Wait, let's get the name right first because people keep mixing it up. If you’re searching for "Sex City Season 2," you’re almost certainly looking for the latest on Sex and the City’s modern revival, And Just Like That.... It’s a common slip. People have been calling it "the sex city show" since the late nineties. But regardless of what you call it, the second season of the revival has already come and gone, leaving a trail of mixed reviews, viral fashion moments, and the most talked-about cameo in recent TV history.
It was messy. It was expensive. It was occasionally cringeworthy.
Honestly, that's exactly what the franchise has always been about. Whether you watched it for the high-end Manhattan real estate or the sheer audacity of Che Diaz’s comedy sets, season 2 was a massive talking point for Max (formerly HBO Max). It didn't just try to recreate the magic of the original series; it tried to fix the "problematic" parts of the past while navigating the grief of losing Big and the real-life absence of Samantha Jones.
The Samantha Jones Elephant in the Room
Let's talk about the 71 seconds that cost a fortune.
Kim Cattrall’s return was the worst-kept secret in Hollywood. For years, the public feud between Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker was the stuff of tabloid legend. Then, suddenly, the news broke: Samantha Jones would appear in the season 2 finale. It wasn't a full return. It wasn't even a scene with the other girls. Kim Cattrall filmed her part in a garage in London without seeing or speaking to her former castmates.
Was it worth it?
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For fans, seeing Samantha’s name pop up on Carrie’s iPhone screen felt like a warm hug after a long winter. She looked incredible. She wore Pat Field. She said "fabulous." It was a brief reminder of why the original four-way chemistry worked so well. But it also highlighted the void left behind. Without Samantha’s unapologetic bluntness, the show sometimes feels like it’s walking on eggshells.
Relationships, Grief, and the Return of Aidan Shaw
If season 1 was about the trauma of death, Sex City season 2—specifically And Just Like That—was about the awkward, fumbling attempt to move on. This meant bringing back the man, the myth, the furniture maker: Aidan Shaw.
John Corbett’s return wasn't just a guest spot. It was a full-blown attempt to rewrite Carrie’s endgame. Seeing them back together in their fifties felt different. They weren't the same people who broke up because of a mid-Atlantic move or a secret smoking habit. However, the writers made a choice that polarized the entire internet. Aidan refused to step foot in Carrie’s apartment. The "bad juju" was too much for him.
Then came the five-year plan.
Aidan’s commitment to his children in Virginia led to a finale that felt like a punch in the gut for Team Aidan fans. He asked Carrie to wait five years. Five. Years. In the world of prestige TV, that’s an eternity. It left Carrie alone again, albeit in a much larger, more expensive apartment with a kitten named Shoe.
Why the New Characters Finally Started Working
The first season struggled to integrate the new faces. It felt forced. Seema, Nya, and Lisa Todd Wexley (LTW) felt like they were there to check boxes. By season 2, they finally got some room to breathe.
- Seema Patel: Sarita Choudhury is arguably the MVP of the revival. She brings the "Samantha energy" without trying to be Samantha. She’s rich, she’s picky, and she refuses to settle. Her struggle with finding love in her fifties while her best friend slides back into an old flame was one of the most relatable arcs of the season.
- Lisa Todd Wexley: Her storyline involving an unexpected pregnancy and the subsequent miscarriage was handled with a level of nuance the show usually reserves for shoe shopping. It was dark, it was real, and it showed the pressure of being a "perfect" Black family in the upper echelons of New York society.
- Nya Wallace: Karen Pittman’s character had a rougher go of it, mostly because she was siloed away from the main group for much of the season. Her divorce was a slow burn, but by the end, she seemed to be finding her footing.
The Fashion: Still the Fifth Lead
You can’t talk about any version of "Sex City" without mentioning the clothes. Season 2 leaned hard into the archival looks. We saw the wedding dress again—the Vivienne Westwood bird-on-the-head ensemble from the first movie. It was a meta-commentary on how we cling to the past.
But the budget was clearly higher this time around. The street style shots from the set in NYC became their own news cycle months before the episodes aired. We saw the pigeon clutch. We saw the Moncler puffer gowns. We saw the return of the Fendi Baguette. It’s "costume porn" in its purest form. Even if you hate the dialogue, you usually can't look away from the accessories.
Dealing With the "Cringe" Factor
We have to talk about Che Diaz.
Rarely has a fictional character inspired such visceral reactions from an audience. In season 2, the writers leaned into the backlash. They made Che’s sitcom pilot fail. They showed them struggling, working at a vet clinic, and being generally lost. It didn't necessarily make the character more likable to the detractors, but it did make them more human.
The breakup between Miranda and Che was messy. It was loud. It involved a lot of soul-searching in Coney Island. Miranda’s transformation from a high-powered corporate lawyer to an intern-level human rights worker who sleeps on a twin bed is still a tough pill to swallow for fans of the original "cynical" Miranda. But maybe that’s the point. People change in ways that their friends don’t always like.
What Actually Happens Next?
Is there a season 3? Yes. Production is already underway.
But things are changing. Karen Pittman (Nya) and Sara Ramirez (Che) are reportedly not returning as series regulars. This suggests a tightening of the narrative. The show is moving back toward its core roots. Max knows that while the new characters added depth, the fans are there for the central friendships.
The ending of season 2 left us on a beach in Greece. Carrie and Seema, sipping drinks, waiting for the next chapter. It was a moment of peace after a season of frantic searching.
Actionable Steps for the "Sex City" Superfan
If you're caught up and looking for more, don't just wait for the season 3 trailer. There's a lot of context you might have missed.
- Listen to the Writers Room Podcast: The official And Just Like That... The Writers Room podcast is actually fascinating. Michael Patrick King explains exactly why they made the controversial choices they did. It doesn't make the Che Diaz jokes any funnier, but it explains the intent.
- Follow the Costume Designers: Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago (who took over for Patricia Field) post incredible behind-the-scenes breakdowns on Instagram. They show the vintage pieces that didn't make the final cut.
- Revisit "The Real World": If the revival feels too polished, go back and watch season 2 of the original series. The parallels are wild. Carrie was dating her first "big" loves, and the raw energy of 1999 New York provides a sharp contrast to the billionaire-row version of the city we see now.
The show isn't perfect. It's often frustrating. But "Sex City" in all its iterations remains a mirror of a very specific kind of urban aspiration. Season 2 proved that even without the full original quartet, there's still a lot of life—and a lot of expensive champagne—left in these characters.
Keep an eye on the 2025/2026 production schedule. With the strikes in the rearview mirror and filming back in full swing on the streets of Manhattan, the next chapter is closer than you think. Just don't expect Aidan to move back into that apartment anytime soon.