HBO has always been a hub for quality TV content, and one its biggest success stories has been Sex and the City. That raunchy comedy ran for a whopping six season and inspired two theatrical movies and a new spinoff. The latter is titled And Just Like That, which is available with a Max subscription. Fans are awaiting the third season, and rumors are swirling about behind-the-scenes shakeups. Case in point: Sara Ramirez’s Che Diaz has reportedly been dropped from AJLT. And if true, I’m really not happy about it.
What we know about And Just Like That Season 3 is limited, but fans expected the full cast to return. But according to a report by The Daily Mail, Ramirez isn’t being asked to return for the next batch of episodes. While some folks might be thrilled about this news, I don’t think the show will be the same without the one and only Che Diaz. Because honestly, the discourse surrounding Che was part of the fun of And Just Like That‘s first two seasons on the air.
AJLT fans have had very strong reactions to the show, with some even having a love/hate relationship with the Sex and the City spinoff. The Che Diaz discourse began very early in the show’s run, with the character being made into countless memes along the way. In some ways they helped define the show’s first season; who can forget the that hook up with Miranda in Carrie’s apartment? Plus Che and Carrie working together on that podcast.
Season 2 showed just how wrong Miranda and Che ultimately were for each other, with their romantic storyline seemingly in the rear view. Throughout those episodes we also saw Che struggle with body image issues and have an existential crisis related to their career. I really enjoyed how fleshed out that character for throughout AJLT‘s second season, so dropping Ramirez before Season 3 feels like a gut punch.
Aside from missing all the Che-related chaos in And Just Like That Season 3, I think the show parting ways with a talent like Sara Ramirez is a misstep. The Tony winning actor is known for their long run as bisexual icon Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy, and we’ve seen what a dynamic and powerful performer Ramirez is.
And Just Like That has already had a number of casting shakeups throughout its run. Willie Garson’s death resulted in Stanford being written out, and got a touching ending off camera. Then there’s Kim Cattrall‘s noticeable absence, although she finally had a brief cameo as Samantha in the Season 2 finale. Given the new ensemble that’s been formed, I have to assume here will be a Che-sized hole in Season 3 if these reports are to be believed.
At the point of writing this story, we haven’t gotten any confirmation or statements from the network, showrunner, or Sara Ramirez themself about this shakeups. I’m going to hope it’s not true.
And Just Like That and Sex and the City are streaming on Max. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.