And Just Like That... Episode Three SPOILER ALERT: Grieving Carrie is dealt yet another blow as Mr Big's secrets and lies are revealed with a shock face from the past returning
- Contains spoilers for And Just Like That... Episode Three
Sex And The City's eagerly-anticipated reboot And Just Like That... returned to screens on Thursday, with fans seeing the aftermath of Mr Big's (Chris Noth) shock death in the opening episodes.
Episode three of the series, entitled When in Rome, is just as dramatic, as it follows widow Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) as she struggles to cope after Big's heart attack, while she's also forced to confront one of his exes in a bid to find out more about her late husband's dealings.
The show begins with grieving Carrie back at work recording her woke sex podcast with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) as she admits it's been a 'rough few weeks' but comforted by knowing she was 'never happier' than in her final weeks with Big.
And Just Like That... Episode Three: Grieving Carrie was dealt yet another blow as Mr Big's secrets and lies were revealed with a shock face from the past returning to confront her
With no time to sit and wallow, the columnist is next seen meeting up with Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) as she heads to Big's will reading alongside his longtime assistant Gloria (Brenda Vaccaro).
The emotional situation soon turns tense, however, as it transpires that Big has left his ex-wife Natasha Naginsky £1 million in his will.
Big famously shocked SATC fans in season two when it was revealed he was engaged to 26-year-old Natasha (Bridget Moynahan) having known her for just five months. Carrie and Big then embarked on a brief affair during his marriage, resulting in a tense showdown between the love rivals when she learnt of the infidelity.
With a shocked Carrie struggling to process the news, the executor of the estate muses that in his experience money is usually used to put an end to any 'unfinished business', leaving the ladies reeling.
Talk of the scandal continues as Carrie and Miranda meet Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Stanford Blatch - played by the late Willie Garson - for lunch.
When in Rome: The episode follows widow Carrie Bradshaw ( Sarah Jessica Parker ) as she struggles to cope after Big's heart attack, while she's also forced to confront one of his exes in a bid to find out more about her late husband's dealings
Still reeling from the news, Carrie exclaims, 'I'm just one of the wives Big was taking care of... Why is she in there at all?' while Miranda muses, 'he did destroy her life'.
As Carrie continues to question why Big kept the plan a secret, Miranda is seen desperately searching for the wine she's ordered, adding yet more fuel to the claims she has an alcohol problem in the reboot.
A disparaged Carrie then reasons: 'I can't believe it. Big is gone, and Natasha is back.'
Shock: It transpires that Big has left his ex-wife Natasha Naginsky £1 million in his will, leading to a shock return to the series by Bridget Moynahan
Back in her New York apartment, Carrie desperately tries to get into Big's laptop while searching for clues to why he made the decision, while across town Charlotte is reading stories to Rose (Alexa Swinton), who admits she's uncomfortable being called a girl.
Rose, who is 12 in the reboot, admits 'I don't feel like a girl', with a baffled Charlotte trying to diffuse the situation by announcing 'I sometimes don't feel like a girl too!'
The following morning, Charlotte meets with old friend and Stanford's husband, Anthony Marentino (Mario Cantone) to discuss Rose's confession, with Anthony noting he should just 'ignore it' and move on, dismissing the notion as child-like fantasy.
Surrounded by friends: Talk of the scandal continues as Carrie and Miranda meet Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Stanford Blatch - played by the late Willie Garson - for lunch
Amid the drama over Rose's gender identity, Carrie is still attempting to piece together why Big left money to Natasha, and after a fruitless rummage through his belongings, takes it upon herself to email Natasha directly.
Explaining her decision to Miranda, Carrie reveals: 'It wasn't easy... the sixth stage of grief is stalking!' expressing her anger that she is yet to respond, she adds: 'I can't sleep in this apartment anymore. It's haunted. Him, her', before tracking Natasha down on Instagram to DM her - only to be immediately blocked in response.
With no other way of contacting Natasha, Carrie enlists Miranda and Charlotte to hide out and stalk Natasha outside her office in order to confront her and find out if she was still in touch, or worse, having an affair with Big.
As Charlotte and Miranda wait across the street for Carrie, it transpires that Miranda is hoarding mini bottles of alcohol in her purse, and also that she's been having marriage troubles with Steve (David Eigenberg), admitting they haven't slept together in years.
Searching for answers: Back in her New York apartment, Carrie desperately tries to get into Big's laptop and mobile while searching for clues to why he made the decision
There's no time to talk further on her issues, however, as Carrie comes storming in having been blown off yet again by Natasha at her office before accidentally locking eyes with Natasha through her office window and being forced to run away.
The following morning, Carrie is no closer to calming down and admits to Miranda: 'I'm really mad at Big. After all these years, this what I'm left with. He ruined our happy-sad ending.'
Heading on a walk to clear her head, Carrie then stops in at a coffee shop to use the restroom, only to accidentally barge in on Natasha using the toilet.
The showdown then ensues with a scathing Natasha saying: 'At a coffee shop? At my job? Where are you going to hunt me down next Carrie? What the f**k do you want from me?'
Unexpected: Charlotte's daughter Rose admits she's uncomfortable being called a girl, so Charlotte meets with old friend and Stanford's husband, Anthony Marentino to discuss Rose's confession
As Carrie pleads with Natasha to sit down and talk, a formerly furious Natasha reluctantly takes a seat and reveals she now has two children and also doesn't want the money from Big's will, revealing she hasn't spoken to her ex-husband since the divorce.
Natasha admits she will never understand why Big married her when he was still in love with Carrie, with Carrie speculating that it may have been his way of apologising for the affair.
With Carrie finally having had the closure she needed, she takes the girls out to watch boss Che's standup routine, in which the comedian discusses her struggle with her gender identity as well as her sexuality - which seems to strike a chord with Miranda.
What could it be: With no other way of contacting Natasha, Carrie enlists Miranda and Charlotte to hide out and stalk Natasha outside her office in order to confront her and find out if she was still in touch, or worse, having an affair with Big
Choose volume like Sarah Jessica Parker in Carolina Herrera
Sarah Jessica Parker wowed in a lilac taffeta shirt dress from Carolina Herrera while filming the hotly anticipated Sex and the City reboot, and she looked as fashionable as ever.
This voluminous number is cut to a flared midi silhouette that’s defined by ruched seams and a tiered fluttery hem. She wore her sleeves effortlessly turned up for a cool undertone.
SJP’s look was polished with a rock ‘n’ roll Streets Ahead ‘Roger’ belt (the same iconic style worn in the original SATC) and classic Manolo Blahnik calf leather ‘BB’ pumps.
While tracking down this exact dress may be tricky, that won’t get in the way of you emulating her look. Cue: a range of alternative designs that you can shop right now using the carousel below.
Our edit includes fancy styles from the likes of Ted Baker, Glamorous and River Island. Time to sashay in style – Carrie would be proud!
After the show she hangs around to speak to Che before sharing a marihuana joint with her in a particularly intimate moment.
Meanwhile, in their taxi home, Charlotte admits to Carrie that she's concerned about Miranda's drinking and believes she has a problem, but Carrie is quick to dismiss her.
The episode ends with Carrie deciding to return to her old rent-controlled brownstone apartment instead of the suite she shared with Big, with the closing lines: 'And just like that... I walked myself... home.'
Problematic: As Charlotte and Miranda wait across the street for Carrie, it transpires that Miranda is hoarding mini bottles of alcohol in her purse, and also that she's been having troubles with Steve, admitting they haven't slept together in years.
And Just Like That... comes 23 years after the original TV series debuted - and 11 years since the second movie, with Sarah, Cynthia and Kristin all returning without Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones.
Filming started in New York City back in June, with production wrapping just weeks ago.
Photos taken from the Paris set caused quite the uproar among fans, as Carrie was spotted kissing a new character, played by Jon Tenney.
Fans began wildly speculating about the marital status of Carrie and her long-time on-and-off lover Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who finally tied the knot at the end of the first Sex and the City movie.
Awkward: Heading on a walk to clear her head, Carrie then stops in at a coffee shop to use the restroom, only to accidentally barge in on Natasha using the toilet
The trailers released for the new 10-episode series seem to indicate that they're still quite the happy couple, though given their on-and-off history, it's possible they could split at some time in the series.
Still, while promoting the show night on The Late Show with Steven Colbert recently, Cynthia and Kristin essentially confirmed that they filmed 'fake scenes' to throw rabid fans off.
'Yes, definitely!' Kristin exclaimed, while Cynthia shook her head with a wry smile and said, 'Absolutely not.'
Intimate: Carrie takes the girls out to watch boss Che's standup routine, where Miranda shares a marihuana joint with her in a particularly intimate moment
Colbert pointed at Kristin and said, 'I believe you,' and when Colbert asked again, Cynthia shrugged and conceded, 'It might be true.'
They didn't mention any specific scenes, so it's unclear if the Paris kissing scene with Jon Tenney was 'fake' or not.
Other returning stars include Evan Handler (Harry Goldblatt), David Eigenberg (Steve Brady), and the late Willie Garson, who filmed three episodes as Carrie's longtime friend Stanford Blatch, before passing away from pancreatic cancer in September at age 57.
And Just Like That... was created by Michael Patrick King, based on the books by Candace Bushnell.
She's back: The episode ends with Carrie deciding to return to her old rent-controlled brownstone apartment instead of the suite she shared with Big, with the closing lines: 'And just like that... I walked myself... home'
Episode three comes after fans have vented their fury over Carrie's actions when she discovered Mr. Big slumped on the floor after suffering a heart attack.
Viewers believe had Carrie reacted quicker and called 911, she may have been able to save Mr. Big's life as their 15th-floor penthouse is just an eight minute drive from Lenox Hill Hospital.
In the scenes which shocked fans, Carrie's long-time love, and husband, John James Preston, otherwise known as Mr. Big , collapsed from a heart attack after working up a sweat on one of Peloton's exercise bikes at the end of episode one.
And Just Like That... viewers have vented their fury over Carrie Bradshaw's actions when she discovered Mr. Big slumped on the floor after suffering a heart attack
Tragic ending: Fans of the show have questioned why Sarah's character lay him on his side, half under the shower and kisses him instead of alerting emergency services
He was unable to call emergency services himself after dropping his phone in the shower.
Arriving back home from a piano recital for Charlotte's daughter, Carrie is horrified to find Mr. Big laying on the bathroom floor, and proceeds to comfort him in his final moments before slipping away and dying.
Vulture went on to analyse Mr. Big's final moments and if his untimely death could have been prevented by speaking to Daniel Luger, a cardiologist at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center.
When asked if it was possible for Mr. Big to be conscious for around 30 minutes after having the heart attack, while Carrie rushed across NY to get back home, Dr Luger replied: 'Very much so'.
He went on: 'This is her fault. Without trying to point a finger at her, this is absolutely the fault of — what’s her name?
'She needed to do CPR. This is a PSA: If you see somebody lose consciousness, the first thing you do is feel for a pulse.
'She needed to do CPR. This is a PSA: If you see somebody lose consciousness, the first thing you do is feel for a pulse.
'If there’s no pulse, you call EMS and start chest compressions without delay. You can definitely save people’s lives that way. He didn’t need to die. This is a travesty.'
The doctor said how if Mr.Big had made it to hospital or if EMS was at his side, 'they could absolutely shock him out of that rhythm' and it was a 'very treatable problem' in he had medical care.
And viewers echoed Dr Luger's professional opinion on Twitter.
One viewer wrote: 'When I was having what felt like a heart attack, I was so lucky I wasn't in a situation where calling 911 for help was not possible, like for instance if I had been married to Carrie Bradshaw.'
While a different fan chimed: 'Why didn’t Carrie call 911, get the aspirin, get the nitro, anything to try to save him. The length of time she just stood there was agonizing.'
A third typed: 'I was SCREAMING at the screen', while a different viewer added: 'Look it’s not Peloton’s fault that Carrie doesn’t know how to dial 911 or do chest compressions'.
Another fan wrote: 'I thought I was the only one screaming 911 at the screen.'
It comes after the creator of the Sex And The City reboot series And Just Like That... explained the shocking death of one of the show's long-running characters, and why a real Peloton stationary bike was used in the death scene.
Series developer Michael Patrick King revealed the idea around killing Mr. Big off so early on was to give the show a new look and feel, which includes doing the unexpected through the perspective of Carrie.
'Dying was the origin story,' King confessed Vanity Fair, adding, 'Nobody wanted to come back if [the show] was not going to be different.'
'When I told Chris that Mr. Big dies in the first episode, he definitely knew it wasn't [going to be the] same. And we had to talk about it,' King confessed.
'He really wanted to talk about why he's dying and what it does for this series. The more we talked about it, the more he understood that it was for Carrie— and Carrie's storyline is it's better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all.'
And Just Like That... Episode Four airs in the US on HBO Max on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET. In the UK, the show airs on NOW TV at 8am and Sky Comedy at 8am and 9am and 9pm and 10pm
Hurt: After getting off the stationary bike, Mr. Big, otherwise known as John James Preston, grimaces in pain when he begins to have a heart attack
Carrie really is a horrible person - they all are....
by sophie 384