Kim Cattrall Stole And Just Like That's Season 2 Finale With A One Minute Cameo
"Sex and the City," for all of its imperfections (and there are many), is one of the most groundbreaking series in television history. Before "SATC," being single was almost universally depicted as being one of the worst possible things a woman could be. Tropes like spinsters, shrews, and sluts were seen as a death sentence, and single women were defined by their journey to becoming someone's wife and mother.
But then, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) defied the status quo and introduced the revolutionary idea that "maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with." For six seasons, "Sex and the City" let women in their 30s be messy, vulgar, and oh-so-very sexy. I was "the Miranda" in my own friend group, and "Sex and the City" was a sleepover staple that allowed us to fantasize about what it was going to be like for us when we finally reached adulthood.
The series is also a painful reflection of its time, which means a lot of jokes and situations have aged like an open avocado in the sun. When it was announced that Max (at the time HBO Max) was going to revive the series as "And Just Like That" and follow the cast as women in their 50s, it was assumed that the series would have to reckon with its problematic past. Thus far, two seasons in, there has been an active attempt to course correct and include some much-needed diversity in its storytelling. Granted, it has been a clunky, awkward ride, but it's clear that, much like the privileged white women at the center, they're at least trying.
But an even bigger uphill battle has been the lack of "Sex and the City's" secret ingredient — Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones.
Why Samantha isn't on And Just Like That
When "And Just Like That" was first announced, it came with the caveat that Kim Cattrall would not be returning to the role of Samantha Jones. Without falling too much into celebrity gossip, Cattrall and co-star Sarah Jessica Parker have had a pretty public feud for many years and Cattrall has made no qualms about not wanting to return to that world. However, it was announced before the start of "And Just Like That" season 2 that Cattrall would have a cameo in the season finale, information that I personally wish would have stayed a secret. I know, I know, hypocritical words coming from someone who has gone on record talking about how spoiler culture has gotten out of control.
"This is as far as I'm going to go," Cattrall told Today about Samantha's potential in the series. "I don't think I'll ever say goodbye to Samantha [...] She gave me so much, and I'm so appreciative of her." Part of the return was also the decision to include legendary "Sex and the City" costumer Patricia Field style her for the cameo appearance, which showed Samantha calling Carrie on the phone from the backseat of a car. This allowed her to appear in the episode without having to share space with anyone else. Kim Cattrall getting paid handsomely for a minute of screen time in fabulous clothing without having to actually speak to the person that pisses her off the most is the most Samantha Jones move possible, and the fact fans willingly sat through eye-roll-inducing plots all season to get there is a testament to the power of that character.
Her iconic "SATC" line "I love you, but I love me more," is well on display. She made this appearance for the fans and protected her peace in the process.
'Thank you for everything'
The circumstance of Samantha's appearance is that Carrie is saying farewell to her apartment after all these years, the location of many memorable moments on both "SATC" and "AJLT." Samantha's flight was delayed and she'll sadly be missing the dinner, so she demands that Carrie put her on speakerphone so she can say goodbye in a way only Samantha can. "Thank you for everything you f***ing fabulous, fabulous flat," she says.
Canonically, Samantha has been living in England, so when her voice slightly dips into a British accent, she jokes and refers to herself as "Annabelle Bronstein," an alter-ego she playfully put on in a season 6 episode of "SATC." She ends the call with "Ta and cheerio!" before telling Carrie, "and have a great night," hanging up, and planting a kiss on the phone's screen. And so, we say goodbye to Samantha Jones once more.
I'm going to get personal here and admit that this moment brought me to tears because my personal, real-life "Samantha" passed away in 2016. And much like the women of "And Just Like That," the shift in our friendship dynamic has never truly recovered either. But at that moment, it was like I had her back because Samantha Jones influenced so much of what made my friend equally as "harsh, demanding, stubborn, self-sufficient, and always right." A third season of "And Just Like That" has already been greenlit on Max, and while there's no telling where Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda will go next, there will always be an unfillable Samantha-sized void.
Thank you, Kim Cattrall, for giving decades-long fans of Samantha Jones a little bit of closure in this world, you f***ing fabulous, fabulous woman.