And Just Like That…We’re Reminded of Our Mortality

How reboots capitalize on our nostalgia and twist it into something darker

*Spoilers for the first three episodes of And Just Like That…ahead.

One of my first thoughts upon the start of And Just Like That… was “Oh good, Carrie still wears ridiculous hats that make her look a little bit like those little organ grinder monkeys.” It was relief. Though the characters kept saying they couldn’t “be the same person” they used to be (HELLO AUDIENCE, ARE YOU GETTING THIS?), I couldn’t help but wonder…why not? This show, though I’ve been looking forward to it and will 100 percent keep watching, is evidence for the argument of keeping fictional characters comfortably in the past, where they belong, the same as they always were.

I’ve been rewatching the original Sex and the City for the last month or so. I was about midway through Season 3 when And Just Like That…premiered two weeks ago. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have. I have never considered myself a super fan, and yet, watching back, it’s clear to me how many times I’ve seen it, how familiar I am with the outfits and the jokes and the plot points. As much as I like to pretend otherwise, SATC shaped my concept of sex and dating and relationships as much as it did many other women in my generation, for better or worse.