And Simply Like That… – Celebration of One

After three seasons, the deaths of great characters, the introduction of recent characters, and plot strains that went nowhere, And Simply Like That… has reached the top of the highway. Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King tried to affect the narrative by sharing, forward of the season three finale, that that they had determined to finish the sequence. In some methods, this episode does appear to be a neat little bow on the sequence by giving a few of our characters decision and ending with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) dancing by herself whereas the unique SATC theme track performs through the closing credit. Nonetheless, I am unable to think about anybody wanting an overflowing rest room at Thanksgiving to be a serious plot level of a sequence finale. 

Celebration of One begins with Carrie eating at a hip restaurant with robots delivering meals. Undecided what’s much less plausible, that Carrie’s flummoxed by ordering on an iPad, or that she’s horrified by the stuffed Tommy Tomato they’ve maintaining her firm so she does not dine alone. A minimum of she’s carrying that beautiful shade of blue. 

Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) continues to edit her documentary, and there is nonetheless some sexual pressure between her and Marion (Mechad Brooks). Nonetheless, it shuts down early when Lisa’s clear that they can not see one another exterior of the modifying bay. They comply with hold issues skilled. That is it? That is the decision after weeks of constructing pressure? 

The perfect scene of the episode is between Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg), the place they speak about the opportunity of changing into grandparents. Their dialog feels real, with them questioning how they obtained into this example. Steve all the time is aware of methods to calm Miranda down, and he tells her that there isn’t any means their grandkid just isn’t going to know them. I belief Steve when he says that they will determine it out. 

Adam (Logan Marshall-Inexperienced) and Seema’s (Sarita Choudhury) relationship continues to develop, however Adam reveals that he does not actually imagine in weddings or marriage, which is alarming to Seema, who has been looking for the appropriate partner for the reason that present started. 

“Celebration of One”-AND JUST LIKE THAT…, Pictured: Sarita Choudhury as Seema Patel and Logan Marshall-Inexperienced as Adam. Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn/MAX ©2025 MAX. All Rights Reserved

We collect most of our most important characters at a bridal vogue present (Miranda would not be serious about attending this). The setting and the clothes are beautiful, serving as a backdrop for a dialogue on marriage. Does Seema actually need to get married, or does she suppose she must get married? Seema will get an old-school SATC Carrie voiceover second when she says about marriage, “Do I actually need it, or am I simply programmed for it?” Carrie is requested why she obtained married (wait, are we acknowledging that she was married?), and he or she says it meant she was chosen. I would like a second to course of this line. Based mostly on Seema’s response, we’re speculated to suppose it is romantic, however it appears like Carrie did not have a say, and everyone knows that wasn’t the story. 

Lisa and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) have an sincere dialogue about marriage, and that the gown and marriage ceremony aren’t the actual components. Marriage is coping with sickness and understanding methods to be supportive. Ultimately, they each agree that they’d get married yet again, even understanding what they know now. That felt actual. 

Carrie waxes philosophical about being alone for the remainder of her life, questioning who she is with out the “possibly” of a companion. She thought that after Large (point out quantity two!), going again to Aiden felt like the appropriate step, however that did not work. There are not any extra males who really feel like “maybes” in her life, and he or she wants to simply accept being alone. 

Carrie performs the protecting pal and confronts Adam about his emotions for Seema, utilizing his non-recognition of Thanksgiving as a primer. Adam doesn’t imagine in these traditions, however he believes in Seema. She’s not a Thursday, she’s a lifetime. With that, Carrie decides to modify gears and asks Adam to rework the backyard into one thing “extra wild.” I can recognize that she desires the backyard to mirror herself, not Aiden, or who she was with Aiden. 

For Thanksgiving, Carrie delivers pies throughout city. There’s one for Harry (Evan Handler) and Charlotte, who’re celebrating the return of their love life, and apple crisp for Lisa. For Seema, it is a gluten-free pie, and for Anthony (Mario Cantone), it is a chocolate cream pie. Anthony thinks Giuseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi) is marrying him for a “mommy” and plans to interrupt issues off. I hate this, and the much less mentioned the higher. With that, Carrie is on her method to Miranda’s for probably the most disgusting Thanksgiving ever. 

Attendees at Miranda’s Thanksgiving went from 13 to 6, with Pleasure (Dolly Wells) having to care for her sick canine and Anthony planning a combat with Giuseppe. Carrie offers Miranda some good recommendation to achieve out to Pleasure to test on the sick canine, and Miranda rushes to be with Pleasure. Now it is simply Carrie and Brady (Niall Cunningham) holding down the fort, so it is as much as Carrie to greet Mia (Ella Stiller) and her associates, Epcot (Spike Einbinder) (her dad and mom had been Disney lovers), and Silvio (Paulo Hernandez-Farella). Epcot is lactose illiberal, and Mia claims she solely eats cucumber, brown rice, and seaweed. That is speculated to be humorous, however it comes throughout as awkward and cringeworthy. I hate the way in which Mia says, “That is on you.” Additionally, there isn’t any chemistry between Mia and Brady. Carrie should then play host to Charlotte’s boss, Mark Kasabian (Victor Garber), who reveals up for dinner. After Carrie informed Charlotte about being alone, in fact, Charlotte needed to attempt to repair her up. 

Miranda lastly returns house to search out the lactose-intolerant Epcot urgently needing to make use of the toilet after consuming cheese, Silvio getting a groove on, and Mia speaking a couple of misplaced pet. After dinner, Mia and her crew skip out, and solely Mark, Carrie, and Miranda stay, and here is the place issues go from painful to simply plain imply. Mark’s going to the toilet (for these maintaining rating, that is the second man peeing on this episode) and flushes solely to have the bathroom overflow. That cheese was certainly no joke. Poor Mark. Justice for Victor Garber, who deserves a lot better than this sequence. 

Carries returns house, does not take away her heels (reminder that the Duncan-era is over), and fires up the karaoke machine. We get little montages of the opposite characters of their settings: Miranda and Pleasure sharing a pie, the Goldenblatts being supportive of Rock (Alexa Swinton) and sharing a pleasant second, Giuseppe throwing a pie in Anthony’s face, leading to laughter, and Herbert (Chris Jackson) telling Lisa to take a seat down whereas he cleans up. 

We’re again to Carrie dancing round her home in her fabulous crimson tulle skirt (one other nod to SATC), realizing she may be on her personal and be fabulous. It is paying homage to the ultimate episode of SATC the place Carrie says, “However probably the most thrilling, difficult, and vital relationship of all is the one you have got with your self.” 

Ultimately, And Simply Like That… felt, at greatest, pointless. At its worst, it tarnished the legacy of the unique sequence by altering the characters we knew and beloved, introducing ponderous plot factors and new characters who by no means actually gelled. The characters had been too wealthy and too shallow to be fascinating, however there have been temporary moments of compelling tv. That is what was so irritating. You might see glimmers of a great present in there, however it by no means got here collectively. And Simply Like That… felt like a sequence of brief tales meant to have unifying themes and characters however actually did not. Thank goodness it ended earlier than we needed to watch an episode the place Carrie Bradshaw acquired a Nationwide E book Award for her work of historic fiction. 

What did you suppose? Was this a failed experiment? Will it’s missed?

Meredith Howell

Meredith lives in Chicago the place she and her husband made positive their two boys had been fluent in all issues popular culture. She loves speaking about all issues GG- Gilmore Women, Gossip Lady, and Golden Women and indulges in a yearly viewing of Delight and Prejudice (the Colin Firth model is the one one acknowledged).