The first season of And Just Like That... saw a new era for Carrie Bradshaw and co, (minus Samantha), showing that their lives are no less complicated than two and half decades ago.

Updating the storylines of the show to reflect New York City in 2021, season one explored how friendships fade and new relationships blossom. We also saw the return of some familiar faces as well as introducing some fresh ones. With plot lines that embraced aging, sexuality, alcoholism, divorce and more, it was a whirlwind ten episodes that had fans crying out for a second season.

Sex and the City alumni, Michael Patrick King, returned to write and direct the show. King certainly got people talking from the very first episode (spoiler alert!). Take a deep breath, because a lot has happened to our familiar trio in this season. One, two, three… let’s go.

Bradshaw, now in her fifties, unexpectedly finds herself a widow, following the sudden death of her long-time love, Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Episode one had a lot of us picking up our jaw from the floor.

Apart from coming to terms with her grief, Bradshaw has now gotten into podcasting. Working under one of the series’ much-discussed characters, Che Diaz, (played by Sara Ramirez), a non-binary, stand-up comic, Carrie learns to talk about her grief. Trying to move on, Carrie meets the realtor, Seema (Sarita Choudhury, who some are speculating will take the place of Samantha in the iconic quartet), who sells her and Big’s former home, and helps to acquire a swanky downtown apartment following Carrie’s hip surgery (yep, this show embraces the not-so-glamourous realities of getting older), although she ends up returning to her old home. We also saw Carrie, unsuccessfully attempt to re-enter the dating seen. Sadly, it was not to be, although the season ended with hope on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Miranda is struggling with family life, using alcohol to cope with the fact that her son, Brady, is now bringing over his girlfriend, and her own strained (and sexless) marriage with Steve, who’s learning to cope with hearing loss. After hearing Diaz’s stand-up, Miranda wonders whether it’s time for a change, and begins exploring her sexuality. And explore it she does, with Che Diaz no less, which makes things more than a little awkward for Carrie. Miranda’s turbulent love affair is full of ups and downs, but ultimately left her wanting to divorce Steve, who’s grown weary of trying to make the marriage work.

Charlotte’s life is no less complicated. Worried that she’s about to enter the menopause, we spent several episodes exploring what this emotional and physical change might mean to her. However, she’s relieved when her period returns… even if it was at an inopportune moment and in white trouser pants. Also, the show offered up one of the season’s most moving story lines. Charlotte learns to grow as a parent when her 12-year-old, Rose, explains that she doesn’t feel like a girl, and begins exploring being non-gendered under the new name, ‘Rock’. Trying to support her child’s choices, Charlotte even throws ‘Rock’ a ‘They Mitzvah’, but ‘Rock’ decides that it is not for them, leaving Charlotte, who never received her Bat Mitzvah, to take their place.

And then there’s Samantha. Long before the premiere of season one, fans were aware that Kim Cattrall wouldn’t be reprising her role. Still, Samantha isn’t quite gone. Now living in London, she still communicates with Carrie now and again.

The first season also suffered a sadness with the death of Willie Garson at the too-young age of 57. Garson’s much-loved character, Stanford Blatch, did make a memorable appearance in And Just Like That..., prior to Garson succumbing to pancreatic cancer, in September 2021. Writer-director, King, had intended to expand Garson’s character, giving him a more prominent role that explored his friendship with Bradshaw, with Cynthia Nixon saying that for her, Blatch was very much the last member of the And Just Like That... quartet.

Like its predecessor, And Just Like That..., season one embraced what it means to be a woman in the 21st century, exploring, love, loss, aging and all the complexities of modern life.