And Just Like That... ends after three seasons, critics reflect on controversial reboot's finale

HBO Max’s Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That... concluded after three seasons, with showrunner Michael Patrick King announcing the decision in August. The series wrapped with a two‑part finale this summer, but the ending did not provide a tidy bow for all of its characters. In the closing chapter, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) has finished her novel and comes to terms with being single again after breaking up with Aidan, while other cast members did not receive clear send‑offs, leaving open questions about where their stories would go next.

The revival began as a hopeful return to the SATC universe, but reception quickly soured as the seasons wore on. Critics and viewers cited odd storytelling choices, uneven writing and a sense that some character arcs diverged too sharply from the original series. The show also faced sharp criticism for how it introduced and treated its new, diverse cast; many observers argued the integration of women of color was uneven and underdeveloped. Erin E. Evans wrote that AJLT was “a hack job of a TV series” and “an embarrassing spinoff,” and another critic described the program as often feeling like two different shows stitched together. By the finale, several outlets and fans argued the two‑part wrap failed to deliver a proper send‑off, leaving major questions about the characters’ trajectories unresolved.

Detailing the character work, critics argued the show kept Carrie chasing men instead of charting a new personal path in middle age. Big’s death in the first episode was followed by a controversial choice to revisit ex‑boyfriend Aidan, who stirred little growth for Carrie and often left her appearing as a shell of her former self. Miranda Hobbes, once the sharp, rational lawyer, was portrayed in Season 1 as unrecognizable to long‑time fans; her romance with Che Diaz and a fling that faded by Season 2 drew particular ire. Charlotte’s arcs were widely criticized as lacking substance, with some noting a diminishment of her signature edge and a fixation on family that did not resonate. Samantha’s absence hung over the show; many fans felt the show’s attempt to replace her with Seema or Che Diaz fell short of recapturing Samantha’s sass. Those tensions were compounded by a broader critique that the program did not integrate the new women of color into the SATC world with depth, and that some of the most high‑profile threads—such as LTW’s professional life and the model of Lisa Todd Wexley—were underexplored or relegated to peripheral status. Critics also called out a mishandled abortion storyline for LTW and questioned why a storyline about motherhood and autonomy didn't get the gravity it deserved. Critics also highlighted the reintroduction of Aidan, arguing that his return stalled Carrie's development rather than advancing it.

The public conversation around AJLT often returned to two core questions: could the reboot have honored its predecessors while forging a new path for its middle‑aged heroines, and did the storytelling justify a third season? Njera, who contributed to a round of post‑season debates, wrote that she had “really had high hopes for the reboot,” but that the show ultimately disappointed her “so much, and so quickly,” noting that Miranda’s characterization and Charlotte’s arc felt off from the legacy, and that Samantha’s absence left a void that the show never adequately filled. Erin E. Evans echoed that sentiment in her critique, calling the show a “hack job” and praising only the possibility of seeing the original trio together on screen, which, by season’s end, felt like a hollow consolation. “I’ll miss them,” Evans admitted, “even though each of their characters—Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte—felt like shells of themselves in this new iteration.”

The series’ handling of its diversity storylines was another frequent point of contention. Critics argued that the show’s attempts to bring in women of color, including characters such as LTW (Lisa Todd Wexley) and Dr. Nya Wallace, were not integrated with the narrative in a meaningful way. Karen Pittman, who played Dr. Nya Wallace, and Nicole Ari Parker, who portrayed LTW, were frequently cited as gifted performers who deserved more robust material. Seema (Sarita Choudhury) became one of the more prominent new regulars, yet many viewers felt she and the other new characters existed more as fixtures than as fully realized individuals. Some detractors argued that the show’s approach to diversity sometimes felt performative rather than aspirational, and that the best opportunities to explore new perspectives—such as LTW’s professional and personal life—were left underdeveloped. Critics also noted a sense that the original show’s voice and sensibility were difficult to recapture once the cast and tone shifted.

The death of Big, Carrie’s longtime partner, was a foundational moment for the reboot. The narrative that followed often hinged on whether Carrie would find independence or pivot back toward romance, a question complicated by Aidan’s return. On balance, viewers were divided about whether reintroducing beloved figures from SATC’ s past could serve the new show’s aims. Njera argued that the Aidan storyline ultimately felt like a retread that did not respect Carrie’s growth across the years, while Erin suggested that the reappearance of familiar faces sometimes undermined the possibility of meaningful evolution for the core characters. The open‑ended finale, which provided limited closure for many arcs, further fueled debate about whether the show’s end was planned from the start or a late concession to audience fatigue. “The two‑part finale just didn’t feel like a neat bow on the spinoff,” Evans wrote, reflecting a common reaction among critics who felt the conclusion left too much unsettled.

The reunion of Parker, Nixon and Davis on screen was a bright spot for some fans, even if the material surrounding it did not always live up to expectations. Evans acknowledged that seeing the trio together again triggered nostalgia for what SATC once stood for, even as she and others argued the reboot no longer captured the dynamic that made the original so beloved. Njera echoed that sentiment, noting that while the cast’s chemistry remains undeniable, the characters they played in AJLT no longer resembled those fans had come to know decades earlier. Some viewers also felt the finale’s tonal choices—such as a reliance on familiar motifs without the same bite—underscored a broader sense that the reboot had run its course. Nonetheless, the three stars remain icons of the series’ DNA, and their appearance in the closing chapters offered a final, if imperfect, reminder of what made the SATC universe so resonant for so long.

In the end, And Just Like That... ends with a mixed legacy: it provided a contemporary reintroduction to Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte, but many critics say it never fully figured out how to honor what came before while carving out a meaningful path for their lives in midlife. The decision to end the show after three seasons reflected a broader industry practice of winding down a risky reboot before audiences lose interest entirely. For fans who cherished the original, the final chapters may feel more like a cautionary tale about reboots than a triumphant continuation of a beloved world. For others, the closing note may simply signal that some stories are better left untouched. Whatever the takeaway, AJLT’s three‑season run is now a chapter in the ongoing cultural conversation about what Sex and the City represents in a changing television landscape, and how contemporary audiences want to revisit, revise, and reboot classic franchises.

The series remains available for streaming on HBO Max.