And Just Like That Ending Proves Carrie & Samantha’s Feud Was Pointless

Warning: Spoilers ahead for And Just Like That‘s finale.

And Just Like That explained Samantha’s absence as due to a feud with Carrie, which was proven to be pointless by the end of the series. Ahead of And Just Like That’s debut, the revival had a significant change in the cast to address, namely how it would deal with SATC‘s Kim Cattrall choosing to not return. Cattrall, who now stars on How I Met Your Father, portrayed fan-favorite character Samantha Jones on Sex and the City, one of the core four characters who was notable for being loyal, proud, and confident in her sexuality. Samantha was arguably more popular than Carrie as a character during Sex and the City’s run, so the manner in which And Just Like That treated her was extremely significant.

With Charlotte, Carrie, and Miranda all returning, And Just Like That decided to explain away Samantha’s absence as a feud with Carrie, with the circumstances also reflecting the real-life feud between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. And Just Like That revealed that Samantha moved to London after Carrie told her she couldn’t keep her on as the public relations representative for her books. According to Carrie, she fired Samantha for work, so Samantha fired her as a friend. After moving to London, Samantha wouldn’t take the calls of Carrie or any of the other girls. While And Just Like That needed a reason to keep Samantha out of the series physically, a feud between the women for something so trivial became controversial among audiences, as it didn’t sound like Samantha at all.

Considering Samantha was the most loyal character in Sex and the City’s main group of women, it already didn’t seem too believable that she would move all the way to London and cut off contact with Charlotte and Miranda just because Carrie let her go as her PR representative when industry changes forced her hand. While Samantha’s absence was significant in And Just Like That episode 1, the series largely forgot about her unless Carrie texted her about a major event, hoping just to get a response. After Big’s death, Samantha sent Carrie flowers, and eventually texted her back with a few humorous Samantha-like responses. By the end of And Just Like That season 1, Carrie and Samantha met in Paris for an unseen dinner, which was meant to prove that their feud had now come to an end. With Samantha and Carrie back on good terms by And Just Like That’s finale, it begs the question of why the series ever wrote the duo having such a petty fight in the first place.

The entire point of writing out Samantha was because Kim Cattrall had no interest in returning, but that didn’t mean And Just Like That had to butcher the Sex and the City character. With the fight being resolved by the ending, the only plausible reason to have such a plotline would be for Samantha to eventually physically return in And Just Like That season 2, which isn’t likely to happen with Cattrall. Carrie was already going through a deep depression in And Just Like That following Big’s death, and her grief didn’t need to be exacerbated by a pointless falling-out with Samantha, who was arguably her best friend. And Just Like That easily could have written Samantha has having gone to London solely for work; there was no reason for her to have left due to a fight.

And Just Like That’s finale also still could have written in Carrie getting drinks with Samantha because she’s in Paris, so it didn’t need to be a way to solve their pointless feud. SATC‘s Samantha Jones simply being in London already would have been an easier way to write her out due to the time difference; the girls wouldn’t routinely call her or video chat because they all have busy schedules already. And Just Like That also could have just sent Samantha to London for a new chapter in her life while leaving the girls on amicable terms, as it would still feel true to life that some people take new jobs and fall out of touch when they move away.

About The Author

Jordan Williams
(816 Articles Published)

See also  Judge Dredd Art Shows What Even Movie Fans Missed About Mega-City One

Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

More From Jordan Williams