‘And Just Like That’ Season 2 Recalled the Best Part of ‘Sex and the City’ (original) (raw)

Published Jul 20, 2023, 1:00 PM EDT

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When it comes to reboots or sequels of older TV shows, it’s only natural that some creative liberties are taken to update the subject matter for modern-day audiences. And Just Like That…did exactly that, righting many of Sex and the City’s wrongs, but also ruining its own potential in the process. There have certainly been some positive changes made, but too often, the series forgets to include just about any of the things that fans loved in the original series — at least until the second season’s fifth episode. One of the greatest bits of Sex and the City was when one of the ladies would start dating a man only to find out they were not exactly their Prince Charming by the end of the episode. The characters that find themselves in this scenario? Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Seema (Sarita Choudhury).

Seema’s Penis-Pump Chump

Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) holding up a martini glass while a man stands behind her at the bar in And Just Like That Season 2

Image via Max

After suggesting the single ladies hit a fancy hotel bar to pick up men, they engage in some classic girl talk and discuss their body counts after Nya (Karen Pittman) says she’s only slept with two men. Seema won’t share her number but claims nothing can surprise her. That is until she strikes the attention of a handsome man and goes home with him. All seems well at first; things are getting hot and heavy, and then he tells her he sometimes struggles with erectile dysfunction. She tells him it doesn’t seem like that will be a problem but that he can do whatever he needs to do. Likely expecting him to simply pop a blue pill and get on with their night, Seema is stunned when he instead pulls out a penis pump. It’s a hilarious moment, especially coupled with the fact that she said not too long before that that she can’t be surprised anymore.

It doesn’t prove to be an issue to her, and she continues to see him, despite him not being the greatest lover. After a romp in bed that leaves Seema unsatisfied, she pulls out a vibrator to get just as happy an ending as her pump-loving friend. However, he’s not as open-minded as she is, because as soon as he hears the vibrator turn on he takes offense. He tells her it’s “not cool” and she immediately fires back, bringing up his penis pump. But according to him, that was just to get them started, but her vibrator is so noisy. He promptly storms out of bed, to which Seema reacts by turning her vibrator up a couple of notches to drown out his complaints. Iconic!

Carrie’s Not so Meet-Cute

Carrie and George in Urgent Care in And Just Like That Season 2

Image Via Max

Carrie meets her doomed fling in an unconventional way — she causes him to crash his bike! Now, granted, it wasn’t on purpose, she was on the phone listening to Seema recount her night with penis-pump guy and was standing in shock in the middle of the bike lane. She escorts the man, whose name is George (Peter Hermann) to urgent care — an urgent care she once saw an Olsen twin enter mind you — after assessing his injured wrist. She fills out some paperwork for him and when doing so, discovers he has a partner named Paul (Armando Riesco), only it’s not that kind of partner, he’s his business partner — and a pushy one at that.

Armed with George’s address, Carrie shows up at his apartment to offer him some help with his work since his wrist is broken. He takes her up on the offer and the pair find out that they have a real spark between them. They go on a date, and end up back at George’s place where things get hot and heavy real quick. Just as George is beginning to undress Carrie though, Paul FaceTimes him, and rather than silencing the call to focus on his current task, he answers. Carrie lies awkwardly as Paul berates George over a pitch he hasn’t received. In an attempt to calm him, George gets up to handle the issue right then and there, leaving Paul on FaceTime in the room with Carrie. The whole situation is hilariously weird and Carrie notices it too. As quietly as possible, she slides off the bed and goes to find George. As handsome as he is, and as rich as he may be, she simply can’t be the Yoko to their Paul and John anymore.

'And Just Like That...' Needs More Weird Dates!

And Just Like That Season 2

Image Via Max

In the original series, nearly every episode saw at least one of the ladies dating someone before it goes South real quick. Most of the time, that person was Samantha (Kim Cattrall), but it happened to them all at one time or another, and it made for some seriously memorable moments. There was the guy with the tiny penis (according to Samantha), the guy with the penis that was too big, the guy with “funky tasting spunk,” — all of which belonged to Samantha, of course. But there was also the man who showered after every single time he and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) had sex, and the guy who kept yelling profanities at Charlotte (Kristin Davis) every time he orgasmed. For the '90s and early ‘00s, these were taboo storylines, but they’re what made the show so lovable. It simply wouldn’t have been the same without the crazy dates and the cheeky debriefing over brunch.

And Just Like That… feels like a much more sanitized and toned-down version of what Sex and the City was, and it just doesn't work. We want to see the kooky dates and colorful characters that come along, and we want to hear the unabashed sex talks. It's fun, and it made the show what it is, why do you think there was demand for a reboot in the first place? Luckily, Season 2 has seemingly begun to realize that fact and has been sprinkling in moments and storylines reminiscent of its predecessor. Like when the characters had a conversation about jizz, and now with the ill-fated (albeit humorous) dates. Perhaps And Just Like That… has finally seen the error of its ways and is slowly becoming the show we always knew it could be.