7 Times The And Just Like That Finale Channeled Sex And The City

In its stylish swan song, the And Just Like That series finale might have been the most Sex and the City-est episode of the entire revival.

As showrunner Michael Patrick King was writing the Aug. 14 episode, “it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop,” he shared on Instagram. And while the prospect of And Just Like That ending is more devastating than any of the show’s breakups, the conclusion did at least feel like a comforting hug full of winks to the original series. Here are seven of them.

The Buzzy New Restaurant

One of Carrie and company’s favorite pastimes on Sex and the City was checking out trendy concept clubs and restaurants. Think Raw — the site of Samantha and Smith Jerrod’s first meeting, “where the scene was hot, and the food was not” — or the cafeteria spot where the ladies once went power-lunching. It’s not that And Just Like That has foregone dining out, but fans have bemoaned the relative lack of fun, buzzy eateries on the revival series.

So it was nice to see Carrie check out a place she’s never been to before: Haidilao, to be exact, a Chinese hotpot restaurant where she’s flummoxed by robot servers and a stuffed buddy so she doesn’t have to dine alone.

A Vulnerable Carrie

Speaking of Tommy Tomato...

Carrie’s candid confession to Charlotte about how it made her feel alone — like, permanently alone — called back to her raw, honest worries about singledom in the original series. I’m specifically thinking about the moment on her 35th birthday when she confided in her friends, “I hate myself a little for saying this, but... it felt really sad not to have a man in my life who cares about me.” (This is the scene that prompted Charlotte’s beautiful suggestion to be each other’s soulmate, BTW!)

Miranda & Steve

Seeing Miranda and Steve have a sweet, down-to-earth conversation about Brady and the baby also felt very... them. Sure, they weren’t always a perfect couple on Sex and the City — but at his best, Steve was a kind and reassuring voice in Miranda’s life. And his promise to her that they’ll figure out the whole grandparent thing was the simple affirmation she needed to hear.

Carrie’s Pie Delivery

Carrie delivering Thanksgiving pies to all of her friends was unexpectedly heartwarming — proof that she’s cultivated a thriving village of friends who are like family, which was always the undercurrent of Sex and the City.

The Fall Of It All

How fitting to end And Just Like That in fall! The cozy time of year often represented change on the original series, too, like when Carrie observed a fallen leaf after Mr. Big moved to California in the Season 4 finale. “It was official: A new season had begun,” she says in the gorgeous scene. Or, take the Season 6 moment when Anthony encouraged Charlotte to “look at the light” — i.e., get out of her own head — prompting her to remark on a walk in the park, “When did it become fall?”

Carrie’s Epilogue

Though we love to debate Sex and the City love interests, Carrie put it best in her final voiceover of the original series: “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.”

It’s an idea that is echoed in the epilogue for her novel in And Just Like That, where she writes: “The woman realized she was not alone — she was on her own.” It’s a positive reframe that puts Carrie in control of her own life and happiness.

The Theme Song

Hearing the original Sex and the City theme song while the credits rolled was bittersweet, to say the least. But if you’re an optimist, it feels like a sonic communique — a way of saying that through the ups and downs of And Just Like That, the girls have arrived at a place of authentic fulfillment.