‘And Just Like That…’ Fans Push Back on Latest Response to Che Diaz Criticism
Much of the conversation surrounding the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That… has been about Che Diaz, a character introduced in the first season as part of the show’s commitment to being more diverse and inclusive. Played by Sara Ramírez, Che is a nonbinary podcast host, actor, and comedian — but they’re perhaps best known for breaking up the marriage between beloved couple Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady.
While the writers’ heart is in the right place by incorporating someone like Che, fans have taken issue with their delivery. The criticism only grew louder after a recent interview attempting to explain why Che might not have been received well by viewers.
‘And Just Like That…’ showrunner Michael Patrick King spoke about Che in a newly-published interview
The main criticisms about Che were summed up in a recent article by The Mary Sue.
“The complaints have been the rushed nature of it, the ableism concerning Steve, and just the bad writing,” wrote writer Princess Weekes. “Steve and Miranda have been an item since season two of the series, and you are breaking them up in the laziest way possible to run through a queer storyline with Miranda (when we all remember how vehemently they tried to avoid us seeing Miranda as queer for years).”
The backlash has been unrelenting, even after the season’s conclusion. But writers aren’t running away from it. In fact, showrunner Michael Patrick King said that Che will be a bigger focus in And Just Like That… Season 2.
“One of my burning passions about Season 2 is Che,” King told Variety. “I want to show the dimension of Che that people didn’t see, for whatever reason — because they were blinded, out of fear or terror. I want to show more of Che rather than less of Che. Like, really.”
Fans responded to those comments about Che in ‘And Just Like That…’
Sharing King’s comments on Reddit, many took issue with the apparent assumption that viewers didn’t like Che because their character and storyline made people uncomfortable. For many, the issue is and has always been the writing.
“it was the writing at fault,” read one comment. “Give us a well-written storyline, one that is written with care, which includes developing Miranda and Che’s romantic and sexual relationship and maybe the backlash would not be so loud.”
“Yup,” one fan wrote in response. ” … Che is written like some kind of billboard for modern non-binary sexuality, and not much more. It’s lazy and weak writing. It makes me not care about the character at all. It’s vapid.”
Others shared different takes
Many others agreed with those sentiments, but they also tried not to dismiss King’s comments either.
“Don’t get me wrong, some people have been homophobic regarding Miranda/Cynthia and transphobic regarding Che/Sara,” read a comment. “but that is not everyone, and bigots will find a way to share their bile no matter what. However, the general complaint most of us have is the writing. It’s a storyline that could have won awards if it had been done right, and it’s a shame he won’t accept it.”
“Personally, I don’t really care one way or the other about Che,” another fan offered. “They can be kind of cringy … but whatever, so can a lot of other characters on the show. But, for MPK to just assume we’re all bigots clutching our pearls over a nonbinary character is ridiculous and insulting.”
“It’s enough of a turnoff that I am about 80-85% on the way to not watching the second season,” someone else commented.
Clearly, people have strong opinions about Che. But hopefully, now that they’ll have an increased presence in the next season of And Just Like That…, people will begin to understand them a little more and their relationship with Miranda. We’ll see.
