It was the show that brought sex out of the bedroom and into the living room, onto our screens. Never before had sex been talked about on television in such a candid, realistic and relatable way, withholding no small (or Big) detail at any of the times the women sat down to discuss last nights activities. However, I can’t help but wonder that if Samantha, the groups resident sex-positive, no-nonsense, PR Executive hadn’t been in the show, would it have been as revolutionary? I’m inclined to believe that it would not. And yet, in the Sex and the City revival And Just Like That…, recently confirmed by HBO Max, Kim Cattrall who played Samantha, will not be making an appearance.
The limited series will offer a glimpse into the lives of the women in their fifties and the rest of the quartet will be returning with Sarah Jessica Parker reprising her role as Carrie, Cynthia Nixon as Miranda and Kristin Davis as Charlotte. But are they enough for the reboot to live up to the Manhattan skyscraper heights of the original? Perhaps, if they can find a way to fill the Samantha-shaped hole that will undoubtedly be left behind by Kim Cattrall’s absence. Each of the women brought a different and endearing quality to the original show. Carrie was the narrator: the flirty and flighty sex columnist you either loved or hated. Miranda was the no-nonsense lawyer that you rooted for no matter how callous or cold-hearted she could sometimes be. Charlotte was the sensitive and slightly prudish art dealer and the romantic heart of the show. Together, they provide enough of the ‘City’. Nevertheless, without Samantha, they will have very little of the ‘Sex’.
Unlike the other women, Samantha always unashamedly put herself and her needs first. She knew exactly what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go and get it, or him. She was the one with the most memorable lines, whose quotes include “I love you, but I love me more”, “I will not be judged by you or society” and “I’m a try-sexual. I’ll try anything once.” She never bowed to societal pressures, refusing to apologise for her sexuality, her decision not to have children and her desire to date anyone who took her fancy. And arguably, she was the best friend out of all of them, vehemently sticking up for the rest of them when they were wronged and dishing out the best romantic and sexual advice. After all, she was the one who said “We made a deal ages ago. Men, babies, it doesn’t matter. We’re soul mates.” Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte all put too much emphasis on needing a man and so it was left to Samantha to become the feminist icon we all came to know and love. The show runners will certainly have their work cut out for them without her, so lets just cross our fingers and hope that they manage to pull it out of the Birkin bag.
Image Credit: etonline.com