What The Girls Revival Can Learn From And Just Like That...
Che Diaz, do not come back to Brooklyn.
Even if it was unintentional, Girls has always existed in conversation with its unofficial predecessor Sex and the City. Both shows examined the hard truths of dating and friendship for women in New York City, gifting multiple generations with distinct archetypes in their four leads. The comparison has just gotten even stronger, as Girls is staging a revival series just a few years after Sex and the City returned with And Just Like That.... But in this instance, Girls should be separating itself from its sister series as much as possible.
While And Just Like That... had some bright spots in its three seasons (I particularly loved Charlotte’s swing-for-the-fences zaniness), the overall consensus was that it had lost the grit and charm of the original series. The women we’d loved for years felt like over-the-top caricatures of themselves, with a ton of new main characters feeling thoughtlessly shoehorned in specifically to address SATC’s biggest critiques. It all led up to a disjointed, anticlimactic finale that was met with resounding disappointment.
This was a dark era for Sex and the City fans, but it could still have a silver lining. Thanks to And Just Like That..., Girls has a full blueprint on how not to reboot itself. So let’s break down the lessons the Girls revival can learn from And Just Like That...’s missteps.
1. It’s Core Four, Or Nothing
Everyone is well aware of the most prominent reason And Just Like That... fell flat: Samantha Jones was a no-show (well, except for that way-too-brief cameo). Without Samantha, the group never regained their fizzy dynamic. Carrie didn’t have a close friend to goad her into sexual experimentation. Miranda lost her favorite arguing partner. And Charlotte no longer had the foil to her buttoned-up, traditional outlook.
Thankfully, the Girls reboot has already sidestepped this potential disaster, as all four leads are confirmed to reprise their roles as Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna.
2. The Che Diaz Problem
Aside from Samantha’s absence, most And Just Like That... viewers will point to the character of Che Diaz as another major issue with the revival. Sara Ramirez’s nonbinary character received a significant amount of backlash — and while some was unwarranted hate from homophobes, there were also legitimate reasons to recoil from Miranda’s new comedian hookup buddy. Namely, Che’s whole existence seemed to be framed as a queer teacher instructing Miranda and the audience about “newfangled” gender identities and expression.
Like the newly introduced POC characters Seema, Lisa, and Nya, Che felt like a direct response to criticism that Sex and the City had been too white and straight the first time around. Of course, that’s a valid analysis, but it’s not a problem you can fix by throwing in a nonbinary person who spits out definitions and think pieces for an audience the show clearly believes is equally in the dark.
While Girls faced similar criticism over race, it did prominently feature complex LGBTQ+ characters with depth that went beyond their sexualities. So let’s hope we can mark this revival safe from Che Diazes.
3. How To Deal With Bad Exes
There is one thing And Just Like That... did right that Girls might want to consider replicating. The revival series began with a shocker, as Carrie’s longtime partner Mr. Big suddenly died of a heart attack. While this plot turn was controversial at the time, it actually turned out to be a much-needed fresh start for Carrie. Not only did she return to the single-girl era of the original show, but she was also no longer under the thumb of her “great love” (who also happened to be super manipulative and withholding).
In the Girls world, Adam is the biggest question mark when it comes to the reboot. His relationship with Hannah was infamously toxic, especially when he slept with her close friend Jessa. In the final season, Hannah and Adam finally had the clean breakup that viewers had been waiting ages for.
I’m not saying I want the Girls reboot to kill Adam off with the same panache, but I don’t think he needs to be a big part of the show at this point. Maybe he can pop up for a cameo here or there, but if this new series is going to explore Hannah’s 40s as a parent, it might be best to treat Adam as the sketchy ex-boyfriend he deserves to be. (Just don’t let him near a Peloton.)
