We’re Still Mostly Hate-Watching ‘And Just Like That’

Somehow, we made it to another episode of “And Just Like That…” and we’re still questioning damn near everything that happened.

Sure, a lot of us “Sex and the City” fans are hate-watching the spinoff series at this point, but hey, we can’t seem to get enough of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Seema (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker).

In Episode 3, which began streaming on Max last week, Carrie gets an invite to Virginia for a book event — so, of course, she turns it into a trip to see her long-distance beau, Aidan (John Corbett). She even brings Seema, who’s in need of a break after some disturbing news at work, along for the ride. After receiving a random call from Aidan’s wife, Kathy (Rosemarie Dewitt), Carrie scores some Adderall from Charlotte’s mom friends to take down south for Wyatt, Aidan’s son. There’s clearly mess afoot with this storyline.

Elsewhere, we finally get to see a glimpse of Joy (Dolly Wells) and Miranda’s bond start to develop. LTW struggles with losing her editor for her documentary feature. And, Charlotte actually has a (mostly) fun storyline to follow this week — that once again involves espresso martinis.

HuffPost staff chatted about the episode and spilled all of our takes on Carrie and the crew below.

When I saw Aidan’s ex Kathy’s name pop up on Carrie’s cell, I knew this storyline was probably headed for some mess. Essentially Kathy is trying to score some Adderall for their son, Wyatt, asks Carrie for it, who gets some from Charlotte’s mom friends. The look on Aidan’s face when Carrie says she got the Adderall? That moment told me everything I needed to know. That was the face of a man who had no clue about his son being on medication. Whew. This was the first time this season that I was anxiously awaiting what the fallout of a storyline would be. — Erin

Thank you for pointing out that last part because that’s when I knew this storyline was going to get extremely messy. Never mind that Kathy had the nerve to call Carrie, of all people, for Adderall — does she seriously look like she knows where to get pills from? But the fact that Carrie is now technically involved in this Wyatt situation, when Aidan has deliberately tried to keep her at arm’s length (don’t even get me started on her having to sleep in the guesthouse), tells me nothing about this is going to end well. I may be being dramatic but all these red flags are starting to feel like the beginning of the end of Aidan and Carrie. — Njera

Please let this be the setup for Carrie and Aidan’s cursed relationship crumbling! Njera, I guffawed when he said she had to stay in the guesthouse. Aidan’s explanation about that was so convoluted, too, which felt like really lazy plotwork. And in what world Carrie would receive this request from Kathy and not immediately check in with Aidan about it? I think I get where the writers are trying to take the story, and I know it’s TV, but the route they’re taking to get there feels extra detached from reality.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t use this Kathy appearance to remind viewers that Rosemarie DeWitt already appeared on the original series as a mean co-worker of Miranda’s. Reminds me of how Justin Theroux played two different Carrie love interests in the show’s early seasons. — Lydia

Wow, Lydia — I somehow never realized Rosemarie DeWitt had appeared on the original series as well! (Side note: How wild would it be if Kathy turned out to also be an old colleague of Miranda’s?) Anyway, Kathy’s request felt like a complete overstepping of boundaries, especially since Aidan apparently wasn’t aware of the exchange. It would’ve been wise for Carrie to have found a way to politely decline, no matter how much she’s trying to stay on Kathy’s good side. — Curtis

I need something to go right for Seema ASAP. Her boss tells her he’s selling his share of the company to real estate/reality TV star Ryan Serhant. She’s immediately rightfully pissed and reconsidering the next step of her career. She ultimately decides to start her own business, which definitely seems like the right move — she’s a boss and she should be THE boss. — Erin

I’m honestly surprised it took Seema this long to realize she’s better off going into business for herself. She never gave off the vibe that she’s content working under someone for the rest of her career. Like you said, Erin, she’s a boss, so this decision feels right. Hopefully, it fares better than her love life. — Njera

Man, this guy seems like a nightmare. First he secretly arranges for Seema to see a matchmaker, which feels way out of bounds for a co-worker (let alone a superior!) to do. Now he’s screwing her over with the business? Get away from this guy, Seema! I did laugh at the revelation that he’s 90 years old, though. — Lydia

I enjoy getting to see Seema facing a career-related issue that seems pretty true to life as far as corporate mergers and takeovers are concerned, especially when it comes to employees with deep experience in a business model that’s about to shift or become obsolete altogether. I hope it wasn’t just a narrative ploy to incorporate a Ryan Serhant cameo — which, to be fair, is pretty genius — and get Seema to trek to Virginia with Carrie. For the most part, Seema’s career has been everything to her up until this point, so I’m interested to see how this plays out. — Curtis

Those jeans Harry bought were ugly. That’s all. — Erin

LOL, yeah those jeans were not at all flattering to him. And I get the whole midlife crisis joke, but watching Harry trying to squeeze into those jeans just felt like another silly little moment in the show. Another filler scene, if you will. — Njera

This was all very goofy, but I can’t help but find Evan Handler very endearing. I always notice when we go an episode without Harry! I love that he still fawns over Charlotte and was willing to hit the club in the name of her professional advancement, as misguided as those ugly pants were. — Lydia

OK, I’m so happy to say that “And Just Like That…” finally gave Charlotte a decent storyline this week. She went out late with her co-workers again — and espresso martinis make a reappearance after last season’s messy moment. I was hopeful that she’d stay out late, sell some art and have a win this week. But that art buyer kissing her really made me mad. It’s not that it surprised me, but like why???? Leave that married woman alone! — Erin

You know, I actually paid attention to Charlotte’s storyline this week. And I thought it was pretty good! I’m glad the show seemed to subtly acknowledge that we need to see her doing more than just being at home, wrapped up in the kids’ lives. Charlotte trying to keep up with the other ladies and have a night out on the town was fun to watch, even though I could’ve done without that weird kiss.

Now I knew that whole jeans situation with Harry was going to go bad, but I did not expect him to actually piss his pants. Still can’t believe he managed to snap a pic for the gram after all that. S/O to dark denim though! — Njera

Finally a watchable storyline for Charlotte. The original series always did such a good job of incorporating the women’s work lives into good fodder for the show (see: Charlotte letting one of her artists paint a portrait of her vagina, Charlotte falling in with some hot art lesbians, Charlotte having a tryst with a Hasidic painter in Brooklyn.) This reminded me of the good old days. — Lydia

With the exception of Carrie farting in front of Mr. Big back in the first season of SATC, I’ve always disliked whenever the show resorts to full-on potty humor, so I could’ve lived without seeing Harry wet his pants. It felt juvenile to have Charlotte poop her pants in the first SATC film, and it feels just as juvenile now. And no matter how much liquor I’d consumed or how dark the denim of those pants were, I would still have been too mortified to have my photo taken afterward!

That said, the scene that followed felt like a great throwback to the “drunk Charlotte” moments of last season and of the original series, which made me very happy. Having Charlotte indulge in too many espresso martinis felt like classic Charlotte, and it was definitely a relief to get her away from the kid-centric storylines for a bit! — Curtis

Every week it’s the say-something-nice challenge about Lisa Todd Wexley’s storyline. I appreciated that she got over her editor leaving her to work with an Oscar-winning director. Then Grace, her editor, gave her the little pep talk she needed to keep working on the documentary. — Erin

I’m glad LTW got a grip and came to terms with her editor’s departure by the end of the episode, because her initial reaction pissed me off. I, too, would leave a documentary process eight years in the making (when it was only supposed to last one) to work with Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. I mean, who in their right mind would turn down an opportunity like that?! I get where LTW was coming from, but basically telling your creative partner you don’t support their goals is just cruel. Hopefully, this behind-the-scenes change won’t stall the making of this project any longer. Because it’s getting exhausting. — Njera

I’m not really sure how this storyline was supposed to develop LTW’s character, besides make her seem like a kind of toxic boss who turns the professional into personal. I also just don’t really get how her documentary-filmmaking fits in with the rest of the show’s story. It increasingly feels like Lisa is out on an island while the rest of the cast is on another show together. — Lydia

I like the way this show is attempting to depict how the lines between our personal and professional lives can become blurred, especially when we’ve spent years in working relationships with specific colleagues. As someone who has had to navigate similar situations — i.e., trying to be happy for a cohort who is moving on when you’re privately unsure of how you’re going to fare on the job without them — I appreciate seeing LTW grapple with a similar internal dilemma. I’m glad she eventually came around for Grace’s sake, though. — Curtis

The fact that Seema and Adam, Carrie’s handsome landscaper, crossed paths tells me he’s definitely going to get involved with Carrie at some point. Will it make sense, considering the mess she’s got going on with Aidan? Probably not. But I’m here for the ride. — Njera

I know he’s not really her type, but I’d love for Seema to at least have a little fling with that cutie, Adam. Their immediate rapport was so cute. — Erin

I need Adam to be someone’s love interest, STAT. I hope they do something more substantial with him soon! — Lydia

It still seems Adam is likely being set up as a prospective love interest for Carrie, but … now I’m wondering if it might be even more interesting to have him get romantically involved with Seema after this flirty meet-cute. — Curtis

The first thing I thought when Carrie suggested Seema join her on her trip to Virginia for a “work engagement,” aka an impromptu visit to see Aidan, was, “Wow, they’re really forcing this long-distance relationship plot, huh?” Of course, it was hilarious to see the New York City divas try to navigate Williamsburg, Virginia, but I think we’d all agree that the “And Just Like That” action works better when it happens in NYC. — Njera

This reminded me so much of the time Carrie dragged Samantha across the country on Amtrak to do a book-reading in San Francisco all because Big was living in nearby Napa. If you ask me, that’s one of the underappreciated greats from the original series, even with annoying Season 5 Carrie. I find myself really enjoying Carrie-Seema scenes, so I was thrilled when Seema switched up her plans and joined Carrie on the adventure. I would have loved to see Seema get some sexy action in Virginia! — Lydia

I was so sad for Seema that she didn’t get the mama’s homestyle friend chicken that she wanted. But the KFC moment was cute, too. It reminded me of the time Carrie showed up with McDonald’s for Big. Le Big Mac! — Erin

I was legitimately bummed about Seema’s inability to order the fried chicken, too! The KFC was a nice gesture, but there’s no way it was an adequate substitute for what sounded pretty heavenly on that menu. That said, Carrie and Seema’s one-on-one moments were definitely my favorite segments of this episode. I have a truly irrational fear of driving over traffic spikes — despite the fact that they’re always clearly marked in parking lots — so, personally, that scene made me clench my teeth, too. – Curtis

I’m so over Carrie having to walk on eggshells with Aidan and his kids. Like, I get he’s being cautious, but he keeps treating her like some stranger he has to vet, and not a woman he’s known intimately for years now. If even Kathy knows Carrie’s back in the picture, and fine with it, I don’t understand how an overnight stay would be such an inconvenience to the kids’ routine. This cannot be the way this relationship continues for the rest of the season. I’m sick of it, and I’m sure Carrie is, too. — Njera

It’s interesting to see how the writers just can’t seem to decide how committed Aidan should be to his children as a single parent. One moment he can’t see Carrie at all for five years, the next moment he’s flying up to New York for a weekend on a whim. If he has an unspoken rule about running everything by the kids beforehand, why not just clarify that to Carrie right away instead of inviting her to stay over when she was fully intending to return to New York with Seema? I don’t get it, but having her sleep in a guesthouse felt like a slap in the face, and this scenario keeps getting messier by the moment. – Curtis

I screamed when he told her she had to sleep in the guesthouse. I’m sorry, it’s not like Aidan’s kids are really young or something. They’re TEENS. Ugh. — Erin

Miranda and Joy feel like the “Sex and the City”-esque fun we’ve been sorely missing this season. And I love the way they explored the sexual tension between these two this episode. Miranda asks Joy, the BBC producer who popped into her office last episode, out on a date, under the guise of getting on-air speaking tips. But Joy turns things around on her when she does a very intimate breathing exercise with Miranda. I know it’s too early to tell, but this already feels like a much better dating situation for Miranda than the Che Diaz debacle. — Njera

Finally, a win for Miranda. She really needed that after getting rejected by the tableside guac woman last episode. And I totally agree with you Njera – this was some good old-fashioned SATC dating fun. My only complaint is I would like to see things move a little faster with these two. Not to keep comparing this to the original series, but the pacing is so different when it comes to the women’s love interests, and I’m still getting used to it. — Lydia

I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get to see Miranda in a healthy queer relationship after the debacle she endured with Che Diaz in the first two seasons, so this feels like it could be the start of an interesting development for her character. I’m here for it! — Curtis

“And Just Like That…” streams Thursday nights on Max.