SATC AJLT WTF

Okay, major feelings ahead—some spoilers and lots of personal opinions about SATC’s successor, And Just Like That… (AJLT), I just finished watching the finale a minute ago.

But let me start with a little backstory: as an only child with strict house rules, I was partly raised by TV—mainly SATC and Friends. A lot of my early adult thought processes were shaped by these two shows (and other Western TV), so my loyalty to Carrie and the gang has always been high. (Visiting New York just so I could do the SATC tour has been a bucket list item since my early 20s.)

So when the SATC revival (AJLT) came out, it felt like an oasis in the desert of adulthood—a desert filled with mortgages, overtime, and the endless cycle of never-ending laundry and dishes.

But instead of feeling empowered the way I once did after every SATC episode—when I’d immediately call Jik or my cousins to plan a coffee date at Plaza Senayan—AJLT left me with something else entirely: anguish.

I tried my absolute best to overlook the early blows: Samantha (my fave character) not being in the show, and then killing off Big (one of my very few TV crushes) with a freaking Peloton.

I don’t understand the theme or arc of most of the storylines. How did Charlotte’s kids grow up with such annoying personalities? How can Seema afford such a luxurious life? Why on earth would Carrie give up her iconic apartment filled with memories? What’s with the will-they-won’t-they cheating arc between happily married Lisa and her editor, just because she thinks he’s hot? Why are the badly dressed Aidan and his whole family so f-ing unbearable, and why is Carrie just okay with his mishaps—including him asking her to wait for five f-ing years (and cheating on her!!!)? And how bad is Carrie’s latest book plot?

Honestly, there are about ten thousand more “huh?!” moments—for me and for the jungle of other fans ranting across the internet.

I kept giving it a pass, mostly by distracting myself with Lisa Todd Wexley’s mesmerising eyes, face and hair; indulging in her impeccable fashion sense, her gorgeously decorated apartment, and the way she talks and carries herself (hey, I’ve got a new SATC/AJLT crush now).

I also tried to convince myself that maybe I’m still younger than these characters, with plenty of time before my own “Thanksgiving dinner with my son’s rude baby mama” moment. Maybe that’s why I just don’t get where they’re coming from. So I kept watching.

But then came the worst, rock-bottom moment for me: when they portrayed Carrie going to a restaurant alone and being seated with “Tomato Boy” as if it were some degrading commentary on being single. Like… no. That’s not the same as the soft-toy-companion trend in East Asia, where people bring something small for comfort when dining or travelling solo. IMO, it’s just like having a phone, a book, a journal, sunglasses, coffee, a ring—whatever. It’s just a thing. If you don’t like it, fine. But it’s not a statement of failure or singlehood.

It’s 2025. Being single is basic. For AJLT to act like “being single is okay” is the grand final lesson after three dizzying seasons of messy storylines? WTF.

And yet… in the future, will I watch if they revive this revival (kind of like how I gave Dexter: Resurrection a chance after the almost-as-bad-as-AJLT mess of Dexter: New Blood)? Yes. Yes, I will. Because loyalty—and honestly, what a blessing it would be if the revival managed to pivot and surprise us the way Dexter: Resurrection did.

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