Episode eight of And Just Like That . . . opens with something we’ve all been waiting for since the first time Miranda even breathed the same air as Che Diaz: a scrap of #JusticeForSteve. It all starts when Miranda slinks away during a rally hosted by Che after spotting Brady in the crowd.
When she returns a few minutes later, under the guise of grabbing coffees for Che and herself, Miranda and Che have the conversation we’d not even dared to hope for. Long story short, Che had assumed Miranda was in an open marriage and when they find out she isn’t, Che is rightfully annoyed for having been lied to.
As someone who also found themselves as the “other person” back in high school, I can vouch for this being a really shitty position to be put in. Cheat on your partner if you’re so inclined, it’s none of my business, but to drag me into a full-blown affair without my consent? Oh, absolutely not.
This scene feels important because, before now, Che has been positioned as someone who gave little regard for the fact that Miranda was married — it’s not necessarily their place to care, and yet, it still doesn’t cast Che in the best light. This is an important lesson for Miranda: open relationships are completely above board, so long as all parties agree to the terms. And needless to say, Steve had not agreed.
Later in the episode, Main Character Miranda confronts Che on the street, where they tell her they love her (we’re all shocked) and then proceeds to have the most heartbreaking conversation with Old Man Steve. I’ve said in a previous recap that it would have been more impactful for me if Miranda hadn’t cheated on Steve but had an honest conversation about exploring her sexuality and simply falling out of love with her husband. After all, it happens.
Watching Miranda ask Steve for a divorce after completely disregarding his feelings all season, acting as though they haven’t loved and respected one another for decades, was long overdue. Up to this point, much of Miranda’s storyline (or millions of storylines) have felt important, but also callous where Steve was concerned. Now, it was just sad.
Miranda immediately calls Carrie after she leaves Steve (as she heads to the airport to surprise Che, of course) and says it’s like she’s in a rom-com. Honestly, it’s not a rom-com I ever asked for.
Anyway, onwards.
Carrie, of course, is weaved throughout the entire episode, but just like the weeks before, she doesn’t really have a storyline that we can grab hold of. I have a theory about this. Over the past two episodes (sometime after peeing in a bottle and getting her hip replaced), Carrie has kind of faded into the background — and I’m into it.
Carrie’s still being a terrible friend, her fashion is still a delight and, if anything, it’s getting better with every episode. But much of her storyline centres on newer characters like Seema, and in this episode, the young Californian neighbour downstairs (who is, for those playing at home, the reason we saw another surprise peen in this episode).
I can’t tell if Carrie’s storylines exist for her to usher in a new guard (to stand beside her or slightly behind, never in front of) or are being used as tools to show us how far the character has come. Either way, this quieter, more chilled out (yet still extremely neurotic) version of Carrie appears to be here to stay. And I quite like her.
Unlike last week, I have decided that I’m ready to talk about Charlotte. Last week, Charlotte hinted at returning to form when she wouldn’t apologise to Harry — I wouldn’t say I was here for the storyline but as a little one-off gaff, it was fine.
This week, Charlotte kicks things off by being playful and lighthearted (and sadly, making us cop an eyeful of Harry’s penis), before attempting to have a surprisingly honest conversation with Lily about sex and, specifically, giving Lily’s dad Harry a blow job. While the conversation never really pans out that way, it’s still progress for Charlotte. And just like that . . . I can stand Charlotte again.
And Just Like That . . . is now streaming on BINGE and you can catch up on all of our coverage, here. See you next week!
