Part of the success of the original Sex and The City series was the everchanging tapestry of passing characters, the stitches crossing the lives of the main quartet. Some lasted for a season, some were several episode boyfriends, while others appeared in several seasons. In And Just Like That, not only have we been treated to a new kaleidoscope of New Yorker minor characters, but there are even some familiar faces in the mix: Bitsy von Muffling and Natasha, to name a few. But what about the rest of them: the flings, the friends, the occasional family member? And so, like Carrie, I got to thinking: could we imagine a world with these supporting characters? Read on for some inspired fictional thinking on how some of the original characters could be getting on in the world of SATC.
Smith ‘Jerry’ Jerrod, played by Jason Lewis
Last Seen: Initiating a meeting between Samantha and an Arab sheik, catalysing the racially insensitive farce that was Sex and The City 2
Since Then: Dubbed ‘the Millennial Tom Cruise’, Smith continued to star in action films. However, after a near-fatal stunt-gone-wrong (Jerrod always does his own stunts), he decided to take a step back. Focusing more on his theatrical side, critics were divided on his more serious roles, now playing morally compromised politicians and near Shakespearian swashbucklers. Just as the world went into lockdown, he was due to make his Broadway debut in Phantom of the Opera as Raoul — ‘who knew Smith could sing’, Samantha texted the girls. During lockdown, Smith live-streamed his ‘Smith-inars’ on acting and even recreating some of his most famous monologues including his infamous *ahem* disrobing scene. He was approached to participate in the tone-deaf heavily criticised ‘Imagine’ sing-along; Samantha advised him not to.
Trey and Bunny McDougal, played by Kyle MacLachlan and Frances Sternhagen
Last Seen: Via telegram (of course), Trey instructed, nay demanded, that his mother Bunny give Charlotte the apartment that was their marital home in season five of the original series
Since Then: Post-divorce, Trey started a new life in Edinburgh working at a local hospital. In his isolation – he was not popular with his colleagues, who mocked his Americanisms and were annoyed by his claims of superior Scottish-ness – he often thought of Charlotte and the family they could’ve had. All of this was pushed aside once Bunny also returned to Scotland; tired of all the questions about that lovely girl Trey married and ‘where is Trey now’, Bunny installed herself in one of the family’s ancient holdings and insisted Trey moved in. Reluctantly he did, Bunny parading family acquaintance after acquaintance, pushing for a ‘better’ wife. In COVID times, Bunny was a fierce anti-vaxxer and disbeliever – not that it mattered when you’re in a moat-surrounded castle. Trey jumped into action, taking 12 plus hour shifts and even helping with vaccinations. He hoped that, if Charlotte knew, she’d be proud of him.
Amalita Amalfi, played by Carole Davis
Last Seen: Setting Carrie up with a gorgeous Parisian architect, who left her a post-coital pile of cash in Season One of SATC
Since Then: As self-proclaimed ‘citizen of the world’, Amalita and her exaggerated exotic ‘r’s continued to globe trot, avoiding New York for a while as she was horrified about what Carrie must think of the architect situation. From Madrid to Mauritius, Amalita’s world continued to be totally divorced from reality — until she was ultimately divorced. Naturally, she earned herself a massive settlement that would, along with the yacht, keep her afloat for years to come. Her pursuit turned to younger men — well, she had money, now she needed people to spend it on. Unfortunately, that spending did not include taxes. As Amalita soon found out, being a ‘citizen of the world’ does not make you exempt from taxes. Amalita’s location is presently unknown due to a current warrant; the last Carrie heard from her was another pair of Dolce shoes, left on her doorstep with no note.
Bobby Fine, played by Nathan Lane
Last Seen: To everyone’s surprise, marrying Bitsy Von Muffling in the Hamptons
Since Then: Now married to Bitsy and a father to little Judy Eliza, Bobby’s love and time was divided between them and his piano bar. Bobby continued to perform several times a week but began to diversify, opening the keys to other performers (he refused to call it ‘open mic’.) As Judy Eliza got older, Bobby encouraged her artistic side, dragging her up next to him on the piano stool and singing together like, well, Judy Garland and Liza Minelli. In secret, Bobby had been writing his own musical about the life of Joan of Arc. Having secured the financing in a Broadway bar, he happened to bump into Marcus Adant, Standford’s ex-boyfriend. He offered Marcus the lead role on the spot, his abs making up for the gender-bending – or so he promised. The show only managed a week of performances before it was shut down due to COVID, but the reviews were already less than favourable. With no show and no money, Bobby tried to get through COVID by singing and performing via Instagram Live. After an unfortunate ‘bottomless’ situation while live-streaming, Bobby deleted all his socials; he’s not been heard from since.
Maria Diega Reyes, played by Sonia Braga
Last Seen: Throwing plates at Samantha (who only wanted some fireworks), preluding their break-up
Since Then: While her break-up with Samantha hurt, as any good artist does, Maria turned her pain into art. For the year following, Maria worked on a new project, depicting the rewards and failings of her relationship with Samantha. The exhibition was titled ‘Desconsolada’, meaning heartbroken in Spanish. It was met with great reviews; reviews that Samantha tried her best to avoid. (Samantha never went, but sent Carrie to snoop; Carrie came out with a tote bag and no opinion.) Through the exhibition, Maria met and began to spend time with Charlotte’s ‘Power Lesbians’ from Season Two. The money they spent on personal commissions set Maria up for the rest of her career. During COVID, she continued to work, selling smaller pieces and donating the proceeds to frontline workers. And when she caught COVID, as explained in her memoir, the fever dreams she had would inspire her for decades to come.
Barbara, the first and former wife of Mr. Big, played by Noelle Beck
Last Seen: Rating Carrie’s bizarre children’s-book-for-adults idea in Season One
Since Then: Before Natasha, Carrie stalked the first wife of Mr. Big, Barbara. Being in the publishing and arts industry, it didn’t take long for Barbara to figure out who Carrie really was. Several times, she thought about getting in touch but ultimately realised it wasn’t the right option. Then she saw the same wedding announcement as Carrie did, reporting Big and Natasha’s nuptials. And, at last, Barbara felt nothing. Years at her publishing house continued, Barbara overseeing some of the best children’s books released in the last decade. During COVID, after years of appraising others’ work, she turned her hand to writing herself: a semi-fictional account of her life with and post-Mr. Big. An instant success, speculation was made about how much was fictional, but Barbara refused to reveal anything. Her book launch party, even with COVID, had more attendees than Carrie’s.
Words by James Reynolds
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