Fans Rage as And Just Like That Finale Ends on Gross, Unfulfilled Note
Zoe Bennett reporting: The facts matter. Here’s what we know so far.
The final episode of And Just Like That left longtime Sex and the City devotees outraged and disgusted after a Thanksgiving-set finale leaned into gross-out bathroom imagery and a muted emotional pay-off for Carrie Bradshaw. Viewers and critics alike compared the ending to a cultural flop, with many calling it an ignoble conclusion for a franchise once anchored by fashion, friendship, and romantic arcs.
Produced as a continuation of HBO’s beloved Sex and the City, the reboot promised updated, adult takes on Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and returning friend figures including Kim Cattrall’s absence. From the start, the series encountered backlash: early episodes introduced fraught moments such as Miranda’s controversial interactions in grad school, Charlotte contending with her child’s gender and clothing choices, and the split with Samantha’s publicist storyline that led to Samantha’s exit. The show also faced public scrutiny after Mr. Big’s sudden death following a Peloton workout, an event that reshaped the reboot’s emotional landscape and alienated some fans.
Despite efforts to course-correct by Season 3, the finale’s most notorious sequence involved a character named Epcot, a friend of Mia who allegedly causes a severe toilet blockage at Miranda’s apartment during the Thanksgiving gathering. The episode then lingered visually on the aftermath of the clogged toilet for an extended period, a choice many viewers found gratuitous. The scene’s visceral effect was amplified when Miranda, wearing rubber gloves to clean the mess, embraces her girlfriend and transfers the contaminated gloves to her partner’s back. Critics and fans described the moment as repulsive rather than humorous or meaningful.
At a small viewing party attended by the author and several committed original-series fans, the response was largely negative, with audible disgust and incredulity. One viewer in a Lucy Liu-inspired outfit reportedly shouted “This is unhinged!” during the scene. The finale’s montage then offered a subdued coda: characters returning to their lives, Carrie delivering Thanksgiving pies and ultimately editing her novel’s epilogue, changing its final line to “The woman realized she was not alone. She was on her own.” The image of Carrie alone in a sprawling Gramercy home — criticized for being ostentatiously large given contemporary urban housing issues — was seen by some as emblematic of the series’ failure to honor the franchise’s previous emotional resonance.
Beyond the shock value of the sewage scene, other creative decisions throughout the reboot contributed to fan frustration. Critics pointed to heavy-handed attempts at modern cultural relevancy, uneven characterization — notably mixed reactions to Che, a self-described “queer, nonbinary, Mexican Irish diva” — and a tonal drift that some felt erased the original Miranda’s sharper, more grounded edges. Performances also drew commentary, with some viewers noting that Cynthia Nixon’s increased nudity and altered portrayal distracted from the character’s core identity.
Measured against the original show’s legacy of witty, fashion-forward storytelling and earnest explorations of friendship and love, And Just Like That’s conclusion felt anticlimactic and, to many, distasteful. The series’ pivot into shock, identity-focused beats, and explicit visual gags left a segment of the fanbase feeling betrayed rather than enlightened.
What’s next: the cultural debate will continue. Will HBO and the creative team answer fan critiques or quietly retire this chapter of the franchise? Expect essays, think pieces, and streaming metrics to tell the next chapter of this story.
Stay informed, stay critical, and follow the facts.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, HBO Max, viewer reactions at private viewing party
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
