—the second one—where they slept on the floor of the apartment they would never live in together?
Talk about a catch. Robert was almost perfect: he was a hot doctor for the New York Knicks who watched the same soaps as Miranda. His one flaw? He just wasn't Steve.
Best moment: Their first kiss at their "lockers," (i.e.: mailboxes). Or her taking a personal day for the first time ever for him. OR THE CHICKEN POX.
Of all the guys on SATC, Smith Jerrod might just be the best. He was so patient and so giving with the wild Samantha, who fought tooth and nail not to fall in love with the model-turned-superstar.
Best moment: Who doesn't tear up just thinking about Smith shaving his golden locks for Samantha when she lost her hair while undergoing chemo?
Absof--kinglutely. (Curse you, Peloton!)
Best moment: Come on, how can we not choose Big going to Paris to finally tell Carrie she's the one? (Although the fart-in-bed/whoopee cushion prank still makes us smile.)
Just as Miranda's feelings for Steve snuck up on her, our love for this couple hit us like a ton of bricks—just like their split in And Just Like That...'s first season. Justice for Steve!
Best moment: If any moment perfectly represents SATC's most low-maintenance couple, it was Miranda's out-of-nowhere proposal and their super low-key wedding in the park. So them. So perfect.
They say love often finds you when you least expect it…like when your sweaty putz of a divorce lawyer turns out to be the man of your dreams and the best father to your children you could've imagined.
Best moment: Their mess-filled, imperfectly perfect nuptials. From the beginning of the series, Charlotte wanted the fairy tale wedding, but what she got was the fairy tale marriage.
"The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them and others you don't, but in the end they're the people you always come home to. Sometimes it's the family you're born into. And sometimes it's the one you make for yourself."
Best moment: We were SO tempted to choose Carrie walking Miranda down the aisle at her mother's funeral, but we thought a moment with all four girls was appropriate. Our choice? When Miranda doesn't give two shits about her wedding after hearing about Samantha's breast cancer diagnosis, with all four girls tuning out the celebration to just be together. Because that's what friendship is: putting others before yourself.
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