HBO Max has released the first two episodes of the second season of And Just Like That, picking up the story right where we left off. Dramas still revolve around parties, VIP invitations, dinners in expensive restaurants, relationships, and sex. Like 25 years ago. But who represents us at this moment is Lily, Charlotte’s firstborn. We will get there.

If in the series premiere, we were introduced to a significant number of new characters, now we have to connect with them. That’s right, Charlotte, Miranda, and Carrie still ‘lead’, but much of the content now voices Nya, Seema, Che, and Lisa. Their stories would form a new quartet if the chemistry went well but it still feels forced. Nya still insists on a clearly broken marriage, Seema is called out as too demanding (but the best addition to the series), Che is adjusting to Hollywood demands while keeping important secrets from Miranda, and Lisa is trying to keep her professional integrity with her documentaries while living the rich life in Manhattan and dealing with an annoying mother-in-law.

While Che has the benefit to be part of Miranda’s arc and Seema is the replacement for Samantha, neither Nya nor Lisa have the same window and had to be compelling for us to care. Since Miranda is no longer studying with Nya and hanging out with her, it’s odd that she is so alone that had to call a new friend to talk about such intimate issues. Even stranger is what I have already mentioned, that even though she is this badass Legal professor she can’t move on from a non-existent partnership with a struggling musician. Her drunk call and aftermath felt overacted. Similar issues apply to Lisa. Her life mirrors Charlotte and Harry’s healthy marriage and is too wealthy and perfect to have issues getting investment in her documentary. Plus, the same with Nya, the ‘funny’ chip is missing in her scenes.

Back with the top trio, Charlotte continues to smother her daughters, especially Lily, but her domestic struggles have an audience with the original Sex and The City fans. She tries to understand and support her daughters, it’s just their values are different. We get Miranda sexually satisfied (it only took 25 years!) and still working on her alcoholism, cheers to that, however, she is soon to be at a crossroads with Che, which will send her off to the same drama we’ve been accustomed to in her life.

And Carrie, well, Carrie goes on with her life but the sadness is still palpable. Her energy is simply not there, she seems tired, uninspired, and on an automatic pilot. Still.

Carrie’s podcast, now Sex and the City, comes up against the fact that she talks about sex but does not embark on some guidelines that are acceptable and necessary today, in other words, get dirty. The metaphors are obvious when she refuses to budge to do a vaginal lube ad and the podcast is canceled. As she is a millionaire widow, the news arrives more like an “ah, ok” than a drama that the Carrie of yesteryear would be living. Carrie at 50 has fewer challenges and less existential drama, her calm takes away much of the ‘charm’ on which the series was dependent. It’s as if this professionalism and lack of awe of repeating themselves come across the storylines and even acting, making And Just Like That ‘lack something as well.

In the second episode, Charlotte makes a big fuss about Lily selling her designer dresses to buy a keyboard that she asks her parents for, but they claim she has to make her own way to get it. Shocked by her daughter’s lack of appreciation for what she was ‘gifted’ with, she embarks on a mission to ‘retrieve the perfect Chanel she got for the (season one) recital’. Not even Lilly’s private concert in a very ‘Billie Eilish vibe’, in which she sings that she wants to be someone different, finds resonance with the “old” Charlotte.

You could have said I’m still fighting the same Sex And The City. I’m also not sure if it’s me anymore. I don’t need that dress

Carrie Bradshaw

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Even if I had the dress back, I don’t even know if Lily would fit in it anymore. I just feel like she’s rejecting everything I’ve ever given her,” she confesses to Carrie.

“Is she rejecting or is she, you know, like you just said, is she outgrowing? And that’s healthy, right? You want them to change and move on. You could have said I’m still fighting the same [podcast] Sex And The City. I’m also not sure if it’s me anymore. I don’t need that dress,” Carrie replies.

“I have the memory. And Lily, whoever she is now,” concludes Charlotte.

And that’s the message from the And Just Like That team for us. Everyone has changed, and everyone has outgrown past challenges. We have the memory, but we’ll make new ones. Just accept the offer.

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