And Just Like That is officially back — with a few new faces in the mix.
The Sex and the City spinoff returned to Max for its third season on Thursday, May 29. During the premiere, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) offered an update on her relationship with Aidan (John Corbett) as he focuses on raising his sons in Virginia. The couple, who reunited last season, agreed to put a five-year pause on their romance.
“I’m a big girl in a big city with a big house to furnish,” Carrie told Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), referring to her new Gramercy Park abode. “I’ve got plenty to do up here while he figures stuff out down there.”
The trio were catching up over drinks at a gay bar following Miranda’s divorce from Steve (David Eigenberg) and fling with Che (Sara Ramirez). A woman caught Miranda’s eye, so Carrie and Charlotte called it a night — only for Miranda to realize that the woman used to babysit for her son, Brady.
“Elephant in the room, I’m a lesbian now,” Miranda joked, raising her mocktail in a toast.
By closing time, Miranda and a few other “randos” are the only ones left at the bar. She made small talk with a woman named Mary (Rosie O’Donnell), who was visiting New York City. They end the night at Mary’s hotel.
In bed the next morning, Mary gushed over their “electric” and “natural” connection, telling Miranda, “I never dreamed my first time could be both those things.”
Shocked, Miranda assumed Mary meant that it was her first time sleeping with a woman — but the surprises kept coming.
“This was my first time with anyone. I’m a virgin,” Mary clarified. “Well, I was a virgin. I’m a nun.”
Later, Miranda debriefed with Carrie, who joked that her friend “deflowered the Virgin Mary.” Miranda debated the ethics of ghosting Mary after being invited to dinner with her at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
“I don’t know which is worse, that you slept with a nun or a tourist,” Carrie quipped.
Miranda continued to receive texts from Mary, who topped off her NYC experience by catching a performance of Wicked and visiting the M&M’s store in Times Square. Miranda confessed that it felt “so mean” to ignore Mary’s messages, so she decided to meet her in midtown.
Dodging costumed street characters, the women find each other in Times Square. Mary — wearing a Wicked T-shirt — gushed that it was “the best week” of her life, so Miranda tried to let her down easy.
“I gather you’re at the beginning of a new journey, and I know how that is, because I just got off a crazy chapter myself,” Miranda explained. “But don’t do anything solely based on what you’re feeling right now. Don’t leave God for me.”
Mary assured Miranda that her religious devotion couldn’t be swayed. “I would never leave God. We’re married,” she said. “Look, I always knew this person was somewhere inside of me, and now I’ve met her. Thanks to you.”
The conversation ended with Mary singing part of Elphaba and Glinda’s second-act duet “For Good.”
Last month, O’Donnell exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about filming her season 3 cameo. While she had “the most fun” joining the AJLT cast, the actress admitted she didn’t feel a strong connection to the original SATC series.
“I will say that as a lesbian woman, it didn’t speak to me in the way it spoke to all my straight friends,” she explained. “My straight friends could not stop talking about it. … I loved the women’s performances and the friendships that they had. But, you know, it wasn’t, like, The L Word for me because I’m a big L, that’s why.”
And Just Like That airs on Max Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
