Editor’s Note: In 2019, we published this story, speculating on where Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Miranda Hobbes, and Samantha Jones would be, and what they’d be up to, in the 21st-century. As we celebrate the premiere of And Just Like That, which arrives on streaming service HBOMax December 9th, let’s take a look back to see how many of our predictions came true.
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie’s column goes kaput — on paper, at least. The digital format is alive and kicking, but she’s barely making peace with everyone’s comments, especially the mean ones. Some nights when Big is snoring beside her in bed with red wine teeth, she finds it hard not to scroll through them with one hand over her eyes and the other flicking a Marlboro Light. Carrie’s latest bestseller, Till Dolce Do Us Part, looks back at her life on the outskirts of the fashion world, and she questions whether our quest for one-of-a-kind couture is actually a search for all-consuming love. Gwyneth Paltrow attends her book party and offers her a hair product partnership with Goop, and somewhere, behind a cheese platter, Berger lurks with an unsigned copy. Carrie’s making coin by Airbnb-ing her old apartment a few weeks out of the year. It feels slightly traitorous letting her single-girl space go, even temporarily, but as Miranda says, “More money, fewer shoe problems, Carrie.” Meanwhile, she and Big try not to drive each other insane deciding whether to stay in for moo shu or go out in black tie. “I’m too old for this, kid,” sighs Big, who wants to retire at an upscale golfers paradise in Palm Beach, Fla.
Samantha Jones
While brunching at Le Coucou, Samantha goes cuckoo for a distant Onassis relative, Christos, who invites her for a winter cruise aboard his 180-foot yacht, Wet Dream. They travel from Ibiza to Croatia, but the relationship goes south. His deckhand, Dimitri, on the other hand, offers to swab Samantha’s decks — and gives her freedom to use her favorite geolocation-based hookup app whenever they pull into a new port. Samantha Jones P.R. is full of mobile millennial staffers, allowing her to jet-set with her team from Rome to Rio to seek out new business. Right now she has her eye on a Brazilian swimwear line designed by a top female ob-gyn that actually gives you an orgasm while wearing it. Just when she thought she would be priced out of the meatpacking district, Samantha sells her building to Starbucks, leaving her rolling in cash (which she does, by the way, on satin sheets). She considers blowing her load on Britney Spears’ former digs, but opts for a smaller place in Chelsea and donates half her windfall to Susan G. Komen. In remission for 15 years, Sam’s still paying it forward.
Charlotte York
Charlotte and Harry stay put in their enviable classic six, where she’s replaced 99 percent of their white upholstery with outdoor fabrics because of Harry’s intermittent naked lounging and dripping tea bags. It’s out with the fancy-schmancy china and in with serving meals buffet-style on the kitchen island, but she still insists on placemats and coasters. Charlotte is parents association secretary at their daughters’ Upper East Side private school and pipes up about causes close to her heart, like art appreciation day at the Met. She takes Lily to see Taylor Swift for her birthday, though she thinks TS’s outfits are “too sassy.” Charlotte and Harry’s favorite couples destination is Cap Juluca, where he can soothe his back wax with jojoba and coconut oils. Charlotte takes solo sojourns to the Mayflower Inn & Spa for massages. Like the used-date party she gave back in season 3, she hosts used nanny parties where people can swap sexy au pairs for less attractive ones.
Miranda Hobbes
After ill-fated braces in her 30s, Miranda is thrilled with Invisalign. Sometimes she leaves her trays in while eating Chinese takeout with Steve, particularly the dumpling soup. He doesn’t mind making out with a plastic mouth. After serving on her building’s co-op board, fighting injustice at work and rallying for women’s rights, there’s only one thing left for Miranda: running for office. She starts out on a grassroots level by drafting anti-discrimination laws at her new firm and gets nominated for local rep. While Miranda’s pounding the pavement, housekeeper Magda and Steve realize that their Brooklyn backyard is a gold mine for growing organic produce. Their prize-winning cherry tomatoes are so sweet and juicy that Steve pitches Brady’s Bruschetta Bites to Shark Tank. He gets enough seed money to beta-launch the business, and they’re a big hit!
