‘And Just Like That…’ Wonders: Was Big a Big Mistake?

Was Aidan always the one for Carrie? The eighth episode of season two of And Just Like That, “A Hundred Years Ago,” poses the question, as Carrie and Aidan continue rekindling their romance, getting cozy in hotel rooms and playing house in Che Diaz’s Hudson Yards apartment. Things are going so well with Aidan that it leads Carrie to ask herself a pretty Big question: was Big (Chris Noth) a big mistake?  

On this week’s Still Watching, hosts Hillary Busis, Richard Lawson, and Chris Murphy unpack Carrie’s question and what it means for Sex and the City. Murphy believed that Carrie wasn’t being fair to her relationship with Big, while Busis noted that perhaps this was And Just Like That‘s way of further separating itself from Noth, who, shortly after the series premiered in 2022, was accused of sexual assault by two women. (Noth was never charged with any crime and has repeatedly maintained his innocence.) Lawson pointed to Miranda’s lack of an answer to Carrie’s question as evident of the series’ own ambivalence. “Miranda basically not having an answer to that question in that scene, and then the scene just kind of ending was them being, like, ‘We don’t really know how to talk about it.’” 

In any case, it’s clear that as of now, Carrie is all in on Aidan, ordering $26 omelets with him every morning from their shared hotel bed and fantasizing about visiting his red brick farmhouse in Norfolk. By episode’s end, Carrie had semi-moved into and furnished Che’s apartment with Aidan, admitted she made “a mistake” ending things with him the first go round, and was headed out the door and on her way to Virginia to see him. “Her going to Virginia is a big deal,” notes Richard. “She’s really gonna see where he lives, what his life is like, and meet his boys.”

One person who was decidedly unhappy about Carrie and Aidan’s blossoming relationship was Seema (Sarita Choudhury), who cancelled their summer Hamptons house and asked Carrie for some space. “I think the cruelest thing this series has ever done is tell us we’re going to the Hamptons and then say, never mind, we’re not going to the Hamptons,” Lawson lamented. Murphy agreed, but added that he was happy to see Seema get a more fleshed-out storyline. By episode’s end, Seema seems to be back on board with Carrie and Aidan, joining the couple for a group dinner. 

Elsewhere, both Charlotte and Miranda are returning to the workforce, with varying degrees of success. Miranda begins an internship at Human Rights Watch, and quickly climbs up the ladder—much to the chagrin of her Gen Z co-workers. Charlotte finally decides to take Mark Kasabian up on his offer to re-join the gallery world, then obsesses about fitting into the perfect outfit for her first day of work. “Just buy a size six instead of a four, Charlotte!” advised Busis. “Nobody knows the size of the dress except for you.” 

At the end of the episode, Murphy interviews And Just Like That‘s production designer, Miguel Lopez-Castillo, who revealed that Sarah Jessica Parker uses some of her own personal belongings to decorate Carrie’s apartment. “She really inhabits the character of Carrie,” says Lopez-Castillo. “She brings a lot of her own personal stuff. She will bring artwork. She will bring a piece of furniture that she loves.”

Are Carrie and Aidan set in stone? Will Miranda excel at her new position? Will Charlotte return to the gallery bathroom and retrieve the Spanx she threw away? With three episodes left of the season, anything can happen. Listen to the full breakdown of “A Hundred Years Ago” below, and, as always, send questions and comments to Still Watching at stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.