And Just Like That is the third reboot of the HBO cult classic show Sex and the City, which pushed the boundaries of stories and topics regarding the kind of relationships that were never discussed on television before. The original received cult status amongst many for presenting the stories of four financially independent women who lived life by their own rules in New York City and never let a man question any of their decisions. One of them is Carrie Bradshaw, who seems to have stumbled a lot on her journey to find the perfect partner. Decades later, And Just Like That begins with Carrie still married to John and living in New York. The central character’s arc from here on spans seasons one and two.
The first season begins with Carrie losing John to a heart attack. The grief had not hit her yet, but she was surrounded by her closest friends who wanted only the best for her. She goes through several changes in her life to get over John’s passing slowly and steadily. She immersed herself in work that involved being an agony aunt through a podcast. This was the first time Carrie met Che. Che is a non-binary standup comedian who worked as a producer on the podcast.
Seema Patel walks into Carrie’s life as her realtor. She helped her find the perfect apartment. Unfortunately, the place was too big for her, and Carrie ended up having to sell it. Carrie found comfort in her old apartment, which had been her sacred spot for her writing projects. A place she never felt like selling. Moving back in there is a symbolic gesture of her single life.
Seema is implied to be Samantha’s replacement. Seema and Carrie, though, became fast friends because they shared something in common. They were both single and had the world on their pedestals to explore. Carrie tried dating a widower, but they ended it amicably because it was too soon for her to be pursuing a relationship.
Carrie went through some major changes in the first season, including having to go through back surgery, indicating that age was indeed catching up with her. She also had to meet John’s ex-wife, Natasha, as he had left some money for her in his will. A year after John’s passing, Carrie heads to Paris to immerse his remains in the Seine River. The city of Paris was close to the two of them because that’s where John had declared Carrie to be his soulmate, and they had not looked back from then on.
Carrie’s visit to the city of love was the closure she was looking for, and it allowed her to say goodbye to him one last time. She also starts dating the producer of her podcast, but that does not last long because he is looking for a serious relationship eventually, which Carrie is not ready for. There are plenty of issues that she faces as the next season progresses. One of them has Carrie having difficulty talking about the grief of losing John. She finally finds the strength to speak about it after realizing that she has plenty of good memories with him. We get to see in both seasons that Carrie is in touch with Samantha on and off through messages. Samanatha responds to her, which means there is some contact between the two.
Carrie is always there for her friends at this point, and she also understands how they deal with their personal lives. She and Seema agree to rent a Hamptons house together so that they can spend some time as two single women painting the town red. Carrie’s life changes when she takes the plunge and writes an email to Aidan. Those who have watched the original show may be able to recall who Aidan Shaw is and his significance in Carrie’s life. The ex-talk amongst her friends probably made her take this decision. To her surprise, Aidan responds, and they plan to meet on Valentine’s Day. The evening they spent together was perfect, and it seems like they will get together again.
Sadly, Aidan is not keen on going back to Carrie’s old apartment because of the memories associated with it. This makes Carrie upset. He requests that Carrie not ask him to visit or stay at her apartment, and he will take this step at his own pace. She wonders if fixating on Big made her lose out on Aidan. Her relationship with Aidan at the moment felt as if it had never ended many years ago. They start having a good time in New York. Carrie breaks her rules and travels to Virginia to be with his family as a way to let her guard down and make them welcome into her life. It makes us feel that Aidan and Carrie are meant to be together.
Carrie goes out of her way to buy an apartment as well, so that Aidan can feel comfortable. Carrie, in this season, is at the peak of optimism because she is always right there, helping friends find a genuine solution for their problems. She asks Miranda to walk away from a bad date so that it will save her. Seema comes clean about loving Ravi, but she is worried about the repercussions of her feelings. Carrie comes forward to help her see Ravi in a different light. On Carrie’s advice, Seema agrees to give her relationship a chance.
Carrie’s journey so far has been about being comfortable with Aidan and making sure she does not lose him this time around. Aidan feels the same way about her, which is why he wants her to get along with his sons. With all the events that have happened in Aidan and Carrie’s lives since their courtship, it seems as if they are headed toward getting married. Both apologized to one another at a certain point in the second season about how they treated each other when they were engaged.
On her last night at her old apartment, she invites her friends for an elaborate dinner. This was her way of saying goodbye to a place where she created a lot of memories. Carries does everything in style, and the fancy dinner is her way to celebrate her new life with Aidan. She wanted her friends to be part of this transition she was about to make. Unfortunately, Aidan decides to put their relationship on hold because of his son. Aidan wants to be there for him since he is going through tough times. This upsets Carrie, but as his partner, she is willing to agree to his plan. She wants to believe that five years will not change them and that waiting is the only option. Carrie feels she cannot let Aidan go after all these years. She remains optimistic at the end of season two and wants to hope that this five-year plan will work out.