Kim Cattrall, much to the excitement of fans, made a highly anticipated appearance as Samantha Jones in the season 2 finale of the “Sex and the City” spinoff, “Max’s And Just Like That…”. The reappearance of this beloved character brought joy to countless followers of the series.
In a scene at the episode’s beginning, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) received a call from Samantha, who was stuck in a car due to a three-hour flight delay. Clad in a striking red dress and a silver trench coat, complemented by a bold lime green purse and chunky jewelry, Samantha informed Carrie about her plans. She had learned from Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) about Carrie’s “Last Supper” party at her old apartment and was determined to fly from Heathrow Airport to New York for just one night to surprise her friend. “Well, it is your apartment and I have to pay my respects,” Samantha asserted.
As Carrie put her on speakerphone, Samantha bid farewell to Carrie’s place in a manner befitting her confident and alluring persona. “Thank you for everything you f—— fabulous, fabulous flat,” she exclaimed. Playfully teasing Samantha about her potential British accent, Carrie received an equally playful response. “Ta and cheerio!” Samantha quipped, adding, “And have a great night.”
Samantha’s absence had been addressed in the spinoff’s series premiere, where it was revealed that she and Carrie had drifted apart after Samantha was dismissed as Carrie’s publicist and relocated to London. While the two had slowly been reconnecting through sporadic text conversations, flowers sent to Big’s funeral, and an offscreen drinks reunion following the season 1 finale, Samantha’s presence had been less prominent in season 2. However, excitement peaked when the season finale trailer depicted Carrie receiving a phone call from her long-missed friend.
Though Samantha’s cameo was brief, it held significant meaning for both the show and Kim Cattrall herself. Cattrall’s reservations about being a part of the “Sex and the City” reboot had been vocalized in a May 2022 interview with Variety. She expressed dissatisfaction with her character’s storyline in the never-produced third film of the franchise, as well as similarities between that plotline and the direction taken in “And Just Like That…,” which resembled the abandoned third movie’s script that included plotlines like Big’s death.
“I also didn’t want to compromise what the show was to me,” Cattrall explained at the time. “The way forward seemed clear.” In 2017, she had tweeted her decision to not pursue a third “SATC” film, having already expressed dissatisfaction with the script. This choice led to a public fallout with Sarah Jessica Parker.
Despite Cattrall’s reluctance to reprise her role, “And Just Like That…” showrunner Michael Patrick King and Parker decided to create the reboot. Cattrall was not approached to return.
“I was never asked to be part of the reboot,” she disclosed to Variety. “I made my feelings clear after the possible third movie, so I found out about it like everyone else did — on social media.” Parker confirmed this in 2022 during an interview.
Parker stated, “She made it clear that that wasn’t something she wanted to pursue, and it no longer felt comfortable for us, and so it didn’t occur to us. That’s not ‘slamming’ her, it’s just learning. You’ve got to listen to somebody, and if they’re publicly talking about something and it doesn’t suggest it’s some place they want to be, or a person they want to play, or an environment in which they want to be, you get to an age where you’re like, ‘Well, we hear that.'”
