Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size
So this is how it ends. With a toilet overflowing with literal crap, a pie to the face, and a woman whose world once felt so big and promising reduced to dancing alone in her $50 million house.
In my very first recap of the season, 12 long weeks ago, I paraphrased Carrie’s novel by asking: what has this woman gotten herself into? Ten hours later, I’m still wondering. Still as stuck in narrative cement as these characters have been. Besides Miranda solidifying her relationship with Joy, and Seema seeming happy with Adam, no one has evolved or progressed in any significant way.
Is this really the end for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker)?
Brady will be a father to a baby whose mother seems thoroughly unprepared for the task. We spent more time on Epcot’s etymology and bowel movements this episode than meaningfully discussing what grandparenthood might look like for Miranda and Steve, since they seem to be preparing to be a part of Mia’s life, despite Brady tapping out of catering to her confusing dietary needs.
Loading
Whether Seema meaningfully wants to validate her relationship with marriage is a question that turns to dust, since Adam staunchly doesn’t believe in the tradition of it all.
Maybe a runway show of bridal gowns designed by a woman from LTW’s documentary about the woman who designed Jackie O’s wedding dress would convince him?! It certainly inspired these four women to TALK THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING, their front-row position be damned. Seema spent a series of episodes this season coming to terms with her worth as a partner – both in real estate and romance. She was “broke” for five minutes then just got an office and a bunch of business. Like most of the plot momentum, this happened off-screen.
Lisa and Charlotte, two women going through similar storylines this season – with their wretched prep school kids obsessed with musicals and husbands sucking the air out of every room and social plan for weeks – finally speak to each other. It’s something that shouldn’t be notable, but has been rare this season. Charlotte has had so little to do in this show since her birthday episode, when she broke down to Harry about having to keep his diagnosis a secret, that there’s not much else to say in this, the final (?) chapter of Charlotte York-Goldenblatt’s onscreen story.
Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and LTW (Nicole Ari Parker) finally get some face time in the final episode.
Between trying to get Michelle Obama in her doc, losing her dad again, feeling the spark of something with Marion and supporting her husband’s failed election bid, LTW has had an abundance of substantial storylines. They all culminate in this episode with a charged hug in the edit bay – where the doc remains unfinished and Marion promises to keep things above board.
The scene with Herbert, where Lisa promises to stick through this hard time with him, is a testament to the talents of actors Nicole Ari Parker and Chris Jackson. But unfortunately by the time it happened, I was more than ready to never hear the words “comptroller” or “Michelle Obama” again.
Her sincerity and devotion to keeping things the same is perhaps the best illustration of the tension at the heart of this terribly written show: no one is allowed to be destructive, emotionally messy or toxic. They must be pure, moral, good – and any messiness comes in the form of bodily fluids only. There’s nowhere for characters like that to go but down the toilet.
Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) kinda bond again over being grandparents.
All Carrie’s umming and aahing over her real-estate decision and the epilogue to her novel come to a conclusion, as she leaves her heels on, takes a mouthful of pie and turns on the karaoke machine like it’s a CD player. (One last nitpick before I sign off for good: THE THING ABOUT KARAOKE IS YOU HAVE TO BYO VOCALS.)
She’d told Adam earlier, now that he’s finally finished her tidy little faux-English garden, that she actually wants it wild – like her. She’s operating under the delusion that a billionaire who wears gowns to brunch and silences any controversial opinion is still the messy, curly, Carrie who stalked Big at church and lied about quitting smoking, who cheated and fought with her friends and wore belts around her bare midriff.
Seema (Sarita Choudhury) and Adam (Logan Marshall-Green) find their own happy ever after.
That girl hasn’t just gone to a monastery in Japan: she’s as dead as Big. In her place is this twirling performer, who might be content being on her own, but has not existed in the real world for a long time. Big is dead, Aidan is gone, Duncan is in London boozing it up with Samantha (probably) and Carrie is happy without a man by her side. That, at least, is something to celebrate.
And just like that … it’s over. The woman (me) is finally free.
And Just Like That… streams on HBO Max.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.