This post contains spoilers from And Just Like That season 3 episode 2.
Whenever a new season of And Just Like That premieres on HBO Max, the popular (and a bit overdone, if I don't say so myself) joke on social media is that it's the "worst" show on television. It might not be as good as its predecessor, but calling it across-the-board bad, even while still enjoying the mindless entertainment, is a little dramatic. The show has its strengths... and its faults.
Even though the third season has only aired two episodes, it's becoming increasingly clear that there's very little vision in place for Charlotte (Kristin Davis). Sex and the City never had this issue with the character, always knowing where to go with her development. And Just Like That has been treading water with Charlotte and her funny but benign sitcom side quests.
And Just Like That doesn't know what to do with Charlotte
In season 3 episode 2, Charlotte completely moves on from her bizarre mission to clear her dog's name from an elderly woman at the park and dives into her next mothering project with one of her human children. Hearing that other moms have scored meetings with prestigious college counselor Lois Fingerwood (Kristen Schaal), Charlotte and Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) hit the ground running to get Lily and Herbert Jr. in with the person who can help set the pace for their futures.
The new version of Charlotte in And Just Like That doesn't listen to reason, and while she was still headstrong in Sex and the City, she was fair. Charlotte pushes Lily into the meeting in spite of her daughter's protests, and learns too late that she should have listened to her daughter. After the meeting with the no-nonsense Lois Fingerwood, both Lily and Herbert Jr. are in the midst of panic attacks. They realize they're behind and would have to start over in order to get into good colleges.
Only after seeing Lily in a state of distress does Charlotte understand that she shouldn't have pushed that hard, but she also goes into a full panic. Lily has to hand over the bag she was breathing into to her mom. Charlotte exclaims an out-of-character expletive about Lois Fingerhood, which she overhears before leaving Charlotte's home. Both Charlotte and Lisa run after her in an attempt to smooth things over, which seems odd. Why not stand your ground in defense of your children?
Sex and the City rarely had issues coming up with rich and complex storylines for Charlotte, but And Just Like That can't seem to find a rhythm with her character. She's doing something quirky and, well, meaningless in the background while Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) has an existential crisis over her long-distance relationship with Aidan (John Corbett), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) continues to navigate queer dating, and Seema (Sarita Choudhury) pushes back against the idea that she must change for love.
Charlotte sometimes feels like she's in a different show. I was excited when episode 2 introduced a Charlotte story that involved her daughter, but it ultimately fizzled without Charlotte really making any progress. Even Anthony (Mario Cantone) is expanding his business! What is Charlotte doing? I don't think she needs marital problems or contrived drama, but she's an excellent character and Davis is an amazing actress deserving of better material. I'm still looking forward to what season 3 could bring.
And Just Like That season 3 releases new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.