John Oliver is right, the Sex and the City reboot needs Samantha Jones. The reboot, officially titled And Just Like That... was announced in January. The ten-episode HBO Max revival brought back original stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis, but it was confirmed Kim Cattrall wasn’t returning. Oliver’s impassioned argument solidifies exactly why leaving out Samantha is a mistake.
In a segment about emergency medical services on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host discussed how no workplace should have to shut down after one employee leaves; unless, of course, that workplace is the Sex and the City reboot. Oliver rightly believes the reboot won’t be the same without Samantha and it’s because she balanced the other characters out. The reason why Sex and the City worked so well in its original run is because each character bounced off of the other, adding layers to their friendship and their experiences with men; no one woman’s personality or ideas about sex were exactly the same and that was very much a strength of the HBO series.
Oliver added that he couldn’t have appreciated “puritan Charlotte” without the “naughty Samantha.” Indeed Samantha’s presence amplified and leveled out Charlotte’s characteristics, acting in opposition to her more traditional, romanticized relationship ideals. Samantha did the same for Miranda Hobbs, who was no-nonsense and occasionally judgmental, and Carrie Bradshaw herself, who often needed to hear an unfiltered piece of advice. Sure, And Just Like That hasn’t aired yet, but the loss of Samantha is far too great to go overlooked. She was a great and memorable character and it’s a testament to Cattrall’s portrayal, too, that she is as beloved as she is.
Sex and the City worked so well because none of the women were the same, not despite it. They are all better together and not having Samantha be in the reboot makes it feel like a large piece of the puzzle is missing. The four women clicked in a variety of ways, with Samantha offering everything from support to advice about sex to plenty of comedic beats that only worked because of the women’s collective dynamic. Oliver affirms that there’s nothing particularly wrong with the other characters, but that the show hinged on the women as an ensemble, with each of them representing different perspectives and life experiences. Samantha brought the other women’s personality traits into sharper focus, in addition to being a fantastic character herself.
Plus, without Samantha, there won’t be anyone who is as open to talking about sex and being against relationships (at least in the traditional sense) in general. That perfect equilibrium that existed throughout Sex and the City’s original run will be gone. It’s hard to imagine that Samantha, who was such an integral part of the other women’s lives, would suddenly be absent after all this time. Regardless of the fading friendships reason, And Just Like That needs Samantha; what she brought to the table was crucial to the fabric of the show. The fact the Sex and the City reboot will go on without her is a deep loss.