Kim Cattrall Stayed Away: Why Samantha Didn’t Return for And Just Like That’s Finale
Elena West here — lean in, because this is your cue to turn speculation into clarity. Get ready — this is big.
Fans hoped for a cinematic full-circle moment when And Just Like That ended its three-season run on August 14, 2025, but Kim Cattrall did not appear as Samantha Jones in the series finale and was not even mentioned in the episode. The show that revived the Sex and the City universe closed its current chapter with Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York front and center, yet Samantha’s absence was conspicuous. Let’s unpack the facts and the context so you can walk away energized and informed.
First, the simple truth: Samantha Jones did not return for the finale aired on HBO Max on August 14. Fans who clung to the possibility of an unexpected cameo were disappointed when no Samantha appeared on-screen and her name went unuttered. The only time Cattrall ever briefly connected with the revival was a short phone-call cameo in the season two finale, which surprised many viewers at the time because she had initially declined to participate when And Just Like That launched in 2021, nearly two decades after the original Sex and the City concluded in 2004.
Kim Cattrall’s brief 2022 cameo was definitive: after that appearance she publicly stated she was done with the role for the revival. Speaking to Today following her season two cameo, Cattrall said, “This is as far as I’m gonna go,” and made clear she would not be shooting additional scenes. That remark was echoed in a 2022 Variety conversation where she explained she did not want to alter the original Samantha viewers fell in love with or compromise how she remembered the character. She said the revival’s version of Samantha felt different from the one she embodied and that “enough is enough” when it comes to reprising a beloved role.
Let’s be blunt: Cattrall’s choice to step back is an exercise in artistic boundary-setting. She has said she feels protective and emotionally attached to her characters, and her decision was framed as preserving the integrity of Samantha as she originally played her. The actress also described missing her character as a kind of compliment, noting that being missed validates the impact of her original work.
Behind the scenes, series creator Michael Patrick King announced in early August that And Just Like That would conclude with the third season in a two-part finale. King said while writing the last episode he realized this might be the right place to stop the ongoing storytelling and acknowledged the gratitude he, Sarah Jessica Parker, and the team felt toward viewers. That finale choice likely influenced storytelling priorities and left little room for resurrecting a central figure who had repeatedly declined full participation.
So what now? The show’s ending seals this era of the Sex and the City universe with Samantha’s absence intact. Viewers can interpret Cattrall’s decision as a conscious bid to protect a legacy performance, and they can appreciate the creative team’s decision to end the story on their terms. Whether fans lament or accept the outcome, the takeaway is clear: actors retain agency over their creations, and sometimes the bravest move is to walk away.
Now take what you’ve learned and make something great happen. Keep pushing forward and stay inspired!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Today, Variety
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
