The Sex and the City sequel, ‘And Just Like That’ ended with a shocking finale on the 14th of August 2025. To wrap up such a precious series, showrunner Michael Patrick King’s approach has set the coals smoldering with heated debates that fall into poor ratings and dissatisfaction among fans which resulted in the cancellation. Here’s an in-depth explanation of why the show ended amid much controversy and speculation over its finale.
And Just Like That: Declining Ratings and Rising Costs
And Just Like That failed to capture the magic that was Sex and the City. Its Season 3 premiere unfortunately registered only 429,000 households, a 7 percent decline from Season 2’s 463,000, compared with 10.6 million viewers when the original series closed down its curtains in 2004.
With stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis earning $10 million a season, production costs shot up to an estimated $90 million. Insiders shared that HBO’s multiyear contracts with King and Parker kept the show afloat despite dwindling viewership, numbers that somehow just no longer justified its expense.
Fan Backlash and Wake outcry
This put the reboot on a very “woke”-minded tone, with the fans publicized some storylines that were more “woke” than Miranda’s getting involved with nonbinary comedian Che Diaz, which made most of the fans feel forced in some way.
The reported rift among cast members saw the omission of Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones, which further estranged viewers from the reboot’s storyline. Fans usually consider her cameo in Season 2 as a highlight, but it was not enough to save the series from its divisive plots.
Series Finale: A Bittersweet Farewell
The two-part finale of Season 3 aired August 7 and August 14, 2025, intending to tie up loose ends. Carrie embraced the single scene herself, rewriting an ending to her novel by saying, “The woman realized she was on her own.” Miranda and Charlotte reached a sort of peace in their lives.
I feel like i just broke up wit a longtime girlfriend man that shit 😞 it’s a love and hate relationship w #prizepicks but that’s the final straw man
— Official Watson (@FollowOfficial) August 15, 2025
Yet X users deemed the series-ending “chaotic” yet “funny.” Parker and King defended the ending by emphasizing that Carrie was on her own, but many of the viewers had also hoped for something nostalgic. Such divided opinion regarding the end will not do much to alleviate the legacy vs. innovation tussle that the show has to contend with.
the only acceptable part of And Just Like That’s final episode is the outro being the outro of Sex and the City#AndJustLikeThat #andjustlikethatfinale
— Jessica the Half Dutch (@jessica_noyen) August 15, 2025
Although Carrie Bradshaw left her fans, lingering for her columns but this was bound to happen because of the reality of finances, fans’ dissatisfaction, and a creative decision to go out on a high. The era of ‘Sex and the City’ ends here!
