Even though Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) next outing won’t be released until 2025, filming is underway for And Just Like That season 3. A sequel-meets-revival to HBO’s hugely popular Sex and the City, And Just Like That follows Carrie and her pals, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis), through the ups and downs of life in New York City. Like Sex and the City, the series takes great pains to film on location as much as possible, which means spotting one of And Just Like That‘s characters on Manhattan’s streets isn’t a rarity.

With prying eyes all around And Just Like That‘s New York filming locations, the series has gone to extreme lengths to keep plot points under wraps. For season 1, Chris Noth appeared to film post-mortem Mr. Big scenes. That said, if there’s a massive secret that needed to go unspoiled for And Just Like That season 3, the team behind Max’s hit series would know what measures to take. Even so, the recent sighting of one And Just Like That star has viewers wondering if the show’s third season will retcon a major part of the season 2 finale.

John Corbett Joined Sarah Jessica Parker On And Just Like That’s Set Suggesting A Retcon To Carrie & Aidan’s Ending

Carrie & Aidan Agree To Take A 5-Year Break In And Just Like That Season 2’s Finale

In the wake of Big’s death, Carrie spends half of And Just Like That… season 2 having casual flings that, in the style of the original series, don’t become long-term relationships. At the end of episode 6, “Bomb Cyclone,” Carrie decides to email her former fiancé: Aidan Shaw (John Corbett). In Sex and the City, Carrie and Aidan’s relationship is messy. Although Carrie quits smoking for Aidan, she can’t seem to quit Mr. Big. After a painful breakup, Carrie and Aidan reunite, move into Carrie’s apartment, and get engaged. Of course, the engagement dissolves.

By the sequel’s second season, a divorced Aidan is living in Virginia, co-parenting three kids with his ex-wife. Although Carrie and Aidan’s in-person reunion goes well, Aidan realizes he still can’t bring himself to enter Carrie’s apartment — the scene of past heartbreak. After a season of dating and splurging on hotels, Aidan finally visits Carrie’s apartment in And Just Like That season 2’s ending, just before she sells her iconic flat. Despite loving Carrie, Aidan realizes his teenager needs him to be around, so the couple agree to put a 5-year pause on their relationship.

Instead of putting her life on hold for Aidan, Carrie takes a much-needed vacation with one of her new friends, Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury). Max hadn’t renewed the SATC revival ahead of season 2’s finale — and it shows. If it became the show’s ending, viewers could imagine a future for Carrie and Aidan or just appreciate Carrie’s investment in her friends. Interestingly, John Corbett was spotted on set alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, who was filming scenes for And Just Like That season 3 (via Vulture). Corbett’s involvement implies Carrie and Aidan’s 5-year pause didn’t stick.

Sex And The City’s Sequel Series Continues The Original Show’s Biggest Problem

And Just Like That Rehashes Old Drama

Just shy of 20 years after the divisive finale of Sex and the City, Carrie’s perfect ending was set into motion by And Just Like That season 2. Notably, Sex and the City season 6 sees Carrie moving to Paris with her current beau, artist Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov). Neither the City of Lights nor the relationship are what they promise. However, in rom-com fashion, Big shows up in Paris to tell Carrie she’s “the one” as they stroll along the Seine. Put simply, framing the often toxic and manipulative Big in a fairy-tale ending frame is frustrating.

Even worse, all of Carrie’s choices in the two-part Sex and the City finale revolve around men, which is a letdown for a show that pushed boundaries and billed itself as empowering and feminist. It was hard for Sex and the City to find a satisfying ending for its perpetually “single gal.“ And Just Like That season 2 perpetuates the issue, digging back into Carrie and Aidan’s will-they-won’t-they drama. While the couple’s 5-year pause is a little hard to digest, Carrie at least chooses (and prioritizes) herself in the sequel series’ sophomore outing.

And Just Like That Season 3 Could Feature A Time Jump To Reunite Carrie & Aidan

The SATC Couple Could Stick To Their 5-Year Plan

Although it’s highly unlikely, And Just Like That season 3 could employ a time jump in order to speed up Carrie and Aidan’s reunion. Aidan suggested a 5-year pause so that his youngest son would be out of high school and, presumably, on his own, allowing Aidan to settle in a new home without uprooting his sons’ lives. While both Carrie and Aidan are more mature, it’s still a challenging proposition. On the other hand, retconning season 2’s ending would feel cheap. And, in the world of And Just Like That, stranger things have happened than a time jump.

Source: Vulture