And Just Like That...

One "New Chapter" Ends + Another Begins

WAY BACK WHEN = SEX AND THE CITY

Yesterday, with lots of help from my dear friend Drew, I finished moving out of my old place. This morning, I heard that the Sex and the City “next chapter” series, And Just Like That…, had finally been put out of our collective misery.

Totally unrelated events. Except, of course, in my own little noggin.

Once upon a time, Drew encouraged me to watch Sex and the City on HBO. I was skeptical at best. The show starred Sarah Jessica Parker. And while she may be beloved by many gay men, I’ve never been one of them.

Ever since I first saw her on Square Pegs, I’ve endured SJP’s performances—mostly because she’s often on screen with people I genuinely liked. Or at least didn’t go out of my way to avoid.

To my surprise—despite my dislike of SJP and Chris Noth (who’s always been an asshole, on and off screen)—the rest of the cast completely won me over.

The writing sparkled. The characters felt lived-in, messy, human.

I especially loved the series finale—despite its Carrie-centric ending.

And that first movie? It’s as close to perfection as a tv-to-film adaptation can get.

At the time, it felt like showrunner Michael Patrick King genuinely cared about these characters—and, by extension, the audience who had grown up with them.

And then came that second movie.
Uh…what the actual fuck was that?

In my opinion, only Kim Cattrall was smart enough to jump ship.

By the time the so-called “next chapter” series And Just Like That… limped onto HBO, the original SATC magic was long gone.

NO KIM CATTRALL? NO THANKS!

I couldn’t get through much of that trainwreck. And from everything I’ve heard and read, it hasn’t gotten much better after those first painfully awkward episodes.

What once felt sharp, joyful, and full of life had become cringe-worthy and hollow.

Whatever affection Michael Patrick King once had for these characters seemed to have faded—replaced by forced plotlines and nostalgia that felt more obligatory and forced than earned and authentic.

So why did I care so much?

Because, like so many others, Sex and the City wasn’t just a show—it was a cultural milestone. And its characters were a mirror to a lot of our lives in the 2000s.

Friends used to joke that I was a “Samantha.” But deep down, I always knew I was more of a “Miranda.” (Maybe with a “Samantha” rising?) The series was part of my growing up. It helped me feel seen in moments I didn’t even realize I needed to be seen. It made a big, complicated world feel just a little more connected.

Moving out of the home I had lived in for twelve years on the same day And Just Like That… got the axe felt poetic. Like a strange little cosmic wink.

Maybe that’s what closure really looks like. Not some grand, dramatic finale, but a quiet alignment of endings and beginnings. Less bang. More whimper.

If I’ve learned anything in this thing called life, it’s that less is usually more. And when it comes to Sex and the City (and SJP) less would’ve definitely been mo’ better.

I get it—it’s hard to walk away from characters and places you’ve grown to love.

But just like in poker, you’ve got to know when to fold ’em in Hollywood. Hold on too long, and you risk losing everything. I wish someone had reminded SJP and MPK of that. Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is throw in the towel and move on to the next story.

And just like that…my new “new chapter” has begun.

Keep calm and carry on!
Clint 🌈✌️

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ON THIS DAY = AUGUST 8

BIRTHDAYS

• 1879 = Bob Smith = American physician and Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder

• 1891 = Vivian Forbes = English soldier, painter and poet 🌈

• 1898 = Paul Belmondo = French sculptor

• 1910 = Sylvia Sidney = American actor

• 1911 = Rosetta LeNoire = American actor

• 1919 = Dino De Laurentiis = Italian actor and producer

• 1919 = John David Wilson = English animator and producer

• 1921 = Esther Williams = American swimmer and actor

• 1921 = William Asher = American director, producer, and screenwriter

• 1922 = Rory Calhoun = American actor

• 1922 = Rudi Gernreich = Austrian-American fashion designer 🌈

• 1926 = Richard Anderson = American actor and producer

• 1932 = Mel Tillis = American singer-songwriter

• 1937 = Dustin Hoffman = American actor and director

• 1938 = Connie Stevens = American actor and businesswoman

• 1944 = John C. Holmes = American film actor

• 1947 = Larry Wilcox = American actor, director, and producer

• 1949 = Keith Carradine = American actor

• 1951 = Martin Brest = American filmmaker

• 1951 = Randy Shilts = American journalist and author 🌈

• 1952 = Robin Quivers = American nurse, radio host/personality, and author

• 1953 = Don Most = American actor and singer

• 1958 = Deborah Norville = American journalist

• 1960 = Ralf König = German comic artist 🌈

• 1961 = The Edge = British-Irish singer-songwriter

• 1963 = Jon Turteltaub = American director and producer

• 1976 = Drew Lachey = American singer and actor

• 1976 = JC Chasez = American singer and dancer

• 1980 = Michael Urie = American actor, television producer, and director 🌈

• 1981 = Roger Federer = Swiss tennis player

• 1998 = Shawn Mendes = Canadian singer-songwriter

EVENTS

• 1876 = Thomas Edison receives a patent for his mimeograph.

• 1908 = Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It is the Wright Brothers' first public flight.

• 1929 = The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight.

• 1969 = At a zebra crossing in London, photographer Iain Macmillan takes the iconic photo that becomes the cover image of the Beatles' album Abbey Road.

• 1974 = POtuS Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announces his resignation, effective noon the next day.

• 1986 = Stand By Me is released in theaters.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• Happiness Happens Day

• International Cat Day

• National CBD Day

• National Dollar Day

• National Happiness Happens Day

• National Pickleball Day

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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Prejudice makes prisoners of both the hated and the hater.”
Randy Shilts, And the Band Played On