And Just Like That 'And Just Like That' Reached the Peak of Hate-Watching

As in any art form, there are classics in television. Friends, General Hospital, and Sex and the City remain household names even though they premiered decades ago. The latter, particularly, was a worldwide sensation, offering a female-centred narrative that explored the complexities of women's lives in the Big Apple.

Running from 1998 to 2004, this HBO hit show spanned six seasons, attracting millions of viewers from all over the globe and turning its cast into superstars. Sex and The City was so popular that Sarah Jessica Parker, who portrayed the central character Carrie Bradshaw, became the highest-paid actor on television at the time, making over $3 million per episode during the show's later seasons. It has to be said she was also doubling as the show's executive producer then.

There were then two big-screen adaptations eponymous with the original show. Sex and the City 1 and 2 were released in 2008 and 2010, respectively, further expanding the franchise and reinforcing its immense popularity. SATC's prequel, The Carrie Diaries, produced by the CW, was largely overlooked but still brought joy to many fans. Fan excitement peaked when HBO announced it was developing a sequel miniseries starring the same beloved cast.

However, the viewers quickly realised they may have been too optimistic when And Just Like That… was released. The spin-off was a major disappointment and a mere caricature of its former self, infuriating many fans. So much so that hardly anybody expected a second season. Naturally, when it did arrive, it was no better than the first instalment, and viewers were now hate-watching it. Only four episodes into season 2, the fandom seems to be seething with hatred.

There may be several reasons for this. First, the writing is terrible. Story-wise, And Just Like That… is flat and uninspiring. It features an incoherent assortment of events and arcs that don't mesh well together. The simultaneously pared-down and expanded cast lacks the dynamism and chemistry which were the heart of Sex and the City.

Second, the sex scenes, which used to be a cornerstone of the franchise, come across as incredibly crass. In all honesty, they were secondary to the original show's plot and now seem to be inserted just to cover for AJLT's overall mediocrity.

Ultimately, many people admit they enjoy criticising And Just Like That… more than the sequel itself. Perhaps, this is the only domain where the new HBO production hasn't failed – it manages to bring people together, albeit in a circle of hate.

Remarkably, viewers can't resist watching AJLT. The reason is that they are deeply invested in the franchise and the main characters' stories. Hopefully, the audience's patience will pay off. After all, we are bound to see Samantha make a surprise appearance on the show Kim Cattrall has shunned for years.

Episode 5 drops on Max on 13 July.