Carrie Bradshaw, a year after the death of her beloved Mr. Big, has not only managed to navigate the labyrinth of grief but also produced a best-selling book recounting her experience. However, in the third episode of "And Just Like That" season 2, Carrie finds herself grappling with an evolving cycle of grief, its intensity magnified despite the royalties from her book.
See Also: And Just Like That - Season 2, Episode 2 Recap
Tasked with narrating the audiobook of her latest memoir, Carrie stumbles when she reaches Chapter 3. This chapter details the harrowing evening she discovered Mr. Big's lifeless body post a deadly Peloton workout. Carrie longs for an actress like Julianne Moore or Julianna Margulies to lend their voice to her words. Yet, her publisher insists that this intimate account warrants Carrie's own voice. The demand stirs old emotions Carrie believed she had put to rest.
In a poignant encounter, Carrie bumps into her old acquaintance Bitsy von Muffling (Julie Halston). Bitsy is the ex-spouse of Broadway magnate Bobby Fine (Nathan Lane). Encouragingly, Nathan Lane is very much alive, but Bobby Fine has unexpectedly passed away. As a fellow widow, Bitsy shares her experience of grief with Carrie. She reveals how the passage of time pulls her further away from her late husband, reigniting the anguish she thought she had overcome.
Bitsy offers Carrie a comforting wisdom she acquired from her Kabbalah class. She says that while the void of loss never truly fills, new life inevitably blossoms around it.
Motivated by Bitsy's counsel, Carrie embarks on a hopeful shoe shopping spree, only to retreat into a panic, lying about having Covid to evade the audiobook recording session.
This episode doesn't solely focus on Carrie's struggle with closure. Seema mourns the loss of her Birkin bag, snatched away on the street right outside her home. The bag, bearing a significant emotional attachment, was not saved by any passerby. In another theft-related incident, Carrie's slim and beautiful neighbor Lisette becomes the victim of a bizarre theft at a Bryant Park Bulgari pop-up store where Lisette's own brand was on display. A cater waiter boldly starts pocketing her jewelry. This prompts Carrie to shout about having Covid to scare him away, which leads to a general panic and flight.
Carrie's lie fails to safeguard Lisette's jewelry and doesn't help her escape confronting her past. After recovering from her fabricated illness, she returns to the recording booth, this time managing to complete Chapter 3. Carrie finds solace in her grief and her shame over her emotional vulnerability in comforting Lisette. Meanwhile, Lisette is sad about her loss and has confined herself to bed. It's somewhat unusual that Carrie has a key to Lisette's place and wears her outdoor clothes on her bed. However, Lisette doesn't seem bothered.
Meanwhile, Miranda enjoys her time in California, contemplating getting a tattoo after meeting a considerate tattoo artist named Ricky. Desiring to commemorate her current self after years of being a corporate attorney, she relishes the possibility of a tattoo. However, her partner Che is under pressure due to an upcoming pilot taping. The stress escalates when Miranda while awaiting entry to the audience, receives a distressing call from her son Brady. He informs her, tearfully, that he was dumped in Amsterdam and narrowly avoided a car accident. Miranda advises him to return to his hostel and call her upon arrival. But there's a snag - audience members have to lock away their phones.
Miranda manages to sneak in her phone, claiming to have lost it. Unsurprisingly, it rings during a crucial scene involving Che and Tony Danza, interrupting Che's emotional moment. Danza, the only professional in the room, tries to restore calm. However, the show’s writer, BD, angrily remarks that they've lost the emotional momentum because Che is a comedian, not an actor.
Outside the studio, Miranda apologizes, but informs Che she's returning to New York to meet Brady when he lands from Amsterdam. Che feels slighted, assuming Miranda is overreacting and choosing "real" family issues over their relationship. The discordant farewell is followed by a contemplative Miranda in her Brooklyn living room, waiting for her heartbroken son and reflecting on her new "MH" tattoo.
When Brady finally arrives home, it’s evident that his grief extends beyond his first love to include his parents' separation, still raw despite his globetrotting.
A subplot, involving Charlotte and Lisa discovering a “MILF list” compiled by a student at their children's school, raises discomfort as they find themselves among the top three. Despite the thrill of making the list, finding out it was created by Milo H., an attractive teenager, doesn't sit well with them.
The show attempts to further intertwine the characters' lives as Lisa interviews Nya for her documentary. She encounters an attractive sound guy, who, after adjusting her microphone, invites her for dinner. It might be an interesting twist for Nya.
The episode concludes optimistically when Seema finds her discarded Birkin under a bush, the thief having only taken her wallet. They rejoice over the bag's return during a dinner where they share a table with some charming Australian rugby fans.
The final twist of irony occurs when Carrie, having lied about it earlier, actually contracts Covid.
Season 2 of ‘And Just Like That…’ is now streaming on Max.
