Samatha Jones, an independent, strong, bold, and alluring woman, has made a comeback to Sex and the City’s spin-off series, And Just Like That. After this news broke out, Samantha’s fans couldn’t wait to see her presence on the screen. Moreover, why did Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, lead to gaining significant attention from the rest of the crew?
How was her character portrayal different from the other three leading ladies—Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte? Samatha’s character represents a strong, sexually liberated woman who challenges societal norms.
Her open-mindedness towards casual sex and relationships, embracing her desires, prioritising her own needs rather than significant others or partners, self-love, and unconditional support towards her friends, makes Samantha a truly special character in the series. Throughout the Sex and the City series and Movies, Samantha never married.
Though she had a few short and long-lived relationships, her connection with Smit Jerrod was special. Smit Jerrod, played by Jason Lewis, stays through thick and thin. Ultimately, in Sex and the City: The Movie, Samantha and Smith part ways. Though in Sex and the City 2, they temporarily reconnect only during his film promotion in Abu Dhabi, their relationship eventually fades away. The main Sex and the City began in 1998 and lasted for six seasons. Subsequently, in 2008 and 2010, the movies were released. Although Kim Cattrall played Samantha until 2010, what happened after that?
Prolong Mistreatment
As an audience, we only see the final product—not the behind-the-scenes tensions, unless they’re brought to light. Kim publicly expressed her dissatisfaction with her co-stars and confirmed she would not return to the series. The main reasons she moved away from And Just Like That were mistreatment by her co-stars during the films, financial disagreements, dissatisfaction with the script, and a need to focus on her family.
A Message
In 2018, Kim lost her brother. On this tragic incident, Sarah Jessica Parker, aka Carrie, sent a condolence message on Instagram, but Kim replied with a message stating that ‘Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now,’ she wrote. ‘Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already). You are not my family. You are not my friend.’ Kim later shared her thoughts on how losing a family member can alter life and can shift one’s perspective, often leading to life changes and a clearer sense of priorities. Finally, making it clear that she will never work with the SATC franchises.
One Call
In season 2 of And Just Like That, Carrie hosts a farewell dinner for everyone because she is selling her old apartment. In this episode, Kim reprises her role as Samatha only for one short phone conversation with Carrie. Samatha calls Carrie by saying, “My flight was delayed… I won’t make it, honey”, marking a final goodbye to Carrie’s apartment as well as to the show.
Third Season, Only Message
Although Kim had stated her non-return to the franchise at any cost, the showrunners, this time, similar to the second season, have opted for a conversation through a text message. In the third season, Carrie sends a message to Samantha about the flirty downstairs neighbour, Duncan Reeves, a renowned British biographer. Carrie casually sends a message to Samatha asking about Duncan’s history. Samantha replies by saying he’s a lot of fun and ends her message by asking, “Why?” Carrie then texts back, “He’s living under me,” to which Samantha cheekily replies, “I wish he was living under me.”
By this message, Samatha’s fans were happy to see her name in the series. This conversation added a nostalgic touch to the series—a little time travel from the late ’90s to the 2010s. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha have always remained the four independent leading women of the series. However, Kim Cattrall’s walkout from the series has left a void that can never be filled by anyone. Nevertheless, fans still wish to see their favourite star on the screen.
Written By: Tejaswini Prasad