And Just Like That Season 3: Cast, Plot, Release Date

And just like that, we’re back for another season of Max’s Sex and the City sequel, And Just Like That. The series was renewed for a third installment last summer ahead of its season two finale, which notably included a cameo (albeit via phone call) from Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones, the sex-positive publicist and erstwhile best friend of Carrie who hasn’t returned to the series full time due to her real-life issues with the cast and production.

Like the original Sex and the City series, which aired on HBO from 1998-2004, And Just Like That has generated tireless discourse since it first debuted in 2021. The show’s attempts to update itself for a new era—one that doesn’t totally center white, straight women and their relationships—has resulted in a handful of new main characters, some who are fan favorites (like Sarita Choudhury’s independent real estate broker Seema Patel) as well as those who both social media and professional critics might call more heavy-handed representations (like Miranda’s nonbinary love interest Che Diaz, played by Sara Ramírez—more on Che below).

The Sarah Jessica Parker-led series has also brought back the fashion it’s known for, along with the continuation of her decades-long love triangle with the now-deceased Mr. Big (Christopher Noth) and furniture maker Aidan Shaw (John Corbett).

Here’s everything to know about the season so far:

Will there be any new cast members?

Rosie O’Donnell has officially joined the cast of AJLT. O’Donnell posted a picture of the front cover of the script for the season three premiere episode, titled “Outlook Good,” from a table reading. Her character’s name is Mary, and fans are already speculating that she’ll be either a love interest or friend of the newly out Miranda (O’Donnell and Nixon have also been real-life friends for years). Then again, who knows? Perhaps they’ll be rivals.

Who is leaving the cast of season three?

Karen Pittman is the latest cast member to leave AJLT, following the departure of Sara Ramírez’s Che Diaz. Pittman, who played Miranda’s professor (and later friend and roommate) Nya Wallace, is simply too busy to return. In a statement Variety, an HBO spokesperson said, “It has been a joy to have Karen Pittman play the smart and stunning Professor Nya Wallace on the first two seasons of And Just Like That. Due to her commitments to two other streamer series, it has become apparent that filming three shows at once isn’t possible…we are disappointed to announce that scheduling conflicts will not allow us to continue with this character.”

Those other shows are The Morning Show, on Apple TV+, and her new role in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, Forever.

The other big news is about Che: after being one of the most divisive characters to ever appear in the Sex and the City universe, Diaz is officially out. Che was a nonbinary standup comedian and love interest of Miranda—a relationship that catalyzed Miranda coming out and exploring her queer identity, and her breakup from husband Steve (David Eigenberg). Che also sparked endless conversation (and memes) about nonbinary representation in the media, with fans, critics and Ramírez alike all having strong opinions on what the character meant for both the show and the culture.

The rumors that Che would not be returning first emerged in January. Ramírez has been a vocal proponent of a ceasefire in Gaza, especially online, and the Daily Mail shared a story insinuating that the actor had been let go from the show because of those views. In one Instagram post, Ramírez also seemed to hint that their time with AJLT was over, writing, “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are. Even more performative than the last character I played.” In the same post, they also called out the entertainment industry for blacklisting people who posted in support of Palestine.

However, Variety reports through anonymous sources that Ramírez was not fired for their politics or Instagram presence, but rather that Che’s character had reached a natural conclusion following the end of their relationship with Miranda.

In a more recent Instagram post, Ramírez writes, “Friendly reminder: I am a HUMAN before I am anything else; any job, any advocacy, any character I’ve played, any efforts I’ve made for community. I am a human being FIRST…There is so much grief that has surfaced these last several weeks, months. So please, before you come to me about anything moving forward, please check in on my humanity first. I’ll be sure to do the same for you.”

Which cast members will return?

The big three—SJP (Carrie), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) and Cynthia Davis (Charlotte) will all be returning. As for whether the newer cast additions, like Nicole Ari Parker and Sarita Choudhury, will return, it’s still up in the air (though given that the finale ended with Carrie and Choudhury’s Seema on a beach together in Greece, it seems likely that she at least will be back). Same goes for returning stars Mario Cantone, Kim Cattrall and Josh Corbett. After the shocking death of Mr. Big (Christopher Noth) in the first episode of the series, it’s clear anything can happen in the AJLT universe.

What will the plot of And Just Like That season three be?

We don’t yet know the plot details of AJLT season three, but we can speculate based on the loose ends from season two: Carrie had just moved into a new home in Gramercy Park after leaving behind her beloved, original apartment for a renewed relationship with ex-fiancé Aidan Shaw, who dipped back to Virginia at the last minute to take care of his family. Miranda had finally made peace with both Steve and Che, and Charlotte was working on her marriage and division of household labor with husband Harry.