Sex and the City viewers were thrilled to learn about the spinoff And Just Like That… But many were disappointed that one of the central characters, Samantha Jones, wouldn’t return. Fans aren’t the only ones who think Samantha is integral to SATC. Author Candace Bushnell, who wrote the column and book anthology on which the HBO series is based, explains why the character is so important.
Why did Kim Cattrall refuse to return as Samantha in the ‘Sex and the City’ spinoff ‘And Just Like That…’?
The hit 1998 show Sex and the City followed the lives of four women living in New York: Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall).
Samantha, the oldest of the four, worked in PR. She was confident and outspoken, dominating her career and relationships. Fans loved Samantha and were disappointed to hear Cattrall wouldn’t return for And Just Like That…
The reason? Cattrall told Variety she wasn’t asked to be part of the spinoff. The actor added that it was basically “the third movie” that had been pitched years earlier, but she had turned down that project.
Another factor was the reported feud between Cattrall and Parker. The two have addressed the situation publicly, with Parker telling Elle she adored Cattrall and claiming to Time that the “narrative … just didn’t reflect anything that happened on that set.”
However, in an episode of Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Cattrall said Parker “could’ve been nicer” and even slammed Parker on social media following Cattrall’s brother’s death.
‘Sex and the City’ author Candace Bushnell explains how Samantha Jones reflects ‘women’s real sexuality’
Even though Cattrall didn’t return for And Just Like That…, the SATC revival mentions Samantha several times. Parker’s Carrie states that, after firing Samantha as her publicist, Samantha “fired me as a friend.” The two text a few times, and Samantha sends flowers following Mr. Big’s death.
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It makes sense that, even without Cattrall, Samantha would show up in the spinoff. Bushnell appeared on Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast in November 2022 to talk about the importance of Samantha’s character.
The writer spoke about the shift between generations regarding views of sexuality and why she wanted to write a character who showed that change.
“What is women’s real sexuality when you take away the ‘I am dependent on a man’ aspect?” Bushnell said. “What if women had their own money and they had their own power? What does their sexuality look like? And it looks a lot like Samantha Jones.”
Why Candace Bushnell doesn’t think Samantha should be recast on ‘And Just Like That…’
Some wondered if the And Just Like That… writers considered recasting Samantha. But Sex and the City author Bushnell explained why she didn’t see that as an option in an episode of the podcast Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef.
“I feel like those characters have kind of become so big that they’re, you know, they’re like characters in Star Wars,” Bushnell said. “So many women identify as one of those characters,” so recasting would be a big deal.
Although some fans remain hopeful Samantha will return, it’s unlikely Cattrall will reprise her role in And Just Like That… Season 2. New episodes are set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max this summer.
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