From mild laments of tinkering with a fan classic to outrage spurred by Kim Cattrall’s absence to Big’s death to their storyline that addresses the death of actor Willie Garson, who portrayed Stanford Blatch, add to that the appearance of the leads’ and their apparent aging since 1998, the reboot of Sex and the City, And Just Like That... has taken on considerable criticism with every new episode’s airing. Writers are now addressing the treatment of the loyal and lovable spouse to Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Steve (David Eigenberg).
Miranda’s infidelity and seemingly half-hearted efforts to save her marriage to one of the perennial ‘good guys’ of the series has fans, again, criticizing the continuing storyline of their standup guy. Writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky sat down with Vanity Fair to address the claims that the writers have no love for the character or the actor. “Everyone on the show, every single person, loves David Eigenberg as a human being,” Zuritsky says. “We love him as an actor. We love Steve. We are really invested in the Steve-ness of him. He’s so full of life, and the Steves out there are good guys.”
“But Miranda’s journey is representing another reality out there, which a lot of people go through—the reevaluations and transitions in life,” added Rottenberg. “Grown couples grow apart, and people come to epiphanies about what their spouse is or isn’t fulfilling for them. Miranda’s story was very representative of a certain path that a lot of women find themselves on.”
“We didn’t set out to make virtuous characters necessarily,” said Zuritsky. “Even beloved people have crises. Even moral, generally wonderful people make choices that aren’t necessarily admirable or virtuous. But they do them anyway because they’re going through something, or they’re working through a crisis.”
“This reminds me of the uproar after the first episode…how could we do that? Why would we do that?” The writers have also had the opposite response coming their way concerning Miranda’s and Steve’s marriage, hearing “‘Thank God. Please. What’s taking so long? Get out of there. You’re in a loveless marriage.’”
From the Reboot's Inception, the Writers and Stars Were Determined to Show the Vibrant Lives of Women of All Ages
Speaking of the revival, executive producer and star Sarah Jessica Parker talked about the excitement she felt at finding out what the writers saw for the characters lives’ after their thirties.” I think that Cynthia [Nixon], Kristin [Davis], and I are all excited about the time that has passed. You know, who are they in this world now? Have they adapted? What part have they played? Where have they fallen short as women, as friends, and how are they finding their way? Did they move with momentum? Are they like some people who are confused, threatened, nervous [by what’s happening in the world]? I’m so curious and excited to see how the writers imagine these women today.”
The message that life is complicated, messy at times, and that it does indeed go on, if you’re lucky, are recurring themes for the reboot and behind the scenes of the series. In 1998 the show was criticized for being unrealistic and superficial; now, watching the characters make bad choices, endure loss and scandal, age in an inappropriate way, doesn’t seem to be hitting the mark for all the fans. However, they must be doing something right, as it’s already rumored season 2 is in the works. Catch the next episode of And Just Like That... January 20 on HBO.