And Just Like That Season 2: The best and worst of the queer storylines
We’re late to the party, we know! However, we just finished And Just Like That season 2 and we’re having all the feelings. In case you’re unaware, And Just Like That is the reboot of the ever-popular Sex and the City series. It burst onto small screens globally in December of 2021 promising to be a more woke, socially correct version of its predecessor.
Season 1 was met with mixed reviews. It attempted to meet some of the criticisms of the original show head-on, but critics felt it was contrite and a little on the nose. Despite this, the show was renewed for a second season, and the last episode of And Just Like That Season 2 dropped on August 24, 2023.
We have binged, we have processed, and we have thoughts! It’s clear that the writers definitely heard the criticisms of season 1 and did what they could to improve upon its shortcomings. There were many great things about this season, but there were also some head-scratchers as well.
As we’re here to give the queer perspective, we’re not going to spend too much time focussing on the heterosexual storylines the show presents in season 2. Fortunately, the alphabet family is highly visible in this season, so we’ve got much to discuss.
Here are our thoughts on And Just Like That season 2.
Che and Miranda
The end of season 1 saw Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) running off to California with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) after realizing that she is in fact, no longer straight. When season 2 opens, Che is stationed in Los Angeles and is working on a pilot for a television show that’s supposed to be their big breakthrough from the standup stage to the small screen. Instead of sticking around and facing all of her problems with Steve (David Eigenberg), Miranda flees to California.
Yolo, right?
However, Che’s pilot doesn’t go according to plan and it’s axed before it even finishes filming. Before long the pair of them end up back in New York City as Che picks up the ruins of their almost-Hollywood-television career and tries to figure out what’s next.
As they try and settle back into life in New York City, it becomes clear that the two of them are wildly different, and despite their mutual affection for each other, a relationship between them just isn’t going to work.
Then Che writes a nasty standup routine about their relationship with Miranda and performs it in public. They don’t know that Miranda is actually in the audience on the night of the performance until Miranda very pointedly makes her presence known on her way out the door.
The relationship between Che and Miranda ends exactly as we expected it would from its onset: messily. They both have so much baggage, but each other’s baggage is completely different from the other’s, and figuring out a path through the mess was never going to be an easy feat. As And Just Like That season 2 comes to a close, the pair are at least on amicable terms.
Anthony
Anthony (Mario Cantone) goes through a transformation of his own in season 2. Stanford is still MIA when the season opens (the late Willie Garson) after leaving Anthony on a whim in season 1.
Never one to sit around and let his feelings get the best of him, Anthony sets out on a new journey of his own. Enter Guiseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi). Much younger than Anthony, Italian (actually Italian, not Italian-American), and smokin’ hot, Anthony finds himself quite caught up with the man.
Guiseppe is from a different generation to Anthony though and has his mind set on teaching the older gay man a thing or two. In And Just Like That season 2, audiences learn that Anthony has never bottomed before in his life, and considers himself an “ass virgin”. He is wildly put out by the suggestion that Guiseppe might want to top Anthony from time to time as well.
While it’s not a groundbreaking storyline, it’s not inconsequential either. The disparity and differences between Anthony and his new lover serve to demonstrate how the newer generation of queer people operates in today’s society. The expectations and norms that Anthony’s generation upheld are just not the norm anymore.
Anthony, being Anthony, pushes back on the new expectations that Guiseppe brings to the table. However, the man eventually relents, claiming that he loves Guiseppe, and demonstrates that age is just a number and learning and adapting is a lifelong thing.
Rock
In And Just Like That season 2, Rock’s (Alexa Swinton) storyline is less profound than it was in season 1. Instead, this season, their sister Lily (Cathy Ang) has her teenage day in the sun. It’s not like Rock isn’t around, they definitely are, but most of their prolific storyline was presented to audiences in the previous season.
In season 2, they do manage to land a pretty high-profile modeling job that gives their sexual identity a bit of visibility, but mostly, Rock is just plodding along being the teenage sibling to Lily and the offspring of Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Harry (Evan Handler).
Charlotte and Harry have completely embraced Rock’s nonbinary identity in a very supportive, unproblematic way. Their family unit is an excellent example of what unconditional love looks like. They’re excellent role models for people everywhere and Rock is lucky to have them in their life.
What the hets are up to
In And Just Like That season 2, Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) and Charlotte are pushing the envelope when it comes to the expectations placed on women in society. Lisa continues to work like crazy as she tries to keep her career afloat alongside her family, and Charlotte returns to full-time work for the first time since becoming a mother.
Charlotte demands that Harry take on more responsibilities when it comes to their family so that Charlotte can have some semblance of her old self back before she just became Charlotte Goldenblatt the Mom. Naturally, Harry struggles with this, but Charlotte does an excellent job of making him see that he just has to figure it out.
Lisa tries to be an excellent mother, and supportive wife, while still chasing an incredibly high-profile career of her own. Except, spoiler alert, she gets pregnant along the way. The outcome of this situation shines a different light on the role of the modern woman in the home and the workplace than the journey Charlotte is on, but it’s a necessary one all the same.
In a plot twist straight out of left field, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) rekindles her romance with Aiden (John Corbett). We have to say folks, we did not see this one coming, and honestly, we’re not sure if it makes much sense anyway.
Aiden has been married, had three kids, and is now divorced from their mom. He lives in Virginia in a big farmhouse and his life is nothing like it was when he was with Carrie before. He has to commute in and out of the city to see Carrie, which takes him away from his kids often.
In the end, Aiden realizes that the new arrangement isn’t working and asks Carrie to wait for him for five years – until his youngest is eighteen and they can try again. Carrie, who now seems to think Mr. Big (Chris Noth) was nothing but a mistake all along, agrees to Aiden’s proposal.
Seema (Sarita Choudhury) desperately wants love but is struggling to let love in, and in yet another plot twist we didn’t see coming, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) returns for a teeny tiny cameo.
It has been well documented over the years that Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker had a falling out after the conclusion of Sex and the City, which is the reason why Samantha wasn’t in the first season of And Just Like That.
The cameo is cute though, and begs the question, will audiences see more of their beloved Samantha in the future?
And Just Like That season 2 definitely fixes a lot of the problematic features of season 1. Inquiring minds want to know, will Miranda date another woman in the future or will she foray back into the land of heterosexuality? Now that they are no longer connected to Miranda, will Che continue to remain relevant and important to the storyline of the show?
Will Rock encounter any struggles as they charge through puberty as an out nonbinary person?
While And Just Like That season 2 finished neatly, there is potential here for more queer storylines to be fostered. Especially now, when visibility has never been more important, we’d love to see all these folks back on our small screens for at least another season. Their stories are tidy, but they don’t feel finished.
Fortunately, it was just announced that there will be a season 3 coming our way soon. However, due to the writer’s strike currently taking place in Hollywood, season 3 may take a little longer to grace us with its presence.
And Just Like That season 2 is available to stream on MAX now. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!
