One Last Cosmo With Carrie Bradshaw: Fans Say Goodbye To 'and Just Like That'

Warning: This article contains immoderate "And Just Like That" spoilers.

It's nan extremity of an era for New York City's astir notorious fictional activity columnist.

On Thursday, "And Just Like That," nan spinoff of nan celebrated "Sex and nan City" series, wrapped up its 3rd and last season.

With its conclusion came a bittersweet realization for galore fans: Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) will apt ne'er locomotion onto their TV screens successful her Manolo Blahniks ever again.

The spin-off was met with mostly tepid reviews erstwhile it debuted connected HBO Max successful 2021. Viewers person since described it arsenic their favourite show to "hate watch," and called retired respective ridiculous storylines, including nan play 1 bombshell infinitesimal erstwhile Carrie’s longtime emotion interest-turned-husband, Mr. Big, dies while riding a Peloton. Many fans person besides continued to lament nan truth that beloved characteristic Samantha Jones was not portion of nan caller series. (She only makes a brief, off-screen cameo.)

But moreover amid nan criticism, "And Just Like That" continued to service arsenic a nostalgic reminder of nan original magic of "Sex and nan City," a show that has remained portion of nan zeitgeist contempt ending much than 2 decades ago.

"Even though I’ve complained a batch astir this show, I’ve rather enjoyed nan complaining," Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of nan book "Sex and nan City and Us," told NBC News successful an email. "It’s still a shape of fandom, and fandom is simply a benignant of bonding. It’s a measurement of knowing personification is your group correct away."

The original show, which ran for six seasons (from 1998 to 2004) connected HBO, came to specify a procreation of viewers, peculiarly women who saw themselves successful nan quartet of female characters. It was based connected nan life and activity of Candace Bushnell, who wrote a file for The New York Observer called "Sex and nan City" and later a book of nan aforesaid name.

In summation to Carrie Bradshaw’s romanticist escapades, "SATC" besides centered astir nan female friendships Carrie had pinch PR queen/sex affirmative pal Samantha (Kim Cattrall), preppy creation dealer/hopeless romanticist Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and feisty, cynical lawyer Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon).

"It was a formative show for astatine slightest a procreation aliases 2 of women, 1 that gave america a caller imagination for what it meant to beryllium single, independent, professional, and successful your 30s," Armstrong said. "Before this, being a azygous female successful popular civilization was sad."

"These women showed america that being a azygous female meant nights connected nan municipality pinch your girlfriends, changeless dishy activity talk astatine brunch, and a awesome wardrobe you bought yourself," she added. "That was still caller then, and it turned being a azygous female from being sad to being glamorous."

But why does it still resonate?

"Now, we person truthful galore shows wherever women are azygous and talk astir activity and dating," said Eli Rallo, writer of nan upcoming book, "Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?" “But what Candace Bushnell and [showrunner] Michael Patrick King did for women successful their 30s and beyond during nan 90s and early 2000s was taste-making.”

The "SATC" beingness has continued to onslaught a chord pinch viewers "because nan show did a cleanable occupation of hitting nan nail connected nan caput of existent women successful their 30s," added Rallo, who has besides been described arsenic "Gen Z’s Carrie Bradshaw" by immoderate of her 1 cardinal positive followers on Instagram and TikTok.

“And Just Like That" came aft 2 “SATC” movies (released successful 2008 and 2010, respectively) and a prequel series, "The Carrie Diaries" (which aired connected nan CW for 2 seasons from 2013-2014).

The spin-off served arsenic a continuation of nan storyline of nan group of friends successful New York City, pinch nan women now successful their 50s. While Rallo said she understands nan disapproval toward "And Just Like That," she described nan spin-off arsenic a "treat" because it served arsenic an opportunity to spot these characters "in a later shape successful life."

Throughout nan 33 episodes of "And Just Like That," Carrie navigates nan decease of a loved 1 (Mr. Big), reunites and past splits up pinch her different erstwhile occurrence (Aidan), and starts anew successful a way larger spot than her iconic apartment. Miranda gets sober, goes done a divorce, comes out and finds a caller profession that she's passionate about. Charlotte, still joined to nan emotion of her life, Harry Goldenblatt, returns to activity arsenic an creation trader while balancing being a mother to 2 teens (one who comes retired arsenic nonbinary).

Samantha is nary longer portion of nan group's day-to-day lives, having moved to London. But location were immoderate caller additions to nan spin-off crew, including: Charlotte's chap moving mom, Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker); Carrie's realtor-turned-friend, Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury); and Miranda's now-ex partner, stand-up comic Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez).

In Thursday’s finale of "And Just Like That," Carrie does nan unexpected for a characteristic we've chiefly seen entangled successful nan thralls of romance for nan 27 years she's been onscreen. She ends up choosing herself. The show concludes pinch Carrie astatine her laptop, rewriting nan opening statement from nan closing of her caller book. She sounds it retired loud, successful a emblematic Carrie voiceover, arsenic she types: "The female realized she wasn’t alone. She was connected her own." Carrie past gets up and dances astir successful her apartment.

Early guidance to nan finale appeared to beryllium lukewarm, pinch fans connected X and TikTok sharing mixed responses Thursday evening.

"The ending of And Just Like That Season 3 is mildly chaotic, amusing, and small bittersweet… but I liked it? #AndJustLikeThat" one X personification quipped.

"The last changeable ever is 1 for nan books, sitting astatine her computer, window-shot, followed by opus and dance," one TikTok personification wrote successful nan matter of their video astir nan finale, which featured a clip of nan extremity scene.

Others were little enthusiastic.

"The assesination of SATC IS unforgivable," one X personification wrote, replying to a station from nan show’s account.

"You’ve sewage to beryllium kidding me," 1 TikTok creator said successful her guidance video, calling nan finale "disrespectful."

King said nan determination to extremity nan show came aft he consulted with Parker, who serves arsenic an executive producer, arsenic good arsenic Casey Bloys, HBO’s main executive officer, and Sarah Aubrey, HBO’s caput of original programming.

"While I was penning nan past section of 'And Just Like That…' play 3, it became clear to maine that this mightiness beryllium a awesome spot to stop," King wrote successful his Aug. 1 announcement.

Since King posted nan news, formed members and fans person reflected connected nan show's bequest and what it meant to them.

"I will ever cherish this astonishing acquisition and each of you," Nixon wrote successful a station Thursday, giving a typical shoutout to "all nan undying fans of nan show and nan SATC universe."

Davis besides shared a goodbye post, writing, "... successful my mind, Charlotte will beryllium surviving her life successful her ain glorious way, whether we get to watch her aliases not. Thanks to each who came on for nan ride."

Parker’s tribute, which she shared connected Instagram earlier this month, stirred nan astir instrumentality response. It garnered much than 772,000 likes.

"Carrie Bradshaw has dominated my master heartbeat for 27 years. I deliberation I person loved her astir of all," Parker wrote. "I cognize others person loved her conscionable arsenic I have. Been frustrated, condemned, and rooted for her. The symphony of each those emotions has been nan top soundtrack and astir consequential companion."

In nan comments, hundreds of group — including a fistful of celebrities — shared their emotion for Parker and Carrie.

"This show has been nan top friend and companion for 30 years," comedian Billy Eichner wrote. "So galore of america grew up pinch it. Thank you for each nan difficult activity and devotion."

"THIS IS ALL TOO FINAL SOUNDING! AND I AM NOT READY!!!" musician Kelly Rowland commented.

But Parker hasn't wholly dismissed nan anticipation of returning to Carrie 1 day.

"I person learned not to opportunity goodbye, but to opportunity farewell," she told civilization commentator Evan Ross Katz successful a caller Q&A hosted by Threads and HBO Max.

"There's a favoritism ... You get astatine this decision, and it's incredibly difficult to beryllium definitive and to opportunity it ... But I deliberation it's nan respect and nan affection that we consciousness for nan acquisition successful totality that leads you to a determination for illustration this."

Years ago, Parker said, she ne'er would person expected to make "Sex and nan City" movies, fto unsocial a spin-off. Then King called, and Parker said, "It was truthful evident to some of america that it felt right" to revisit nan beingness pinch a caller show.

"So who knows?" she told Katz.

We couldn't thief but wonderment ...