After four long years,And Just Like That…has finally turned a corner and broken one of theSex and the Cityrevival’s most disappointing trends. Debuting in 2021, HBO Max’s series saw Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw, along with Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis), return to their lavish but hectic New York City lifestyles.And Just Like That…brought back keySex and the Citycharacters, whose stories fizzled out after six seasons of TV and two movies, with a third movie never getting off the ground.

With the originalSex and the Cityreceiving some backlash with age, when we finally saw Carrie again in 2021,And Just Like That…attempted to redeem some of theharsh realities ofSex and the Citynearly three decades later. Still, to the dismay of many fans, the revival has been considered a disappointment, asAnd Just Like That…struggled to find its tone and fell short of expectations. However, it appearsAnd Just Like That…season 3has finally broken through a frustrating trend with its premiere.

Carrie and Miranda in And Just Like That season 2

And Just Like That Season 3 Is The Revival’s First Season Without A Divisive Rotten Tomatoes Score

And Just Like That Season 3 Is So-Far Certified Fresh

Breaking a trend that lasted two seasons,And Just Like That…season 3 is theSex and the Cityrevival’s first season to achieve critical acclaim.And Just Like That…season 3 garnered a 78% scoreonRotten Tomatoes,representing a significant improvement from the revival’s first two seasons. With the number,And Just Like That…season 3 sets a record-high for the show. Max debutedAnd Just Like That…season 3 on May 29, returning after a nearly two-year hiatus. Now that the numbers have come in, the wait appears to have been worthwhile.

And Just Like That… season 1 garnered an abysmal 48% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) talking on the phone at the dock in And Just Like That Season 3 Ep 1

While the 78% may not seem over-the-moon impressive,Rotten Tomatoesconsiders anything with a rating of 75% or higher Certified Fresh, a term essentially affirming that it’s good TV. The metric improves upon divisive rankings from the revival’s debut.And Just Like That…season 1 garnered an abysmal 48%Rotten Tomatoesscore on the review site.And Just Like That…season 2 showed slight improvement, tweaking some of the things that didn’t work in the first season, managing to score a 63% approval rating, at least winning over the majority with its sophomore run.

Why The Reviews For And Just Like That Season 3 Are So Much Better Than Previous Outings

Something About And Just Like That Season 3 Clicks

In thereviews forAnd Just Like That…season 3’s premiere, the buzz among critics and audience members alike agreesAnd Just Like That…has finally found its footing, settling into a tone that cohesively packagesSex and the City’s themes for the modern era.Sex and the Citywas always a progressive show. Still, nearly three decades later, the HBO series was far from timeless.And Just Like That…season 1 swung the pendulum too far, with divisive characters like Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), who were meant to be relatable, causing backlash.

48%

Miranda with a coffee cup and Samantha with a bottle of booze while they talk to Carrie while heading to a baby shower in Sex and the City

63%

And Just Like That…season 3

78%

While the series is far from reaching the originalSex and the City’s creative ingenuity, critics have creditedAnd Just Like That…season 3 for leaning into its fun and light-hearted nature. It’s also evident that, to the satisfaction of many who would watch the show regardless,the revival has unlocked a format for modernizingSex and the Citythat elicits less cringeworthy content with the same progressive intentions. In short,And Just Like That…finally unlocked how to represent the same characters in the same city 30 years later in the age of cell phones, social media, and dating apps.

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And Just Like That Season 3 Is The Best Yet

Image via Max

WithAnd Just Like That…season 3, episode 1, improving on a positive trend, that’s good news for the show, provided it can maintain this momentum. WhileAnd Just Like That…didn’t necessarily hit the ground running, it is improving with age, maturing as it makes adjustments to its tone and approach to its messaging.And Just Like That…season 3 has also seen some characters exit, while others remain, becoming staples. While it would have been great forAnd Just Like That…to have figured itself out sooner, at least it’s heading in the right direction.

Still, withAnd Just Like That…season 3 garnering a 78%Rotten Tomatoesscore, there’s plenty of room for improvement. Due toSex and the City’s acclaim,And Just Like That’s charactershave a dedicated fan base, invested in their misadventures. Audiences have stuck with the series through its growing pains, hoping it would transform and watching through episodes where it didn’t. The series thus shows no signs of slowing down, so withAnd Just Like That…season 3 hinting at an improvement, subversive stories are on the table again ifSex and the City’s revival continues to bloom with age.

And Just Like That Season 3’s Reviews Are Better Than Half Of Sex And The City’s Original Seasons

And Just Like That Outranks Sex And The City (But Is It Really Better?)

I wouldn’t say thatAnd Just Like That…has surpassed what madeSex and the Citygreat, far from it. Still, it’s worth noting thatAnd Just Like That…season 3 has a higher rating than most seasons ofSex and the CityonRotten Tomatoes.And Just Like Tha…season 3’s premiere ranked higher thanSex and the Cityseasons 1, 2, 3, and 5.Sex and the Cityseason 1 scored a meager 46% on the review site, failing to win over the majority of its audience, and almost matchingAnd Just Like That…season 1’s low score.

Sex and the City season

Sex and the Cityseason 1

46%

Sex and the Cityseason 2

60%

Sex and the Cityseason 3

67%

Sex and the Cityseason 4

86%

Sex and the Cityseason 5

73%

Sex and the Cityseason 6

90%

According toRotten Tomatoes,Sex and the Cityculminated with age, so the revival is repeating its predecessor’s arc, improving, at least critically, with time.Sex and the Cityseason 2 scored a 60% ranking, and season 3 gained a 67% score, which is closer toAnd Just Like Thatseason 2. OnlySex and the Cityseasons 4 and 6 surpassAnd Just Like That…’s third outing on the site, withSex and the Cityseason 5 landing at 73%, not even Certified Fresh.Sex and the Cityseason 6 is the flagship’s highest-rated outing, somewhat surprisingly.

Conversely, I’m in the camp thatSex and the Cityseason 1is one of the flagship series’ best chapters, its episodes guided by strong, fun themes that make each outing memorable. The first fewSex and the Cityseasons also witness Carrie untethered by long-term relationships, her dating leading to frank conversations about communication, expectations, and sexuality. That said, I agree thatAnd Just Like That…is improving in its third season, and its shift toward handling love and sex in a way that’s frank yet fun, followingSex and the City’s original MO, makes it work.

And Just Like That…

Cast

And Just Like That is a continuation of the beloved franchise Sex and the City, chronicling the experiences of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte as they transition from the complexities of life and friendships in their 30s to those in their 50s.