HBO Max Cancels And Just Like That..., Critic Calls It a "Noble Defeat"

In a surprising move, HBO Max has canceled the Sex and the City spinoff series And Just Like That... as of August 2025. The news has been met with a sense of relief from one critic, who found the show "stressful" to watch over its three-season run.

The critic, Tom Gliatto, explains that he always struggled with And Just Like That..., feeling that the show's creators were "perpetually struggling to make it good -- instead of just good enough." In contrast, the original Sex and the City series was like "a magically replenishing cosmo" that viewers could enjoy year after year. And Just Like That..., on the other hand, "never went down with that bracing smoothness."

Despite the show's cancellation, the critic was still hopeful that the finale might provide a "blissful, parting image" of Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw. And to some extent, the critic was satisfied, describing Parker's closing scenes as "lovely" as Carrie reflected on her life. However, the finale ultimately fell short, with an "unforgettably, unforgivably gross plumbing mishap" and other "tasteless" moments that the critic found disappointing.

Overall, the critic sees the cancellation of And Just Like That... as a "noble defeat" for the show's "thoughtful, glamorous, hard-working star" Parker. While the actress did her best, it simply "wasn't enough" to salvage the series in the critic's eyes.