Michael Patrick King stated that while writing the final episode, he realized it was "a wonderful time to stop." Along with lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker, HBO executive Casey Bloys, and producer Sarah Aubrey, the decision was made to extend the season from ten to twelve episodes and mark this season's conclusion.
Sarah Jessica Parker, who has played Carrie Bradshaw for nearly 30 years, shared her farewell in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo montage and a poem. She wrote:
Carrie Bradshaw dominated my professional life for 27 years. I think I've loved her more than anyone.
Parker noted that she and King came to the conclusion together that this chapter was “complete,” and described working on the series as “an adventure, a joy, and the most beautiful kind of hard work.” She thanked the 380 cast and crew, calling them “the most extraordinary talents.”
The series And Just Like That… premiered in 2021 as a continuation of the original Sex and the City, which ran from 1998 to 2004. The revival focused on the lives of Carrie, Miranda (played by Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (played by Kristin Davis), and how they cope with aging, loss, love, and new challenges.
In the first season, Carrie struggled with the loss of her beloved Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who died of a heart attack. His return was made impossible by allegations of sexual misconduct against the actor.
In the second season, Carrie's former love Aidan (John Corbett) returned to her life, with whom she began a long-distance relationship. But in season three, which began in May of this year, that relationship ended. Carrie rediscovered herself as a single woman.
Meanwhile, Miranda's struggle with addiction and Charlotte's challenges with love and health were also explored. The series also expanded its cast and gave more space to characters like Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) and Seema (Sarita Choudhury), especially after Che (Sara Ramirez) and Nya (Karen Pittman) left in season two.
Although Kim Cattrall declined to reprise her iconic role as Samantha Jones, her character remained active in the background via text messages to Carrie, and she made a brief cameo appearance in season two.
Reactions to the third season were mixed. While many criticized certain storylines, the series remained remarkably popular. A "hate-watching" trend emerged on social media, with viewers sharing their frustrations en masse but still remaining loyal. Major media outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times published extensive analyses of this. According to HBO Max sources, the series continued to perform consistently well in the ratings, despite the online criticism.
