Why And Just Like That Feels Like An AI Wrote It
While the original Sex and the City had its flaws, it was never accused of being dull. The show was known for its big swings, aiming to entertain and provoke a laugh even when tackling serious topics. The reboot, And Just Like That…, initially followed this chaotic path with wild choices like Big's Peloton death and the introduction of Che Diaz. These moments made the series fun to watch, despite its flaws. But now in its third season, the show has taken a dour turn, bogged down by a sad, listless Carrie and her exhausting relationship with Aidan.
The Unintentional Hilarity of AI-Like Subplots
Amidst the gloom of the main plot, there are occasional glimpses of sillier subplots that feel like they belong in a different show. We've seen Anthony's bakery staffed with men in denim rompers, Charlotte navigating a web of pill-popping prep school moms, and Carrie hiring a gardener literally named Adam Gardens. These details are so goofy that they feel like the product of a ChatGPT prompt, yet they are also hilariously entertaining. They have the charm of a poorly written romance novel you'd read aloud with friends for a good laugh. The show isn't written by AI, but if these moments of janky unreality are its best feature, maybe it should be.
Clumsy Storylines or Accidental Genius
Two current subplots perfectly encapsulate this feeling. First, there's Charlotte’s daughter Lily, who falls for a young ballet star named Diego. Their garden-variety teen romance takes a turn when Lily learns Diego is polyamorous and also dating a boy. The show plays this as a spicy reveal, but it comes across as a clumsy, boilerplate prompt for a “Gen Z romance for boomers.” While the series is less disdainful of queerness than its predecessor, the subplot feels more like a shallow comment on modern youth than a real story. Yet, watching the show's reach exceed its grasp is where some of the best entertainment lies.
Secondly, a workplace flirtation involving Lisa and a new editor, Marion, is exactly the kind of drama the show should handle well. The emotional stakes are raised when Lisa’s father suddenly passes away and Marion is there to comfort her. But this storyline had an unexpected twist: a major continuity error. Lisa’s father (played by Billy Dee Williams!) appeared to die for a second time. Back in season one, Lisa comforted Carrie after Big's death by recounting her own father's passing. How could the writers have flubbed this so badly?
When Sloppy Writing Becomes the Main Attraction
It turns out the man who died in season one was Lisa's stepfather, a detail that was clarified off-screen but never in the show's dialogue. It's the kind of mistake a competent writer would avoid, but it's par for the course for And Just Like That. It's easy to blame AI for such sloppiness, as the show's writing often carries the same lack of care, continuity, and depth. Paradoxically, this very lack has produced the most entertaining moments of the series. If the show is only fun when it falls on its face, maybe handing the reins over to an AI isn't such a bad idea after all.
