A Need-to-Know Guide to And Just Like That…

By Watercooler Staff
May 29, 2025

After a two year wait, Carrie Bradshaw and her tribe of fabulous fifty-somethings are finally back with their third season. You’d be forgiven if you lost track of the Sex and the City sequel and its storylines. But with summer’s planes, trains, and automobiles and the inevitable rainy weekends, And Just Like That might be the glamorous soap you’ll want to escape into – especially if the onslaught of teen-filled shows leaves you craving more mature central characters.

Sex and the fifty something woman — c. HBO

What are the reviews saying?

The takes on the third season share a common theme: And Just Like That keeps the stories “lightweight” (some have added “shallow”), but the show has found its groove in its third act, returning to what made the original such a hit while moving the characters’ lives into new territory.

Romantic drama, new loves, shifting friendship dynamics, big cultural shifts, the ridiculousness of ostentatious wealth, and modern day parenting trials are the continued themes of the third season, but this time the characters also experience more growth and reinvention.

The cultural weight of the show

It can be easy to dismiss with all of the focus on sex, dating, fashion and fancy people, but Sex and the City has played an outsized role in the zeitgeist since its arrival over a quarter of a century ago. With its love letter to all that Manhattan has to offer, it has been credited with spiking tourism and helping New York recover from 9/11. And according to The New York Times, the show inspired multiple generations of women to move to the Big Apple.

Perhaps its biggest impact has been to redefine the image of single women in popular culture, landing its four heroines on the cover of Time magazine. As the Watercooler’s Kanene Ayo Holder explains it, “Sex and the City put the ticking-clock damsels in distress troupe in time out and the world and how we navigate it has drastically changed — for the better and, arguably in some respects, for the worse.”

Most of all, the show and its characters have been pot-stirrers and conversation drivers in an increasingly fragmented world. So its worth considering a revisit into its more up-to-date world.

Can you jump into Season 3 of And Just Like That?

You can, but it would help to have a quick refresher (see below). Ideally you’ll want to play catch up with a few key earlier episodes (also below) to understand the dynamics and earn the payoffs. The show has been building its character arcs over the previous two seasons.

The Quick Refresher

At its heart, And Just Like That… is about Carrie’s new life as a widow after Big died suddenly in the first episode of Season 1. This ultimately leads her to reconnect with her old love, Aidan. Miranda’s life has undergone a huge pivot since she realized she was gay and split with Steve, started a new relationship, and ultimately ended up single again. And Charlotte is still with Harry, surrounded by the top 1% and trying to return to work while juggling life as a prep school mom. Two new friends joined the trio (after Samantha left them all behind for greener pastures overseas): Seema and Lisa Todd Wexley.

The Catch Up: Key Episodes to Watch from Seasons 1 and 2

Season 1 Key Episodes:

“Hello It’s Me” (S1E1) – The set of the series, which includes Big’s shocking death and p
“Little Black Dress” (S1E2) – Deals with the immediate aftermath
“Diwali” (S1E6) – Important for understanding Carrie’s healing process and introduces two new friendships.
“Sex and the Widow” (S1E7) – We see how Carrie starts to let go and move forward.
“Seeing the Light” (S1E10) – The season finale sees Charlotte planning an epic celebration – and there’s an emotional payoff for Carrie.

Season 2 Highlights:

“Met Cute” (S2E1) – Sets up the new season dynamics
“February 14th” (S2E7) – A key moment as Carrie has dinner with Aidan and Miranda explores dating again.
“A Hundred Years Ago” (S2E8) – Carrie and Aidan embrace a new relationship as everyone else faces big changes.
“The Last Supper Part One & Two” (S2E10-11) – Rated as one of the best episodes, Carrie hosts a dinner party and Miranda and Steve have a meaningful reconnection. This one sets up Season 3

The teasers for Season 3

The show has zoomed in on just five main characters this season: Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Lisa Todd Wexley, and Seema Patel. At the center of it all is Carrie, of course, and her relationship with Aidan has entered a new phase as they try to figure out if long-distance can work. (He returned to Virginia for a family crisis.) Much like so many mid-lifers today, Carrie is also trying to reinvent her career; she’s now trying her hand at writing fiction for the first time.

As for Charlotte, she’s facing some very Upper East Side drama, which includes Ivy League college applications, while Harry is struggling with some new “life phase” issues. And Miranda has a potential new romance brewing with a British TV producer.