We're only a third of the way through And Just Like That's 12-episode third season, and Carrie's romantic arc has already grown sour. After reuniting in season 2, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Aidan (John Corbett) have rekindled their flame from long ago in Sex and the City. Before this second act, SATC fans had always wanted Carrie and Aidan together, but it's hard to root for that now.
Since the ending of season 2, which saw Aidan needing to rush home to Virginia and focus on being a present father for his sons, And Just Like That has dealt with the struggles of Carrie and Aidan's long-distance relationship. He's had to put up some boundaries in order to prioritize his children, but that's come at the cost of Carrie own happiness. It's frustrating to watch.
Obviously, And Just Like That needs conflict, but seeing Carrie hold onto this relationship that currently doesn't seem to have a stable future feels like masochism on her part. Things went from frustrating to worse in season 3 episode 3 when Carrie finds herself heading to Virginia for a work engagement, presenting the perfect excuse to visit her boyfriend. If only it were that easy.
And Just Like That season 3 episode 3 proves Carrie and Aidan aren't endgame
Carrie's completely behold to Aidan and his boundaries. He's seemingly calling all the shots, setting the pace for their relationship. She wants more from him than he's able to give, so much so that she accepted a work trip to Virginia to put herself in the same state as him... to deliver a key to a home that she calls theirs... that he's not currently living in. It's all kind of sad.
When Carrie and Seema's (Sarita Choudhury) rental car gets its tired deflated due to user error, Carrie calls Aidan to pick them up. Seema decides to return home to New York, but Carrie's over the moon when Aidan asks her to stay. That's what she was hoping for all along, even if she wasn't brave enough to come out and ask him herself. But Aidan puts her up in the guest house.
I'm not sure how other And Just Like That fans feel, but I haven't been particularly blown away by Aidan this season. Again, we're only three episodes in and there's a lot of story left to be told in season 3, but Carrie and Aidan's second chance love story isn't one that will make your heart flutter. Oh, he's giving Carrie the bare minimum, if that? Excuse me while I don't swoon.
Before long, Carrie will reach a breaking point, and that might not be for many, many more episodes. But I'm already sensing that Carrie and Aidan don't have what it takes to make their relationship work long term. His children won't just suddenly be less important to him. There won't reasonably be a time when he can drop everything and live in Manhattan with Carrie, maybe not even after his sons turn 18.
I guess that's the endearing but also heartbreaking thing about Carrie's personal life. She's always searching for love, finding it, then running in place. And Just Like That season 3 has wisely entered another man in her universe, Carrie's hunky landscaper Adam (Logan Marshall-Green), who's easy on the eyes and beloved by her cat Shoe. But is he a new love interest for Carrie or Seema?
Look, it's not that I'm not rooting for Carrie and Aidan. It would be great if they could get on the same page and enjoy the love story they didn't get to the first time around. But right now, I'm much more interested in Carrie's chemistry with Adam than I am with the minimal attention Aidan pays her. She shouldn't have to agonize over emojis and invitations. Love shouldn't be this hard for Carrie Bradshaw.
And Just Like That season 3 releases new episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Max.