The good news: Sex and the City is coming back, promising a too rare look at the sex lives of middle-aged women. They even rounded up the original cast — or, well, three-fourths of them, anyway. Because here’s the bad news: Only three of the main foursome are coming back. And the one not coming back is arguably the funniest and definitely the most sex-crazed: Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones. And — no offense to Carrie and Miranda and Charlotte — fans weren’t happy about it.
Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays the show’s main lead, the mysteriously generously paid journalist Carrie Bradshaw, famously no longer get along. They’ve been publicly fighting for years, so a Samantha-less revival isn’t exactly a shock. But learning that we’ll be getting Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon but not Cattrall had people livid on Twitter.
Some argued that Samantha — with her quips about, let’s say, “Lawrence of my labia,” from the second Sex and the City movie — is the glue that holds the show together.
The show doesn’t work without Samantha. I mean, even the E! reruns of SATC were awful, because they censor half of Sam’s slutty stories (and weirdly, Miranda’s dialogue, too, since she curses constantly.)
The only solution is to recast with Dick Sargent.
— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) January 11, 2021
Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte in the first episode without Samantha. pic.twitter.com/9FZBKeTFQM
— johnny (@justjohnny81) January 11, 2021
“I couldn’t help but wonder… What’s the point in reviving Sex and the City without Samantha?”… pic.twitter.com/16UD77IBMK
— John
(@JConUK) January 11, 2021
Samantha was (the one) sexing in the city the most. With ALL THE BEST DIALOGUE. That character dies, the show as we knew it does too. #mytwocents https://t.co/aJg5H8UCyV
— charisma carpenter (@AllCharisma) January 11, 2021
Others made wild speculations about what could have befallen her.
“Yes, I killed Samantha.” pic.twitter.com/SCBS64aC3G
— Russell (@fussellralcon) January 10, 2021
CARRIE: In honor of us all being vaccinated, let’s take some shots!
MIRANDA: I have work early tomorrow. Maybe just a beer
WAITER: We have Stella, Corona…
CHARLOTTE: You have corona? He sounds just like Samantha!
ALL: poor Samantha…— Daniel D’Addario (@DPD_) January 10, 2021
Samantha died on the way back to her home planet.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) January 10, 2021
Others had outside-the-box solutions on how to bring Samantha, if not Cattralll, back.
Just have Jane Krakowski play Samantha Jones and never address it on the show, obviously.
— Halle Kiefer (@HalleKiefer) January 11, 2021
Have Tilda Swinton play Samantha
— Carey O’Donnell (@ecareyo) January 10, 2021
This is not a joke: Replace Samantha with Miss Piggy. https://t.co/G5Wnc4jtyL
— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) January 11, 2021
Cast her as the new Samantha @sjp @hbomax pic.twitter.com/F0OqHoO0Ag
— Chris Baker (@BakerseeBakerdo) January 11, 2021
I think we all know who is playing Samantha in the reboot pic.twitter.com/slz9GyDQhT
— Jordan (@JordanApps) January 10, 2021
Some thought that maybe, end of the day, this is a good thing.
I hope Samantha found a friend group that doesn’t spend a majority of brunch slut-shaming her.
— Gabe González (@gaybonez) January 10, 2021
In fact, someone had a great idea.
Don’t kill off Samantha in the Sex and the City, give Kim Cattrall her own spin off show called “Sex and the Other City” set in London. She plays an agent for British movie stars, getting pissed in Soho with the gays and sleeping with corrupt politicians pic.twitter.com/KH1XyWWMfQ
— Hun-derrated
(@Hun_derrated) January 11, 2021