Emily in Paris has a secret: It’s a better Sex and the City reboot than And Just Like That. Though And Just Like That may have Carrie and the gang sashaying the streets of New York City again, it’s missing an essential piece of the original Sex and the City magic: creator Darren Star. Star, who wrote every episode of Sex and the City, is not involved in And Just Like That—he’s been too busy writing and creating Emily in Paris.
Emily in Paris begins with Madeline (Kate Walsh), Emily’s boss at her marketing firm in Chicago, preparing to set off for a year abroad in Paris. At the last minute, Madeline discovers she is pregnant and sends Emily in her stead. Emily in Paris follows Emily’s friendships and romantic escapades as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery in one of the world’s most glamorous cities.
Meanwhile, further continuing Darren Star’s original story, And Just Like That follows Carrie Bradshaw and the gang (minus Kim Cattrall’s Samantha), now in their 50s as they continue to manage life and love in New York City. The miniseries comes after six seasons of the original show, two Sex and the City movies, and a prequel, making it a sequel old enough to not be cute anymore. The true Sex and the City reboot is Emily in Paris, which returns viewers to the original elements that made the flagship Sex and the City irresistible with parallels in storylines, themes, and even the same costume designer.
Star’s storylines are remarkably similar in both Emily in Paris and Sex and the City as both shows follow a young professional (Emily is just three years younger than Carrie was at the beginning of Sex and the City) in a bustling city, navigating love and friendship. Further connections lie in Emily’s quickly becoming an Instagram influencer, which parallels Carrie’s column, and Emily’s episodic love interests. Additionally, much like Carrie meets Big in Sex and the City episode 1 and their relationship serves as Carrie’s over-arching romance throughout the series, Emily in Paris mirrors this formula when Emily meets Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) in Emily in Paris episode 1.
Along with Darren Star, Emily in Paris shares another key player from Sex and the City: the show’s costume designer, Patricia Field. Carrie Bradshaw’s fashion became an iconic part of Sex and the City and Field brings that same vision to Emily in Paris, evidenced by Emily’s dress from Emily in Paris season 1, episode 2 which is a nod to Carrie’s legendary tulle skirts. Even the accessories have similarities with Carrie’s famous “Carrie” necklace being reincarnated by Emily’s “Emily” earrings. Field also claims (via Glamour) that Emily’s camera-style phone case she totes around Paris is the next “Carrie’ necklace.”
Unfortunately, while And Just Like That is a continuation of Star’s original story, the story has gone stale and viewers may very well catch a whiff of the sequel stink that follows late franchise installments. The SatC characters were always a bit frivolous, but they were still relatable. Now, however, their lack of true growth and ostentatious wealth have worn them thin; what was cute when they were in their 20s is just grating now. Meanwhile, Emily in Paris offers Sex and the City lovers a fresh start with their favorite parts of a tried-and-true formula. It is not hard to see why many are calling for Kim Cattrall to reprise her role of Samantha—not by joining Carrie and the crew in And Just Like That, but by appearing in Emily in Paris.