Warning: This article contains spoilers for season one, episode five, of the "Sex and the City" reboot, "And Just Like That ..."
In the latest episode of "And Just Like That ..." — the "Sex and the City" sequel series on HBO Max — our heroine Carrie Bradshaw gabs a little too much on her podcast after being prescribed painkillers after a hip surgery. She remembers a moment from season two, episode six, of the original series' run when Samantha Jones had to pull out her diaphragm after it was stuck up there. Her fellow hosts love her candor — or maybe it's the essence of Samantha they're loving so much — but Charlotte hears the moment and tells Carrie that since they're not on good terms, maybe full-name dropping her in such a public forum is a gauche move.
So Carrie has to reach out and what does she do? She texts her.
Their last text correspondence was after Samantha sent the flowers to Big's funeral. Carrie texted her, "Thank you," and Samantha responded, "Of course."
For this, Carrie texts a long-winded message explaining what happened, to which Samantha responds right away with, "One of my finest hours."
Carrie wants to make sure she didn't violate some code, so she says "Hope thats OK."
Samantha responds right away again, this time with, "Of course. I love that your vagina is getting air time."
Now, that sounds like our Samantha!
And just like that ... I'm actually finding myself loving how they're including Samantha in this reboot.
The thing fans have to remember here: Kim Cattrall is the one who didn't want to return to Samantha, and was vocal about the producers and creators replacing her if they wanted to continue the series or do another film. So fans constantly commenting about the absence of Samantha is moot at this point, and kind of degrading to the woman who had the right to say no to playing the character in the future.
They could have done a lot of things — but the way they have played up a feud between the characters, in some ways very similar to the alleged feud in real life, is pretty good. And having her appear in text not only makes sense to friends on the outs with each other but also makes sense for any friend in 2021. (I recently had a falling out with two old friends myself, and the only way we have been communicating these last few months if at all is via text.)
While of course the thing that made Samantha Jones was Cattrall first and foremost, it also was the great writing the character had. And in those few sentences that were texted in this latest episode, you can't help but hear her and know she's still there. Yes, she may not be there they way fans want her, but also maybe that is life ...
After Samantha texted her Samantha-isms, Carrie texted her an "I miss you."
The text bubbles on the other side of the pond were typing, and they they weren't. Nothing was sent.
Carrie always manages to make everything about her — most often in an annoyingly emotional fashion that can be deceivingly sentimental and force the guard down of whoever is on the other side of it. This time it didn't work. Maybe that's for the best, in order for Samantha to protect herself and for Carrie to actually learn something.
I'm sure we will see — or read — more of Samantha the rest of this season of "And Just Like That ..."
For now, I'm happy she's there at all.