And Just Like That... Ends After Three Seasons, Open-Ended Finale Leaves Fans Divided

And Just Like That... has concluded after three seasons, with HBO Max confirming in August that the Sex and the City reboot would wrap up its run after a third season. The decision closed a highly publicized chapter that began with anticipation among longtime fans but grew increasingly divisive as the series evolved away from the tone and dynamics that defined the original show. In announcing the end, showrunner Michael Patrick King signaled a formal farewell, even as star Sarah Jessica Parker and the production team had kept a tight lid on the precise timing of a true series finale.

The third and final season closed with a two-part finale this summer. Carrie Bradshaw appears to have completed her novel and comes to terms with being single again after ending things with Aidan, but other central characters did not receive similar resolution. The finale left several threads open, and the episode-by-episode pace did not provide the definitive emotional punctuation some fans expected from a legacy title. In the wake of the ending, critics and longtime viewers debated whether the show should have existed at all, and whether its conclusion offered a satisfying send-off for characters first introduced decades ago.

Response to the end of And Just Like That... was mixed. Some fans expressed a sense of relief that the revival has finally ended, while others lamented the departure from the spirit of the original Sex and the City series. Critics described the run as uneven, noting odd storytelling choices and tone that often felt detached from the core dynamic that made the 1998-2004 program so influential. The reception was colored by a broader conversation about whether the reboot managed to honor the characters while updating them for a new era, and whether it succeeded in integrating a more diverse cast without diluting the franchise’s signature dynamic.

Several character arcs drew particular scrutiny. Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte—played by Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis—continued to anchor the show, but many viewers felt their storylines lost the edge and wit that defined the original. The reboot also introduced new characters designed to diversify the group, including LTW (Nicole Ari Parker), Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman) and Seema (Sarita Choudhury). While the intention was to reflect a broader New York, critics argued these figures often remained on the periphery rather than becoming fully realized presences in the ensemble.

The handling of legacy players drew especially sharp critique. Critics and fans debated how much the series should lean into the earlier plots of Big’s death, the reintroduction of Aidan, and the potential rekindling of old dynamics. In several episodes, Carrie’s oscillation between independence and romance felt like a re-tread of familiar themes rather than a fresh exploration of a woman navigating life in her 50s. The decision to reintroduce Aidan and re-pivot Carrie toward a long, unresolved arc with him proved a polarizing choice that many viewers felt interrupted any meaningful progress for her character.

Beyond relationship-driven plots, the show’s approach to social issues—such as the abortion storyline faced by LTW—was another flashpoint. Critics described the Season 2 pregnancy and its handling as a missed opportunity to engage with a timely, nuanced conversation. The broader attempt to expand the show’s color palette and give real estate to women of color in the ensemble was praised by some for intent, but others argued that characters of color remained underdeveloped and too often relegated to supporting roles rather than being integrated as core co-leads.

The open-ended finale compounded these debates. Even as Parker and King suggested that the cast would bid farewell, the two-part ending did not deliver a clean, definitive closure for the series’ major threads. Some observers viewed the finale as evidence that the revival was better left as a memory of its era, rather than a concluded chapter in the SATC universe. Critics who had long argued for a sharper return to the show’s roots contended that the ending underscored the risk of reboot fatigue and the difficulty of recapturing a beloved predecessor without retreading its most potent ideas.

In reflections on the series’ overall arc, reviews and commentary from critics who followed the show since its early renewal noted that And Just Like That... began with a sense of reunion and novelty but ultimately devolved into uneven storytelling. Erin E. Evans and Njera Pryor, writing about the series in late-season discussions, described the reboot as a mixed bag that felt like two different shows at times: one that honored the original’s cultural footprint and another that attempted to modernize it with a broader, more diverse cast but failed to weave those characters into a cohesive whole. They also criticized the handling of Samantha, whose absence from the main cast during the revival remained a sore point for longtime fans.

Other criticisms focused on the show’s relationship to the original voice and chemistry that defined the earlier series. Some viewers lamented that the new circumstances—such as shifts in romance, career ambitions, motherhood and friendship—were explored at the expense of the sharp wit and brisk pacing that made the show a cultural touchstone. The debates extended to performances and characterizations: Miranda’s arc, Charlotte’s circumstances, and Carrie’s ongoing navigation of relationships seemed to many to drift away from what initially drew audiences to the show.

The cast and crew repeatedly framed the ending as deliberate farewells, with Parker and King describing the project as a proper send-off rather than a perpetually open-ended reboot. Yet the finale’s reception suggested that, for many viewers, the gesture arrived late and without the emotional impact they hoped for. As the series leaves the streaming catalog, the conversation continues about what the reboot accomplished, what it failed to honor, and what lessons future revivals might take from its experience.

All episodes of And Just Like That... remain streaming on HBO Max. The three-season arc stands as a high-profile example of how a beloved franchise can attract broad attention, only to provoke debate about whether a modernized version can truly satisfy fans while honoring the original’s heritage.