Warning: There are spoilers ahead forAnd Just Like That…season 3, episode 12.
Carrie Bradshaw’s ending inAnd Just Like That…season 3 is explained by Sarah Jessica Parker and creator Michael Patrick King. The series finale brought an end to the long-running story of Parker’s iconicSex and the Citycharacterdecades after she was first introduced.
Carrie’s choice in the ending ofAnd Just Like That…to be on her own has proven divisive, with many fans wanting her to live happily-ever-after with John James “Mr. Big” Preston (Chris Noth) or to be with another romantic partner.
While speaking withVanity Fair, Parker and King address why the show ends with Carrie on her own and how this is a perfect conclusion to her arc. Check out their comments below:
Parker: I feel really good about the principle by which we’re making this decision. It’s hard for a lot of people to understand if they see it doing really well. It’s an agonizing thing to say out loud, with Michael in a room, sitting across from me. But also it feels right and good. [Carrie’s ending] honors the audience. It doesn’t just exploit them in some way.
King: A lot of people want Carrie to be with somebody and live happily ever after, because that’s what society tells people happily ever after is. What we tried to do in the very last moments is show how busy and noisy and filled with love Carrie’s life is. She comes home to this beautiful, quiet house that she’s created for herself—and leaves her shoes on. Susan Fales-Hill and I wrote the words, but Sarah Jessica wrote the music. Sarah Jessica picking that song, and having Carrie say, “You’re my everything,” as she’s looking in a mirror is a big writing moment.
I think [the endings] talk to each other. I think it’s about the evolution of a person realizing what growth is, or what aging is—like a wine. It becomes deeper and more sure of itself. They definitely speak to each other. What’s great about being alive is you’re in a moment, and you don’t know what’s coming next.
Parker: I think it’s such a good question about course correction—trying to appease or placate, and feel like we’re telling the story they want us to tell. It’s an impossible situation. There are those that wanted Carrie to be with Big; there are those that wanted her to feel confident without a partnership.
I think Carrie has stood strong; I think she’s been weak. It is the natural wave human beings ride. I’ve never felt that the decisions that were made this season were in any way a response—but every decision you make is based on information from your past. Whether you’re even aware of it, it all informs the next choice you make.
King: Carrie doesn’t have to speak for everyone. The season ended deliberately with so much love. Miranda and Joy—you understand something’s going to be good for Miranda there. Charlotte and Harry get back together by having sex…. It’s never been, “Here’s one way to be,” because that’s the opposite of Sex and the City. It’s always been, “There’s no one way to be a woman. There’s no one way to be in a relationship. No matter what society says, you can be an individual.”
What This Means For And Just Like That…
MostAnd Just Like That…series finale reviewshave criticized the spinoff’s ending, includingScreenRant’s Mae Abdulbaki, who notes that Carrie’s ending"was meant to make us feel something, anything, but I couldn’t help but feel anything but relief that it was over."
Despite the overall lackluster response, Parker and King stand by their decision and believe that it honors Carrie’s growth over the years. It is a strong representation of the show’s exploration of how there is no one right way to be a woman and to find one’s individual path in a society that comes with certain expectations.
They acknowledge that Carrie’s ending was never going to please everyone, as audiences were already divided in their beliefs about whether Carrie should be in a relationship or whether she should be single. Given the character’s previous decisions that inform her present, they did not feel it would be authentic to push her back into a relationship.
And Just Like That…comes to a close with a wiser and more reflective version of Carrie who has achieved important realizations about herself. Part of that is Carrie embracing the current moment and accepting that she does not know what the future holds, which is an important reminder that her story is not over.
Our Take On Sarah Jessica Parker And Michael Patrick King’s Comments
When divisive choices are made at the end of a show, it is always fascinating to see the perspective that the actors and creators have. It is valid to be dissatisfied with Carrie’s ending, but Parker and King’s comments do clarify why the decision was made to ultimately take the character’s story in this direction.
Similar to other divisive series finales, theAnd Just Like That…ending may become better-received as time goes on. The reaction to how Carrie’s story concludes may change, especially now that fans can go back and watch the entirety of her arc over the course of many years.
