And just like that, the wait is finally over. Yes, Sex And The City fans, the series premiere of the highly anticipated reboot has landed on our TV screens – and I have zero shame in admitting that I have been counting down the days until I could see Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte tottering along to an expensive brunch for a very long time. Let’s face it: fabulous outfits, frank conversations and a splash of fantasy will never go out of style, and in these bleak times, I’m ready to lap up every rhinestone.

Naturally, I had to stream the first episode, Hello It’s Me, ASAP, and to make the return of the beloved HBO comedy drama all the sweeter, I’m taking it upon myself to share all my first thoughts. Join me, won’t you?

1. The girls are back! Looking the same, sort of. Carrie looks like she’s walked off the film set of Sex And The City 2 (let’s not go there). Charlotte is carrying Oscar de la Renta clothing bags and hasn’t a hair out of place. Miranda is on her phone looking harried. We love to see it!

2. Pandemic jokes incoming. “Remember when we had to legally stand six feet apart from one another”? says Carrie. “I miss it,” quips Miranda. Of course they weren’t to know that here in Blighty, And Just Like That would be airing on the day of new restrictions, but in the words of Gemma Collins, can you just please be quiet, have a bit of respect?

3. Oh god, they’ve been spotted by an old acquaintance, Bitsy Von Muffling. There’s no time to hide behind the nearest shrub, which would be my default response.

4.  Even worse: said acquaintance has swooped down and asked where “the fourth musketeer”, aka Samantha Jones, is right off the bat! I’m screaming.

5. Charlotte’s trying to play it cool, and she’s not pulling it off. Samantha is “no longer with us”, she says cryptically, which makes it sound like she’s dead. 

6. OK, Samantha’s now in London, apparently, for work. 

7. Acquaintance delivers a toe-curling line about women in their 60s. She’s the equivalent of Janey Osbourne in Bridget Jones, aka a jellyfisher.

8. “Remember when we couldn’t air kiss hello or goodbye?” says Miranda nostalgically. I…think I love her?

9.  The brunch spot is… nice. Lots of natural light. Chilled. But I need OTT brunches, please and thank you. I came here for fantasy.

10. They’re all wearing glasses to read their menus! Carrie is going for gold-rimmed 70s-style frames, I thoroughly approve.

11. Miranda is regailing Carrie and Charlotte with a tale about how she stepped on a used condom in her teenage son Brady’s room. Charlotte is traumatised, as am I. Remember that hideous story in Bridesmaids when Rita said she could crack her son’s bedsheets in half? Yeah, that.

12. She was barefoot at the time apparently!!! Hell.

13. Miranda has mentioned Steve – looks like he’s still in the picture. And she’s going back to school to get a Master’s! Yes to further education. 

14. Charlotte wants to know if Miranda’s going to dye her hair for the occasion. Miranda’s face says ‘it’s a no’, and I’m here for it.

15. Carrie’s got a smartphone and she’s not afraid to use it. She’s focusing all the strength of her concentration on filming an ostentatious character she’s spotted for her Instagram. You can’t do that when they’re walking directly towards you Carrie! But she is. 

 16. She’s on a podcast now too! Welcome to 2021, folks.

17. Charlotte is now terrorising Carrie and Miranda with news of Lily’s upcoming piano recital. I’d have the same response, ie, excuses.

18. Charlotte’s friend Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) comes over. She’s serving looks and swoops down on Carrie’s leftover french fries. Can we be friends?

19. Miranda and Carrie are talking about Samantha again after leaving brunch. Miranda says it’s like SJ is “dead”. Carrie says she’s been “fired as a friend”. Samantha won’t return any calls or texts. Is this real life or fantasy? We’re not acting anymore.

20. Carrie says she always thought “the four of us would be friends forever”. Excuse me, there’s something in my eye.

21. We’re at Charlotte’s place. Lily is a typical teenager playing on her phone. Don’t they grow up fast these days! I’m turning into my mum.

22. There’s a bulldog called Burton and he’s a scene-stealer.

23. Rose, Charlotte’s other daughter, is Lily’s polar opposite. She’s a skateboarder and hates pretty, frilly things.

24.  Harry is in a crash helmet, send help.

25. We’re at Carrie and Big’s place. Good morning to their beautiful vinyl collection.

26. They’re crooning, slow-dancing and making dinner. Carrie “cooks” now, although her only contribution is throwing salt on a piece of salmon. I approve.

27. It’s Miranda’s first day at Columbia University and she’s mortifying herself, her class and me by saying a million offensive things to her supremely well-dressed Black professor, Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman).

28. Podcast time! X Y And Me, according to host Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) is “a podcast about “gender roles, sexual roles and cinnamon rolls”. It sounds like a good mix, but where are the freshly baked goods?

29. Oh, it’s awkward. Carrie doesn’t wanna talk about sex.

30. Oh lord, Miranda has spotted her professor on the subway and is still trying to explain that she didn’t mean to cause offence. 

31. Okayyy, Carrie is straight-up asking Big to masturbate in front of her. She’s surprising herself, and god knows she’s surprising me.

32. Carrie tells Big to pretend like she isn’t in the room. Permission to do the same? 

33. Am I prude now?

34. Big breaks the awkward silence with a Bridgerton reference. We’re saved!

35. Carrie’s back in her closet talking to her heels, and I’m relieved and emotionally drained after the last scene.

36. Big has developed a zealous Peloton habit, in no small part due to an attractive instructor called Allegra. Carrie makes no attempts to hide her disdain of this “whore”. Yikes.

37. Charlotte’s on the brink of a meltdown because Rose doesn’t want to wear the Oscar de la Renta dress for Lily’s recital. I can’t say I blame her.

38. Rose has now accessorised the dress with a grungey T-shirt and a woollen Inca hat, and I’m living for it.

39. Anthony has arrived at the recital! He’s horrified by Rose and says she looks like a “little Edie Beale!”. If you don’t know who that is, I implore you to watch Jinx Monsoon’s legendary Snatch Game performance on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

40. OK, now I’m teary. Stanford has rocked up to the recital in a periwinkle suit.

41. Miranda is still chewing over the nightmare of her first day, explaining to Carrie that she was so worried about saying the wrong things to her professor that she said all the wrong things. Yes you pretty much said all the wrong things, Miranda.

42. Miranda goes to use the men’s loos because the women’s line is moving and “fuck it. I’m 55 and I have to pee!” I’ve also used the men’s loos recently, although by complete mistake after a doctor’s appointment because I was giddy from medication.

43. Miranda has come prepared for two hours of Mozart with a bottle of wine in her bag. Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t do the same?

44. Oh god, the first kid is fumbling his performance.

45. Steve has had the foresight to remove his hearing aid. It’s almost like when my nephew learnt the ukulele during lockdown and my older sister kept Zoom on mute so she couldn’t hear it.

46. Erm, Lily is a frickin’ prodigy.

47. Oh my god…. major plot twist. You’re not going to see this one coming.

The first three episodes of And Just Like That are available to watch now on Sky and NowTV. New episodes will be released every Thursday thereafter.

Images: Sky; HBO Max