I don’t know if it’s because the College Fashionista community all collectively aspires to move to New York City or because we are much too obsessed with fashion — or because we all seem to struggle with Gen Z dating — Sex and the City seems to still be one of our favorite shows. If you have spent any time Netflix-binging Gossip Girl, Friends, or Emily in Paris, you need to give this almost 24-year-old show (and its two spin-off movies, and it’s brand new sequel) a try. On December 9, Sex and the City’s 10 episode reboot is coming; And Just Like That…
I don’t know what I am more excited for, the costume design by Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, or the continuation of my favorite plot. If you haven’t watched this 1998 HBO sitcom, let me catch you up to speed.
Based on Candace Bushnell’s book, Sex and the City tells the story of four thrity-somethings strutting around the city in the most extravagant, and oftentimes fabulously questionable, designer styles. This show taught me so much about what genuine friendship between women looks like, while being hysterically relatable when it comes to relationships.
Let’s start with our narrator, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP)), who tells their story through her sex column in The New York Star titled “Sex and the City.” She is an expert when it comes to dating in Manhattan. Carrie ends up marrying her infamous on-and-off-again relationship — the arrogant and reluctantly lovable Mr. Big (Chris Noth — who has confirmed his return to the show). In Gen Z terms, it’s the ultimate situationship. When we last saw her, she was having yet another rocky time with her husband after she kissed her ex, Aidan (John Corbett). They seemed to have made up at the end of the last movie, but we will only have to wait and see where they are now. We did see Carrie kissing actor Jon Tenney on set, but we’ll ignore that for now.
Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) is a big time New York lawyer who stands strong in her values. Her feminist way of doing things is admirable, while her stubborness can be frustrating. We should expect to see her husband Steve (David Eigenberg) and their son Brady (Niall Cunningham) in the reboot. Last we know of this family, Brady was a toddler and Miranda had just returned to Steve after his affair.
Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristen Davis) started the series as an art curator until she married and soon after divorced her rich husband, acquiring enough wealth to stay comfortably in their NYC apartment. The reserved and (somewhat) careful character ended up marrying her divorce lawyer, Harry (Evan Handler) and adopted her daughter Lily (Cathy Ang) before having Rose (Alexa Swinton). The Goldenblatt family will be returning and might give us an inside look into how Charlotte is handling being the mother of two teenage girls.
The Sex and the City fanbase will miss Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) in And Just Like That… as she decided not to come back. Samantha is the PR professional we all aspire to be, with a confident and bold personality. She is unapologetically open about sex and untraditional relationships.
There had been many speculations about why Cattrall will not be returning for the new season. Some predict it has to do with the rumored feud between her and SJP. In response, SJP tweeted:
“I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do.”
While we will miss our beloved and essential Samantha Jones, the series will continue featuring Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte in their fifties and tell patient fans what life has had in store for them in 2021. During the series, these characters have lived my dream. They model the ideal city lifestyle every CF Community Member aspires to achieve in the world of fashion and beauty.
Sex and the City was filled with parties, dating, friendship, and Cosmos (my new favorite cocktail). Personally, I have many questions about what to expect on December 9 since I last saw these ladies in their 2010 movie.
How have they adapted to social media? Are they Facebook moms or have they taken the digital world by storm, the same way they did New York in the early 2000s?
What kind of mothers are they? My favorite characters are now around the same age as my mother. That will be interesting to see.
How do they handle COVID-19? (Yes, it has been confirmed the pandemic will be written into the plot).
How have they adapted to the political climate? So much has changed, and more people are engaged with social issues and activism in the past ten years, especially within Gen Z. (And let me add, the original Sex and the City was not the most politically correct or inclusive show.) How has the shift in media representation and in the fashion industry affected these characters — and what are they doing about it?
The beloved Stanford (Willie Garson) will be remembered in this upcoming season, as he passed away in September of this year. Carrie’s BFF was a lively fashion icon, who married Charlotte’s best friend Anthony (Mario Cantone).
Cantone will be returning to the show along with some returning characters (including Mr.Big’s ex-wife Natasha — who he cheated on with Carrie) as well as new characters. Here is who we know will be coming into these women’s stories: Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury), Lisa Todd Wesley (Nicole Ari Parker), and Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman).
Good news! You can stream And Just Like That on HBO Max now! If you love fashion as much as I do, this is a must watch that everyone is going to be talking about.
Featured image courtesy of Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max.
