‘And Just Like That…’ Doesn’t Know What to Do With Charlotte York — And It’s Costing the Show
Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 premiere of And Just Like That…
From the start, And Just Like That… had an uphill battle — living up to Sex and the City’s legacy while appealing to a new era of fans and fandom culture. Within this evolving universe, Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) has always been the one constant: the idealistic romantic. But three seasons in, it’s clear the series has no idea how to evolve her — or even where she fits.
In Sex and the City, Charlotte’s arc was steady, rich, and full of transformation — from her crumbling marriage to Trey MacDougal to her messy, heartfelt journey with Harry Goldenblatt. Her strength came from how she challenged her ideals while staying true to her romantic core. But in And Just Like That…, Charlotte has been pushed to the sidelines, reduced to C-plot comedy and caricatured chaos. The Season 3 premiere confirms it — a mistaken dog identity gag and arguments with strangers take precedence over anything meaningful with her kids or marriage.
Unlike Carrie and Miranda, who’ve been allowed to evolve through grief, career, and reinvention, Charlotte is stuck in neutral. Her storylines rarely touch the depth of who she once was — the woman who proposed first, who gave her engagement ring to help a friend, and who once saw love as something sacred and active. Instead, she’s become a logistical sidekick, managing Carrie’s recovery schedules or calling out Miranda’s issues — but where is her struggle, her growth, her heartbreak?
The series even fumbles opportunities with her children. What should be powerful, layered moments — like her navigating Rock’s gender identity or Lily’s first crush — are played offscreen or mishandled. And her relationship with Harry has turned from fairy tale realism into sitcom flatness. Their most dramatic scene is about a tennis match. The love story that once defied Charlotte’s expectations now feels reduced to background noise.
Charlotte was never meant to be comic relief. She was the emotional anchor — proof that hope and change can coexist. But And Just Like That… has either forgotten this or chosen to ignore it. If the show doesn’t find a way to meaningfully center Charlotte again, it risks erasing everything Sex and the City worked so hard to build. And that loss would be more than narrative — it would be emotional. Charlotte deserves better. So do we.
