Within the realm of "And Just Like That…," where the concept of time seems to blur, it may or may not technically be Independence Day. However, it is unmistakably summer, and our leading ladies are in the thick of battles for their heart's desires, each encountering varying degrees of triumph. Though none utter grandiloquent speeches about resisting the encroaching night, the sentiment looms large. And so, let us declare today as their Independence Day, igniting fireworks in their honor.
Consider Charlotte, for instance: Charlotte steadfastly refuses to allow her husband, Harry, to bear the burden of his sexual dysfunction alone. When Harry's virility wanes, it poses a dilemma for both. Charlotte, who openly admits to her sexual prowess, promptly ushers him to the doctor's office and eagerly assumes the role of his personal Kegel coach (a practice we can attribute to Samantha Jones, who might very well be performing her own Kegels across the pond in London). She even concocts a catchy rhyme to keep him motivated: "Two, three, four, slurp the sperm from the pelvic floor." Now, that's what we call dedication! Charlotte and Harry are indeed a pair of freaks, and I adore them for it. Eventually, Harry regains his virility, and our national nightmare concludes. Charlotte likens this moment to the fireworks finale on the Fourth of July, and indeed, it feels like a jubilant victory for her. And this might not be the last of her triumphs: During LTW and Herbert's ill-fated 20th-anniversary party, Charlotte strikes up a conversation with an esteemed art-gallery owner, portrayed by Victor Garber, who recalls her from her artistic days and, impressed by her past work and her no-nonsense approach with children at sleepaway camp, offers her a job. She declines, citing her children's needs, but I have a hunch this is far from the end of that discussion. Bravo, Charlotte York-Goldenblatt, for securing victories both personally and professionally!
Yet, not all victories are as sweet as the curious saga of Harry Goldenblatt's missing sperm. LTW continues her perpetual strife with her mother-in-law—a conflict fueled solely by Mama Wexley's own making. However, this time, the stakes are heightened by the introduction of Mr. Todd (hello, Billy Dee Williams!), who heaps lavish praise on his daughter and expresses disdain towards his son-in-law. Mr. Todd, a poet and playwright, finds Herbert's life on Wall Street abhorrent. How Herbert and Lisa ever tied the knot two decades ago remains a mystery. When their 20th-anniversary party flops due to Herbert forgetting to send out e-vites and Lisa forgetting to order the cake, amidst their insanely busy schedules, tensions escalate swiftly. As they face criticism from their in-laws, Lisa finally steps up to defend her husband and, more importantly, divert the conversation away from what Mama Wexley perceives as Lisa's shortcomings as a mother and wife. She announces that Herbert is running for city comptroller, despite him informing her just the other night that he wouldn't run to avoid burdening her with additional responsibilities. Though Herbert's decision was thoughtful, it's all cast aside as Lisa strives to prove to her father that her husband is more than just a moneymaker and to her mother-in-law that she is a supportive wife. The plan succeeds in shifting the focus, but it seems like a monumental undertaking for the Wexleys. These two power couples are already so swamped that when their children head to sleepaway camp, they rejoice not because they get more time for intimacy like their Goldenblatt counterparts, but because they gain more hours to work. How will a campaign impact them? How many espresso martinis will they need to consume to endure it all?
Meanwhile, Miranda is grappling with her own challenges on dual fronts. It has been precisely three weeks since her return to New York to offer Brady solace amidst his breakup turmoil. During their family therapy sessions, Brady appears to have moved past Luisa – a blessing, indeed, for all concerned – yet now, he insists that his parents sort out their own issues. Though it pains me to admit it, Brady is spot on this time. Miranda and Steve find themselves in a limbo of sorts, with Miranda camped out on the couch while Steve remains tight-lipped, resorting to intense workouts as his outlet. Miranda seems content with Che, yet the specter of their marriage lingers, with everyone tiptoeing around the inevitable elephant in the room. When Brady declares his decision to forgo college, Steve attempts to placate his son, while Miranda strives to appease Steve, resulting in no meaningful conversations. It is imperative for Miranda and Steve to officially dissolve their marriage and embark on new journeys. The current situation leaves everyone perplexed and denies us all the pleasure of admiring Steve's impeccably toned physique! They must pull themselves together, for those abs deserve adoration.
While one aspect of Miranda's life appears to be flourishing, I can't shake off a lingering unease about the almost-throuple incident involving Lyle. Now, for those unfamiliar with the episode while reading this recap, I apologize for not easing you into the Miranda-Che-Lyle dynamic, but sometimes, it's best to rip off the Band-Aid swiftly. What on earth?! Moreover, what the heck even happened there?
Lyle assists Che in relocating to New York, and after a heartwarming reunion gathering with Miranda and Carrie, filled with endearing anecdotes from their two-year marriage, including pegging and dabbling in throuple dynamics, Lyle passes out in Che's bed. Reluctant to turn the helpful Lyle away onto the already dilapidated couch, Che and Miranda opt to join him in bed. Although a throuple wasn't in their plans, when Lyle awakens to find Miranda and Che intimate, he joins in, and Che seems thoroughly enthused. After a moment of genuine panic and contemplation, Miranda decides to embrace the experience. Why not give it a shot? Although the encounter ends prematurely due to Miranda's charley horse, did anyone else notice how Miranda initially had to persuade herself to participate, or am I imagining things? Granted, Che opts to forgo Miranda's suggestion to proceed without her and joins her on the broken couch for the night, but still, there's a sense of underlying tension.
Carrie's situation is far more straightforward: After an unexpected encounter with her former Vogue editor, Enid Frick (Candice Bergen), Carrie is desperate for Enid to feature her memoir in her highly successful newsletter, Ask Enid. So desperate, in fact, that even when slightly insulted by Enid's categorization of them both into the same age bracket, Carrie decides to attend Enid's launch party for her new online magazine for women of a certain age, Vivante – French for "alive." Thankfully, Carrie eventually acknowledges her own inherent ageism, but only after Gloria Steinem delivers an inspiring speech at the party about age being the new frontier of revolution. Otherwise, Carrie might have continued with her vow to never pose alongside a woman using a walker. Carrie remains our monster, albeit one with a heart hidden beneath layers of monsterhood.
Carrie felt particularly acutely aware of her age, especially amidst the Enid fiasco and the unsettling texts she began receiving from a suitor who appeared far older than her. "Did the AARP recently hack into my life?" she mused aloud to Seema. Little did she know, it was none other than Bitsy—who, conveniently, was also attending Enid’s party—who had handed over Carrie’s number to this gentleman after their chance encounter at the nail salon. With a nudge, Bitsy encouraged Carrie to give Marlon a call, raving about how he was the best sex she’d had since Bobby’s passing, owing largely to his, let’s just say, generous attributes. And for those uninitiated: His moniker was the Tripod. Carrie, awkward at the best of times, could only imagine her reaction when Bitsy forwarded her a picture of Marlon’s privates—right as Gloria Steinem addressed the gathered crowd. The rapid cuts between Gloria’s speech, Bitsy giving a thumbs-up, and Carrie’s horrified expression amounted to a masterpiece of awkward art.
If one thought things couldn’t get any more cringe-worthy, they hadn’t seen anything yet. When Carrie finally had the chance to thank Gloria for her contributions and snapped a quick picture with her and Enid, the awkwardness escalated. Gloria moved on, but Enid insisted on reviewing the photos. Taking a deep breath, Carrie seized the moment to propose trading an essay for Vivante in exchange for a feature on Loved and Lost in Ask Enid. However, Enid revealed her true colors, admitting she was less interested in Carrie’s writing and more so in her money. She asked for a $100,000 donation to her magazine startup. It was an easy “no” for Carrie, given Enid’s earlier reluctance to promote her book. Unfortunately, just as Carrie was拒绝, Enid stumbled upon the penis picture in Carrie’s camera roll. But she wasn’t shocked by the presence of a dick pic—she was taken aback because she recognized that particular dick. Enid had been dating the Tripod! Carrie was utterly speechless, unable to come up with any plausible explanation for possessing a picture of Enid’s boyfriend’s penis on her phone, which also inadvertently highlighted Enid’s age. Carrie’s words tumbled over each other incoherently, leaving her with no choice but to hand over the money to Enid. Knowing Carrie, she probably still saw this as a victory, reasoning that Enid had only invited her to the launch for a check, not because of her age. Who cared about plugging her book when she had proven she wasn’t that old, after all? A win was a win, and that was our girl, perhaps?
