I’ll miss the chaos of ‘And Just like That…’ (and Che Diaz too)

The executives at HBO Max have ripped away so many good things from us, and their most recent offense is ending And Just Like That… too soon.

If I had my way, the show would be pried from my cold, dead hands, and I’d devour at minimum six more seasons of this Sex and the City sequel. But just like all good (or not so good) things, they must come to an end, and tonight’s victim was AJLT. The studio heads gifted us with 10 episodes this season, making us believe at first that we had a long future to look forward to with these characters. However, the recent announcement that the third season would be the show’s last forced us to say goodbye to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) once again.

In a statement posted August 1 to social media, showrunner Michael Patrick King wrote that he, SJP (who also serves as an executive producer), Sarah Aubrey (head of HBO Max Originals), and Casey Bloys (CEO of HBO Max) all decided to end the series with a two-part finale. “SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn’t want the word ‘final’ to overshadow the fun of watching the season,” the statement reads. “It’s with great gratitude we thank all the viewers who have let these characters into their homes and their hearts over these many years.”

The series finale aired on HBO Max tonight, and the ending was serviceable. We got each character’s storylines wrapped up in a hastily made bow, and the ending you would expect — Carrie Bradshaw, AKA “The Woman,” chose to bet on herself. But, as Carrie shimmied her way out of frame in her Gramercy Park oasis, I couldn’t help but feel two things were missing: Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) and the unmitigated joy of the chaos that came in the show’s first season.

Sarah Jessica Parker on ‘And Just Like That’Courtesy of HBO Max

The reason people loved to hate the show was that it was a cringe-fest with all of our favorite characters right in the center, not too dissimilar to AJLT‘s prequel series, Sex and the City. Carrie was the epitome of chaos — as evidenced in this InStyle Magazine op-ed about how entertainingly tumultuous she was in the original series.

“She’s been dubbed a terrible friend, borderline stalker, and worst of all, cringe,” the writer argued. “But all those internet critics miss one important point: Say what you will about her values, but a selfish, neurotic Carrie Bradshaw makes for great TV.” And on this note, I agree. Maybe in your middle age, you care more about society’s perception of you, but erasing all of the main character’s self-assuredness dulls the show.

When the show’s main characters (sans Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall) graced the streets of New York once again, the writers threw everything at the wall. As many people have noted, the show felt like it was trying to import these ladies directly from 2006 into 2022, and we watched as they stumbled their way through the major cultural shifts we’ve seen take place over the last 20 years.

Sarah Jessica Parker on ‘And Just Like That’Courtesy of HBO Max

The core group of women aged, they made new friends, their relationships were tested time and time again, and they also learned a lot about themselves. Enter Che Diaz, who became Miranda’s (Cynthia Nixon) gay sexual awakening in the reboot’s first season. Ever since they entered the SATCEU (Sex and the City extended universe), I couldn’t stop thinking about them, and I wish they had more time together before falling victim to online vitriol. Everywhere you turned, there was discourse about the annoying nonbinary character on AJLT — so much so that you would’ve thought they slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Che was the victim of blatant homophobia, and in the words of the late SATCEU character, Lexi Featherson, “No one’s fun anymore. Whatever happened to fun? God, I’m so bored, I could die,” except in this case, I’m not falling out of a window 18 stories up.

Yeah, they were cringe. Yeah, they weren’t the best comedian. Yes, they were kinda awful to Miranda. And were they not funny on Carrie’s podcast (remember Carrie podcasting?), also yes! But we all need to remember, fictional queer people can be bad people too, and it’s entertaining to watch. Live a little!

Alas, we have to say goodbye to this outrageous and confusingly dressed show again. But Parker insists that it’s not a goodbye, but a farewell. She’s learned not to be final about Carrie and the SATCEU, and I hope this means that if we do get more from these ladies (and nonbinary individuals — you too, Rock), they lean more into the camp and less into Carrie’s fictional novel journey.

Moises Mendez II is a staff writer at Out magazine. Follow him on Instagram @moisesfenty.

Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit out.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at [email protected]. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Out or our parent company, equalpride.

This article originally appeared on Out: I’ll miss the chaos of ‘And Just like That…’ (and Che Diaz too)

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