The 2021 reboot of Sex and the City hit the ground running in its debut episode.
Carrie Bradshaw’s return to the small screen premiered on Dec. 9 on HBO Max as a grown-up version of the popular early-2000s series. Coming in hot with a fresh title, And Just Like That, and much of the original cast, the new series clearly aimed to get its viewers’ attention right away. That is presumably the motivation behind the show’s decision to kill off one of its main characters in its very first episode.
Warning: Spoilers to follow, please proceed with caution if you have yet to watch “Hello It’s Me.”
The series’ first episode, “Hello It’s Me” reintroduces Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda (but not Samantha) some years after the events of the Sex and the City films. Now comfortably in their 50s, the trio are back to wend their way through the uncertainties of middle-aged life with the same easygoing dynamic fans came to love during the original show’s run. Style is, as usual, a big part of the show, as are the love lives and careers of each of its longstanding characters.
The show’s emphasis on characters is part of the reason its first official death was so shocking to many viewers. Reboots like And Just Like That are typically expected to be watered-down versions of the original, following a similar formula to entice former fans to return. Instead, “Hello It’s Me” came entirely out of left field in its final moments, killing off a character that’s been around for years.
Following all of the more expected moments in the episode — Miranda letting her hair go grey, Charlotte being her usual charming self — the focus shifts to Carrie’s husband, Big. He’s seen riding the couple’s Peloton bike before hopping off to get in the shower. As he prepares to get in, Big suddenly clutches his shoulder before collapsing to the bathroom floor.
Carrie finds him when she returns home, propped against the shower wall and slowly drifting away. Running to him, she gathers him into her arms and sobs out his name. The scene ends with a classic Sex and the City voiceover, as Carrie’s voice cuts through to announce that, “Just like that, Big died.”
The season’s second episode confirmed that Big died of a heart attack. Carrie and Miranda are seen discussing the future as Big’s body is toted away, and Carry wonders what she’s to do next.
The shocking character death seems to indicate that And Just Like That aims to tackle more than just sex, friendship, and style during its run. The show is already setting itself up to appeal to a far more mature audience, focusing on complex topics like grief, aging, and adjusting to the modern world.