IT’S REAL ‘BIG’ NEWS
‘And Just Like That’ it’s Carrie’s new guy
Carrie has a new man. “And Just Like That” has been rough for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). The first episode of the buzzy “Sex and the City” spinoff on HBO Max began with Mr. Big’s (Chris Noth) tragic death from a heart attack after working out on a Peloton. Their legacy as a couple has also been tarnished by disturbing real-life sexual assault allegations that came out about Noth just after the first two episodes aired.
But finally, there’s a glimmer of romance to lighten up Carrie’s sad storyline.
The Season 1 finale season (now streaming) ends with Carrie sharing a smooch with her silver-fox coworker Franklyn, played by Ivan Hernandez. It’s a dramatic rom-com movie moment: She takes the initiative and kisses him in an elevator at the end of her first day hosting her own podcast.
Hernandez, 45, has starred as Larry Murphy in Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen” and appeared on shows such as “Claws ,”“Scandal ,”“Criminal Minds ,”“Devious Maids ”and“Gossip Girl.”
In the “And Just Like That” season-ender, Carrie travels to Paris to scatter Big’s ashes off the side of the Pont des Arts Bridge, which has been present for many significant moments in their relationship and was the spot where they finally professed their love for each other.
The episode was going to feature an additional fantasy sequence in which Big appeared to Carrie, but it was reportedly scrapped following the allegations against Noth. Put in context, the scene helps Carrie come to terms with Big’s death so that she can move on.
She’s had a budding romance with kind teacher Peter (Jon Tenney), who is also recovering from losing his wife. Although she also shares a smooch with him at the beginning of this episode, it wasn’t a date where serious sparks flew.
Her new beau, Franklyn, is a producer on the “X, Y, and Me” podcast that Carrie hosts with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), who is currently TV’s most polarizing character. In earlier episodes, Franklyn, for the most part, a background character, laughing at their jokes on the podcast and occasionally chiming in with some guidance. Kind and quietly supportive, he’s traded some quips with Carrie, such as, in the third episode, piping up to agree with her that Citi Bikes can be heavy going.
In the finale, Carrie gets her own podcast, which she calls “Sex and the City.” After she records her first episode, she walks to the elevator and shares a passionate kiss with Franklyn, just before the doors close and the screen cuts to the credits. It seems quite sudden, but Franklyn has been a quiet, steady — and good-looking — presence throughout the season. It seemed like only a matter of time before he and Carrie had a romantic moment.
And there could be more. Parker has said that the likelihood of another season of “And Just Like That” is high. HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys recently told Variety, “In terms of viewership, it’s been phenomenal. I couldn’t be happier.” Season 2, here we come.