‘And Just Like That…’ Unpopular Opinion: It’s Time to Make Some Hard Decisions Regarding Samantha Jones
And Just Like That… season 2 will begin filming in the fall. While season 1 was divisive for many reasons, one of its biggest issues was how the series handled the absence of Samantha Jones. While fans were sad to learn the actor behind the character had opted not to return, they were more flummoxed than anything when showrunner, Michael Patrick King decided to insert Samantha into the storyline through text messages. It looks like more of the same will happen in season 2; some think that’s a mistake. Now might be the right time to make some really hard choices about Samantha.
Samantha Jones will be back in the form of text messages for season 2 of ‘And Just Like That…’
Michael Patrick King and the cast of And Just Like That… are keeping the second season’s storylines under wraps. Fans are in for a rather long wait to find out what happens. They will not be reconnecting with Carrie Bradshaw and her pals this winter. Instead, the series will not begin filming season 2 until October with a spring or summer premiere date likely.
While fans wait, King is happy to give away a few details. The famed showrunner told Variety that Samantha Jones would be included in season 2 of the series, although the actor who portrayed her in the original series will not. In short, Samantha and Carrie will continue their text correspondence, but to what end?
Should the writers just cut Samantha Jones out of the series completely?
While Michael Patrick King has made it clear that Samantha Jones will be returning to season 2 of And Just Like That… in the form of text messages, you could argue that it’s not the best idea. While some fans were happy to see Samantha return in some form, not everyone was thrilled. One Reddit user noted that the storyline is going nowhere.
We have to admit it’s a bit contrived, and there doesn’t seem to be a payoff coming. So, what would be better? And Just Like That… writers have a few options. Option one, likely the most controversial, would be to recast the role and move on. It wouldn’t be the first time a key role in a series was recast, and it surely would not be the last.
Alternatively, the writing team could drop the Samantha and Carrie texting storyline and allow the relationship to end. There is no rule that people must stay friends for the rest of their lives. The distance and the fight mentioned in season 1 of the series are enough to lead to the friendship’s natural end. Finally, the writers could kill off Samantha Jones. Before the release of season 1, there were rumors that Samantha would be the one to die on the show. The story ended up being false. The notion of Samantha’s death upset some fans before season 1, but would it really be the worst way to give fans closure?
There is no hope of Kim Cattrall reprising her role in ‘And Just Like That…’
Any storyline involving Samantha, at this point, is just prolonging the inevitable. At some point, the writers will need to address the situation because there is no hope of Kim Cattrall returning to reprise the role.
Cattrall, who spent six seasons and two movies portraying the beloved character, has made it clear that she has no interest in portraying Samantha Jones again. Her bitter feud with Sarah Jessica Parker has not softened since they last worked together. It only seems to be getting worse. Cattrall wasn’t even approached about reprising the role when the show was in development.
While Sarah Jessica Parker has stayed pretty quiet on the topic of Cattrall, she’s recently been a bit more forward. The Hocus Pocus star has asked everyone to stop suggesting she is “feuding” with Cattrall because, as she sees it, the fight has always been one-sided. Parker also revealed that, at this point, having Cattrall return to the series would be too distracting and awkward. She told Variety that Cattrall had spoken so negatively about her time on the set that it would be impossible to bring her back effectively, even if she did want to do it.
