And Just Like That, Michael Patrick King Explained The Necessity Of That Big Twist
If you're not caught up on "And Just Like That", consider this your warning because this post contains spoilers. If you are caught up, let's discuss that big twist (pun intended), shall we?
In a recent interview with Variety, creator and executive producer Michael Patrick King discussed the death of lead character John "Big" James Preston (played by Chris Noth). Living a life of luxury alongside Carrie, the couple decided to skip their road trip, which led to Carrie attending Charlotte's daughter's piano recital while Big stayed home to complete his Peloton goal. Later, a text from Big prompts Carrie to return back to their apartment early only to find Big collapsed and dying on the floor from a heart attack. Carrie cradles him in his arms as his takes his last breath ... just like that.
King stated:
"The reason I did it is because it's shocking, but also because it's great for Carrie's character, because she's always never been able to have him. She only got him at the end of the series and she's only had him really a little bit of time. Now he's taken away, but not by another lady on the Upper East Side or by divorce — but by something she can never rationalize, which is a death."
Audiences were justifiably shocked and the tone of the series quickly became dark, somber, and grief-stricken in a very realistic manner. King elaborated that "we believe Carrie Bradshaw is devastated. So, we will have her heal and mourn and go back and go on. I have no interest in taking the audience into a dark woods and leaving them there without a flashlight. We're not going to just leave Carrie by herself."
The creative team is strictly avoiding a straight continuation of the "Sex and the City" source material. King continued explaining that "Carrie has no overview. I destroyed her world. She has one sentence at the end of every show, that's it. And it's right in the moment." The jokes, tone, and struggles are all different. Dated conversations about shoes, the hottest clubs, and one-night stands are now replaced with topics like ageism, gender, and race. There's also discourse on sexual identity, diversity, grief and addiction with the added layer of their children now in their early and late teens. These decisions propel the characters into a modern age while leading audiences to essentially expect the unexpected.
Carry On, Carrie
Hot take: Big never deserved Carrie. Y'all, their relationship was pretty damn toxic and Carrie spent years trying to get Big to settle down with her. Sure, she enjoyed being single and fabulous at times but after all of her sexual encounters and semi-serious romances, Carrie always came back to Big. In a way, we've probably all been there before, so it makes her storyline seem relatable. However, Carrie deserved better than how Big treated her and how he prioritized his career, other (and younger) women over her, and, of course, himself. He knew he had Carrie under his thumb and he took advantage of it.
When "Just Like That" started, it was nice to see her happy and Big finally commit. But, the guy stood her up on their wedding day. On their wedding day! If I remember correctly, the girl had a spread in Vogue donning her wedding gown and this guy straight up did not come through for her. It's wild how many passes Big got throughout the show's six seasons and two-feature film run. And now, Carrie is still sad over him because he is dead. She can't catch a break with this guy and I feel for her; I really do. I hope the writers give Carrie the happy ending that she deserves after she goes through the hell of permanently losing a loved one and years of unrequited love. Maybe this tragedy will inspire her to pick up writing again and use her grief, anger, and regret as a propellent to compose deeper, more complex stories about life experiences. Either way, I hope she can step back into whatever unnecessarily expensive pair of heels that she owns, down a few martinis, and returns to the successful, quirky woman we all know and love. Scars and all.