And Just Like That… has been down a rocky road, as far as expensive and hotly-awaited TV shows go. First, there was the absence of original Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, whose long-running feud with Sarah Jessica Parker seemingly peaked in the decision to continue the franchise without her. Then, there was the tragic death of one of the series’ most beloved actors, Willie Garson, which the show handled by sending his character, Stanford Blanch, on a seemingly permanent trip to Japan. Upon the new series debuting, guest star Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault by multiple women, and his scenes had to be cut from the season finale. And then there were the reviews: Not great!
But it takes more a string of tragedies, controversies, and iffy writing to a keep a beloved IP down: HBO Max has officially renewed the series for a second season.
“We have been delighted by the cultural conversation generated by these characters and their stories, set in a world we already know and love so much,” said Sarah Aubrey, who heads original content for the streaming service, in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.“We are proud of the work Michael Patrick King and our wonderful writers, producers, cast, and crew have done to bring these stories to the screen. We can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store for season 2!”
Despite all the chatter the show sparked with its shocking on-screen deaths, breakups, and giant prosthetic penises, and the fact that AJLT was HBO Max’s most-watched original series ever, a second season never seemed to be a given. Ahead of the series’ debut, HBO Max’s chief content officer said in an interview that there were no immediate plans for a second season.
Luckily, the streamer made the right decision, and we can all rest easy knowing that we’ll eventually find out whether or not Miranda will regain her sanity and return from LA, if Carrie will keep seeing podcast guy (always a risk endeavor), and if Uncle Tony will be able to hector Rock into finally being they-mitzvahed.
Personally, I hope season two delivers at least five more Che Diaz musical numbers, because their pilot is definitely taking LA by storm, and a romance between Steve and Seema, two of the series’ under-sung babes. That’s the beauty of both SATC and AJLT: Anything’s possible when it doesn’t really have to make sense.