[This story contains spoilers for the fifth episode of HBO Max’s And Just Like That.]
In the latest episode of And Just Like That, the Sex and the City continuation proves it’s not giving up on Samantha Jones.
In Thursday’s “Tragically Hip,” Carrie learns she needs surgery to correct a hip problem, with Charlotte (Kristin Davis) offering to manage her post-operative care. After being released from the hospital, the two return to Carrie’s, where she records the latest episode of her podcast with Che Diaz (Sara Ramírez) and Jackie Nee (Bobby Lee) while still very medicated.
In the midst of discussing boundaries, Carrie recalls a SATC season two moment, in which Samantha (Kim Cattrall) helped Carrie with something that got “really stuck” inside her, requiring Samantha to be “up there for like a minute” to get it out.
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“You cannot say boundaries and girlfriends in the same sentence. My girlfriends are always there for me no matter what,” she says. “They are there for me. In fact, you know what? I remember this time that my friend Samantha Jones even pulled my diaphragm out with her bare hand because it got stuck.”
After the podcast ends, Charlotte questions Carrie’s position on boundaries, noting that she identified Samantha using her full name during the recording without getting her former friend’s consent. Initially, Carrie brushes it off.
“I think I’m allowed to tell the story. My vagina, my story,” she jokes. “Besides, this podcast isn’t even on her radar. She’s off in London.”
While the debut episode established that Samantha was no longer a part of the friend group, having moved to the U.K. for a job, it didn’t go as far as episode five, which literally gives Samantha a voice — if only on a phone screen.
After Charlotte encourages Carrie to rethink her position, saying, “I just think maybe you should let her know, that’s all, and that way if someone else tells her she’s not going to be surprised,” it prompts Carrie to check in with Samantha, texting her former friend about the incident.
“Hi. Long story short I wanted to let you know, I mentioned that you pulled out my diaphragm on a podcast,” she writes.
Whatever is believed to be between the two, Samantha doesn’t let it stop her from responding, at least initially. “One of my finest hours,” she texts back before Carrie quickly responds, “Hope that’s okay.”
“Of course. I love that your vagina is getting air time,” Samantha quips.
Carrie seemingly takes this as an invitation to be more vulnerable, telling her old friend, “I miss you.” But it seems Samantha isn’t so ready to respond to this specific message, with it appearing as if she’s beginning to type, before ultimately not responding.
And Just Like That writer Rachna Fruchbom told The Hollywood Reporter at the show’s New York red carpet premiere that the show wouldn’t shy away from featuring her. “When you’re in your 50s, it’s unlikely that every single human you were close to in your 20s or 30s are the same people. So, we tried to treat it super organically, like it might naturally evolve. But we didn’t lose her. It’s not like we just waved her away. Samantha’s there. She’s there.”
Also speaking to THR at the show’s Dec. 8 premiere, “Tragically Hip” writer Samantha Irby explained that how the show features Samantha would be a chance to explore how the nature of some friendships change with age.
“With Samantha, it gave us an opportunity to show that friendships change, no matter the age,” she explained. “You think of your 20s as like, ‘I don’t talk to her anymore, but now I talk to her.’ It gave us a chance to show how friendships evolve in both a good and bad way.”
In a different scene, though still related to Carrie’s hip surgery exploits, Irby also divulged on the New York carpet that she attempted to get a potty joke into the show. The nature of Carrie’s hospital visit and Charlotte’s helpful assistance using the bathroom makes it clear this would have been the moment — if Irby had been successful.
“We tried to get diarrhea into the show,” Irby explained.” [Writer] Keli [Goff], no pun intended, shit all over that and wouldn’t let us do it.”
