On March 22, 2022, the platform announced that AJLT has officially been renewed for an upcoming Season 2. To be sure, Season 1 was a rough ride, with untimely deaths both on the show and in real life, sexual assault allegations against a cast member, a hashtag movement in solidarity of a beloved character, shade thrown from an ex-SATC star, and negative reviews from critics and viewers alike. Yet through it all, AJLT was talked about so much, it proved (as the old adage goes) that “any publicity is good publicity,” “I’m feeling good about it… I think there will be [a Season 2],” HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys revealed in February 2022, about a month before the official renewal announcement. “[They’re] talking to figure out if there’s a story they’re excited by… and making sure they want to jump in,” he explained. “It’s a big commitment, and they’ll come to us and let us know what they’re thinking.” What kind of storylines might Season 2 entail, and which cast members are most likely to return (or not?). Here’s what we know so far about Season 2 of the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That.
Is there going to be an And Just Like That… Season 2?
Yes! Although again, a renewal was all but certain for weeks before the official announcement arrived. An inside source told gossip column Page Six in February 2022, “The creative conversations haven’t happened yet, but everyone is feeling good about the show.” Another source told the outlet that a second season could be used to right some of the perceived wrongs about this season, explaining, “They may feel that they want to prove a point that they can make a second season stronger and that it was valid to bring it back for fans.” Bloys told Vulture back in December 2021 (before the show’s Season 1 premiere) that a Season 2 would really be up to the show’s cast and creative team. “To tell you the truth, it would be a conversation, because I have no idea. They kind of came together to do this. They were all really busy and doing other things. So it is certainly a conversation we’ll have—for sure," Bloys said. “But we haven’t decided anything or done anything. I’m going to leave it up to these guys to figure out what they want to do, but I’m very happy with what they’ve done.” But Bloys has since revealed that the widely watched show has been HBO Max’s most successful original series yet. “In terms of viewership, it’s been phenomenal. I couldn’t be happier with how it’s doing in terms of reception,” he told Variety.
Who will be in And Just Like That… Season 2?
It’s fairly safe to say the show couldn’t continue without the three main leads of Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie, Cynthia Nixon as Miranda and Kristin Davis as Charlotte. When asked if she’d be interested in continuing the show, Parker told Variety, “Definitely, yeah… Michael [Patrick King, the showrunner] and I spoke two weeks ago, and said, ‘OK, when are we going to talk about this?’ Because there’s a calendar and you don’t want to let too much time pass. There feels like there’s momentum.” Nixon and Davis also gave hints they’d be interested in continuing. “Even though I’m an executive producer and I got to direct an episode, I am not a writer. And so, that is one of the great privileges of being a writer, that it’s not my job to figure it out, thank god,” Nixon, who also stars on HBO’s The Gilded Age, recently told ET. “You know, it’s my job to say that doesn’t seem right for my character. But in terms of the amazing writers, we have [been] dreaming things up. They know much better than I do.” Davis alluded to the possibility of a second season at a December press junket. “The Rose [who now goes by Rock] journey is going to be a long one,” she said, per VanityFair. “It’s probably not something that’s going to have a distinct end within this season, at least. Hopefully, we’ll get to come back and you’ll see what ends up happening with Rose.” For her part, Sarita Choudhury also said ahead of the Season 2 renewal that she’d love to see her role of Seema expanded upon. “I feel like the second [season] would be able to just jump into who they [the new characters] really are as opposed to getting the audience used to seeing what they’re seeing. So I would love a second season, but I really don’t know,” she told ET. What would she like to see for Seema? “I think maybe I’d like to see where she lives and who comes over to hang out with her, and how they are when they meet Carrie and how Carrie is in that world,” she recently told Elle. “I definitely [want to] see what she is like beyond a second date. Like domestic Seema, that would be very comedic to me.” Choudhury also liked the idea of Seema meeting up with Samantha—if Cattrall ever came on board for an appearance. “I think it would be so much fun to watch. And I think they would eye each other quite a bit,” Choudhury told Elle. “They do obviously have things in common and I think what would be so fun is—you know when two animals meet and they check each other out? It’s kind of that. And it could end up being very comedic or quite tender, in a weird way. And also I think, for the most part, I’ve had most of my scenes with Carrie and I don’t know why, but I’m so protective of her. And so if I did meet Samantha, it would probably be in a moment of hanging out with Carrie. I can imagine that.” In August 2022, Deadline reported that John Corbett will reprise his role as Aidan, Carrie’s likable furniture-maker ex. He will reportedly have a “substantial” arc for multiple episodes in And Just Like That… Season 2. The full And Just Like That… Season 2 cast will include:
Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw
Cynthia Nixon as Miranda
Kristin Davis as Charlotte
Sarita Choudhury as Seema
Sara Ramirez as Che Diaz
Tony Danza as Che Diaz’s father
Karen Pittman as Nya
Alexa Swinton as Rock
Nicole Ari Parker as Lisa
Ivan Hernandez as Franklin
John Corbett as Aidan
Will Samantha come back for Season 2 of And Just Like That…?
While AJLT’s Season 1 finale alludes to a reconciliation between Carrie and Samantha, it seems so far like the character will return in person to the Sex and the City universe. Kim Cattrall has been in a fairly public feud with Parker and other members of the show’s team for years; and while refraining from outwardly commenting on AJLT, Cattrall liked several tweets from fans bashing the show, including one calling it “trashy” and another that derided AJLT for repeatedly bringing up her character of Samantha. When asked by Variety if the door would ever open for Samantha to return, King said, “No. Just like there was no thought that Kim would ever participate in And Just Like That, because she’s said what she had said [about not wanting to be Samantha anymore]… I have no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again.” It’s also perhaps fortunate that the writers decided to kill off Chris Noth’s character, Carrie’s husband Big, in the first episode, as the actor has since been accused of sexual assault by several women. He denied the allegations, but Nixon, Davis and Parker released a statement in support of his accusers. A flashback scene featuring Big, which was filmed in Paris, was also scrapped from the Season 1 finale; and from the behind-the-scenes documentary trailer, it doesn’t look like he’ll be appearing there, either. Although initially there was talk that the allegations delayed or even derailed AJLT’s chances for a second season, it now seems that the distance the show has created from the actor will allow it to continue. Sadly, Stanford will likely forever be touring the globe with the influencer he left his life in New York to manage, as Garson died from pancreatic cancer during the filming of season 1. This is such a shame for viewers, as Stanford always had the best lines and added so much lightness and levity to the show. He will be missed.
What will happen in Season 2 of And Just Like That…?
Hopefully, the writers will take some of the criticisms of Season 1 to heart. First, the death of Big saddled Parker and much of the first season with such a feeling of grief and despair that it made it hard to enjoy watching. We’re ready for fun Carrie again, and can’t wait to see her venturing further into the dating world. Parker told Entertainment Tonight, “Season 2 is about resilience and rebound and laughter, and finding laughter more easily for people who might have experienced grief.” We’d love to see the women of color centered more so that they exist not just as vehicles to support the white women and their storylines, but as fully fleshed out characters on their own. We’ve seen a little bit of Nya ( and Lisa Todd Wexley (—now we need more. And even without a showdown with Samantha herself, we’d like to see Seema step into the “Samantha role” as the sex-positive single woman of the group—the one all-too-brief scene of the foursome out to dinner was a highlight of the season. We also want to see more of Seema’s new fling Zed, played by Emily in Paris’s William Abadie. Like Davis mentioned, her character’s relationship with her children, and specifically Rock, will continue to be the focus of her storylines. AJLT’s Charlotte had perhaps the most consistent character development of the three main women, probably because of the relative continuity of her storyline, which wasn’t blown up with death like Carrie’s or divorce/coming out like Miranda’s. As for Miranda, let’s bring back some of her no-nonsense self-assurance from SATC, as this new flighty, naive Miranda isn’t a good look for her. We don’t like the idea of Miranda giving up an internship for Che, as the preview for the final episode hints at—because Miranda’s career was always super important to her, and honestly, Che doesn’t seem very dependable as a long-term partner. Whether Che will even return for Season 2 is debatable as well, as some fans are ready for the show to ditch this sometimes-annoying and not-very-funny standup comedian. Miranda could instead explore her sexuality by venturing into the dating world again, while weaving in her relationship with now ex-husband Steve.
When would filming start on Season 2 of And Just Like That…?
In January 2021, HBO Max officially announced AJLT Season 1, with filming starting in July 2021. If that same schedule was followed for Season 2, that would mean a renewal announcement would come soon after the season finale, with production to start in New York City in summer 2022. Parker is currently starring with her real-life husband Matthew Broderick on Broadway in Plaza Suite, which runs until mid-June 2022, so she wouldn’t be available until after that; however a summer start date would still be possible, assuming all the other actors were available as well.
When would Season 2 of And Just Like That… premiere?
If production wraps by November or December 2022 (as Season 1 did in 2021), we could conceivably see a Season 2 in very late 2022 or the beginning of 2023.
Is there a trailer for And Just Like That… Season 2?
A quick teaser from an HBO sizzle reel for 2023 reveals Carrie telling Miranda and Charlotte, “I have to start a new chapter. Other people do.”
Could there be even more seasons of And Just Like That…?
It’s possible! When asked by Emmy Magazine in November whether this was the start of another multi-year series, King said, “I don’t know. As we were working, it always felt like the beginning. It didn’t feel like a beginning, middle and an end. So I think it’s possible to keep going—if we have enough good stories. The real reason I wanted to do this again is because I felt strongly that there was a new story to tell. It wasn’t just to try to recapture something, because that, to me, is foolish. It’s already there. The bottom line is, it’s thrilling, it’s daunting. It’s creatively a risk, and that’s exciting to me— to be taking a risk again, with these characters I love so much.” Next, we’re counting all the Easter eggs we can find in the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That…!
