Michael Patrick King isn’t backing down from ‘And Just Like That…‘ in fact, he’s standing firmer than ever. The ‘Sex and the City‘ showrunner knows the sequel series divided audiences during its run, but he believes the conversation around it is not over.
Instead of focusing on the mixed reception, Michael Patrick King is looking ahead. He’s confident that ‘And Just Like That…’ will “age well,” suggesting that what feels polarizing today might eventually be seen in a completely different light as viewers revisit its themes and intent.
Michael Patrick King Says Time Will Change How Fans See ‘Sex and The City’ Sequel
King opened up about the future perception of ‘And Just Like That…‘ while reflecting on his past work. And he made one thing clear: audience opinion is not permanent. He pointed to ‘The Comeback‘ as proof, explaining that the show was once written off as a failure. However, it eventually gained recognition and relevance.
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“If The Comeback has taught me anything,” King said, “it’s that perceptions can change over the years.” He added that the show’s first perception was that it failed. But later it “grew in relevance as the world caught up.”
That experience has boosted his confidence in ‘And Just Like That…‘. “I think And Just Like That will potentially age well,” he said. The showrunner explained that the series carries the same DNA as ‘Sex and the City‘.
He noted that the original show explored a time when society told 35-year-old women they should be married. However, the sequel depicts a world in which society tells 55-year-old women they should not wear tulle.
‘And Just Like That…’s Evolution May Be Its Biggest Strength
King made it clear that ‘And Just Like That…‘ was never meant to recreate ‘Sex and the City‘. He stated, “If there was a great disaster, it would have been if ‘And Just Like That...‘ tried to be ‘Sex and the City’.” Instead, he believes it was better to return and build something new, even if that meant facing criticism.
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He explained that he has always been interested in writing about “the individual v society,” and that theme continues to drive the series. At the same time, he admitted that one thing surprised him during the show’s run. Fans often resist change and prefer to see characters exactly as they were when they first fell in love with them.
“I’m interested in how characters change,” he said. He added that the challenge comes when audiences want those characters to remain frozen in time. Despite that, he believes allowing Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda to evolve gives the show its depth and is one of the reasons it may be appreciated more in the future.
‘And Just Like That…‘ came to an end in 2025 after three seasons, and King explained that the decision was intentional. “We did everything we wanted to do fully for that expression of the individual versus society,” he said.
He also shared that the characters were left in a place where viewers could imagine what happens next. “Each of the relationships is in a place where you can fan-fiction the rest of it yourselves,” he noted. He thinks it gave fans space to continue the story in their own way.
With time, he believes audiences may see ‘And Just Like That…‘ differently. Maybe some stories simply need the world to catch up before they are fully understood.
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