Spoiler alert: If you’ve not seen And Just Like That yet, this story contains mild spoilers.
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker sat down for a wide-ranging interview with her buddy Andy Cohen on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live last night.
Cohen praised her for the success of the recent Sex And The City sequel, And Just Like That, but inevitably, the elephant in the room was addressed: The absence of Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall.
Cohen said he loved the way Jones’ absence was handled on the show, and how the character was “kept alive”, even if she did not appear.
Parker said she could take no credit for how it played out, apart from her role as an actress in conveying the message. She credited showrunner Michael Patrick King and the other screenwriters.
“Samantha is not gone,” she said. “The actress that played the role is no longer playing that role, but people are absent from your life when you don’t want them to be. You know, and I thought that in typical Michael Patrick fashion, he threaded it through with grace and dignity and respect and love and affection for that character.
“I thought it mimicked many friendships that challenge each other and struggle and want to remain connected in a way, because it’s too painful.”
Cohen went on to ask about some other questions viewers had about the show, including why her character, Carrie Bradshaw, wasn’t shown calling 911 when her husband, Big, had a heart attack.
“Of course she called 911,” Parker replied, laughing. “Didn’t you see the people behind moving the body?”
Cohen said viewers never actually saw her make the call.
“That’s an understandable and logical expectation,” said Parker. “It’s suspended animation, this moment where everything stops and then whatever collapsing of time that happens does not stop her from taking care of somebody, in a fashion that you would want and expect from your partner, or husband or wife.”
She said Carrie, “found the phone at some point, let’s quickly walk through this together. So in my head, she struggled through this moment and tried to get him to be responsive and then she came to her senses. I’m going to say after about two to three seconds, and then of course she called 911 and got all the help she needed from professionals.”
Related: Kristen Davis gets very awkward and defensive when asked about Che Diaz’s polarizing comedy set
Cohen then asked if she had thought the comedy set from the new character Che Diaz (played by nonbinary performer Sara Ramirez) was actually funny. Parker, perhaps surprisingly, said she had not watched it.
“I’m going to make a confession to everybody,” said Parker. “I have not seen episodes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 yet. It’s my problem.
“I feel that I’m not in a position to declare whether Che’s comedy is funny or not.”
Last month, Cohen asked Parker’s co-star, Kristen Davis, the same questions, and she also avoided giving a direct answer.
“Oh Andy, don’t put me on the spot,” Davis begged. “You’re going to get me in trouble with Michael Patrick [King].”
Davis went on to explain that she didn’t think the stand-up set was supposed to be funny.
“You know, I think it’s meant to be more like ‘hmmm’ type comedy, you know, ‘oooh, oh’,” she explained, somewhat awkwardly.
Related: Sara Ramirez on the response to Che Diaz: “I have to protect my own mental health”
Cohen told Sarah Jessica Parker he welcomed the new characters on And Just Like That, and looked forward to seeing them more on Season 2. There’s been no official confirmation yet that a second season is definitely going ahead, although Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker have both indicated they’re up for the idea.
Parker also dropped hints about some potential storylines, refusing to rule out fans seeing a return of Aiden Shaw (played by John Corbett).
“I think he would be well… I’m not gonna, I mean, yes, all of it’s possible. All of it’s possible.”
Parker also talked about reuniting with Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy to film Hocus Pocus 2, and her relationship with husband Matthew Broderick. The two are currently appearing in Plaza Suite on Broadway together, and Parker revealed that on March 8th she and Broderick “Will have been together, ready folks, 30 years,” which prompted a congratulatory high five from Cohen.
Cam
“”Cohen then asked if she had thought the comedy set from the new character Che Diaz (played by nonbinary performer Sara Ramirez) was actually funny. Parker, perhaps surprisingly, said she had not watched it.””
Yeah, Suuuuuure she didn’t see it. lol
Troyfight
Honestly don’t understand why there seems to be this public’s feeling of wanting to tear SJParker apart, when she reprises this show/character. I’ve never seen Sex NTCity…but…. it’s just weird.
graphicjack
Some of that is rooted in misogyny… conservative men hate a show that shows women in control of their careers and sexuality… however, as a former fan of the show, I do think the show has jumped the shark and after the tragic second film, Catrall was right to step away and admit this show is not appropriate anymore. Seeing four relatively wealthy white women in expensive designer clothing and living in real estate out of reach for 95% of the population doesn’t feel very current in today’s world of extreme wealth inequality. Shoehorning diverse characters into the plot feels like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
The show had a time and place and was incredibly successful… but the writing has been crap for a while now and the fans are tearing it to shreds. Keeping this going just feels desperate and all about the money, not the art.
What could have worked? Rebooting the show but with completely different actresses, rooting into today’s New York and having a more diverse cast. This is not it, sis.
Troyfight
@graphicjack ….thank you. Makes sense.
Beachman
I love how the twitter mob thinks they speak for everyone. What else would you expect from a bunch of whiny, bitter, trolls with too much time on their hands. I hate to be the one to inform you, but many of us enjoyed AJLT, and are interested in seeing these characters evolve. The writing is not crap, and Michael Patrick King has not destroyed the series he created. In fact, not just my opinion, it has become the most watched series in the history of HBO Max, and it has led other creators to consider reviving other series that have ended (e.g., Girls, Entourage, etc.).
In addition, I wouldn’t be so quick to call SJP or other actors ‘liars’, as I’ve known many very successful actors/actresses who do not watch their shows or finished product. There are a number of reasons for this, but they just don’t.
Finally, I really don’t ‘get’ the criticism that the characters in AJLT are ‘out of touch’. That’s been the whole premise of the show and purpose of these characters from the beginning. They were always meant to be a straight woman’s fantasy of how they would like to live their lives. What did you think MPK would do with the new series? Have them all get married, fat, and move to Texas? WTF?
What MPK has done brilliantly is bring SATC into the 21st century. These characters are older…..in some ways wiser….and for the most part they are still friends. The focus is no longer on immediate gratification, but on longer term happiness, by raising their children, developing their relationships, etc. For characters that have been around so long, and are so beloved, that is very hard to do.
cuteguy
SJP clearly lied about not watching episodes 3-10. It’s too convenient and she’s avoiding the subject by outright lying. Of course she would do it on a show from AC bc she was expecting prepared softball questions. Bottomline the majority of SATC fans were extremely disappointed in AJLT bc Michael Patrick King destroyed the legacy of the original show. AJLT makes the SATC films seem like Masterpiece Theater. Che Diaz is the worst of the worst and that’s so sad considering they are a non binary character that could’ve been groundbreaking representation but ultimately failed
BoomerMyles
SJP also replied on Andy’s show she didn’t read any of the reviews or comments of viewers expressing their disappointment with the new series.
Clear cases of evasion.
winemaker
Who cares about irrelevant S**T like this other than those without better things to do with valuable time that once wasted ‘s gone forever.
BarryM
“And Just like That” stinks.
Res1
Why didn’t they just cast another Samantha like they did with Becky on Roseanne?
StudioTodd
Because any actress who would have taken the role would have been completely destroyed by fans of the original. No one with any sense would have agreed to do it.