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TV shows we love: And Just Like That by Alix Norman

tv shows we love

The press panned this follow up to Sex and the City. IMDb gave it a measly 5.6 out of 10, while Rotten Tomatoes settled on a paltry 49 per cent. But the public were less united in their derision: while younger watchers tended to hate it, older fans (who’d seen the original iteration) were generally thrilled. And a second season has been confirmed.

Me? Well, I just wanted to see where the years had taken Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. And – apologies for the titular misnomer – but I didn’t love And Just Like That. I wasn’t glued to the screen from December 21, 2021, when the first two episodes aired on HBO.

Okay, I did enjoy bits of it. The Guardian may have branded it ‘a regressive, embarrassing disappointment’, but I saw the series as more of a gentle sojourn into middle-age mishaps…

Granted both the main characters were missing. I’m not talking about Samantha (noticeably absent from AJLT), but the actual Sex and the glorious City. Other than a few steamy scenes between Miranda and her new lover, sex was definitely on the back burner. But sadly, so was the city – and that was a shame. Because much of the joy in the original was the brunches and lunches and shops; the NY slice of life that was so delightfully escapist for anyone on a little Mediterranean island.

But at least the wit remained. We got pithy one-liners. There were a few lovely comic muddles. And many a calamity that resonated strongly with the middle-aged… (spoiler alert) one of the husbands pops his clogs; another is dumped by his long-term partner.

Okay, so it wasn’t amazing. And Just Like That is certainly not the best thing I’ve seen this year. Plus, this depiction of a totally new New York (complete with an over-worked wokeness) was simply too far removed for even an inveterate escapist to enjoy. But it did retain the flippancy, fun, and fashion (those shoes! The hats!) of the original. For fans, the series was a triumph. For everyone else? Well, you tell me…

 

 

 

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