‘And Just Like That’ teases Carrie Bradshaw’s ending

Carrie Bradshaw might not get a “happily ever after” ending. 

On Aug. 1, Sarah Jessica Parker made the shocking announcement that the “Sex and the City” spinoff, “And Just Like That,” would abruptly end with Season 3 – so, when the series airs its finale on Aug. 14, it will be the end of the road for Carrie, who has been on-screen since 1998. 

The penultimate episode of “And Just Like That,” (which premiered Aug. 7 and is now streaming on HBO Max) had strong hints as to how the “Sex and the City” universe will ultimately wrap up Carrie’s love life.

Spoilers below for “And Just Like That” Season 3, episode 11.

During the penultimate episode, Carrie (Parker) meets with her editor, Amanda (Ashlie Atkinson), to discuss her novel, which is about a woman in the 1800s. 

Although Amanda is enthusiastic about Carrie’s novel, she’s confused, as she thinks the final chapter is missing. 

Carrie assures her, “You have the last chapter…That’s the last page. After her love dies, she’s in the garden alone,” she says.

Carrie is talking about the heroine in her book, but the show is obviously being meta about how her story should end, as her longtime love, Big (Chris Noth), died at the beginning of “And Just Like That.” 

The editor tells Carrie, “I’m a happy ending gal. What you’ve written is a romantic tragedy.” Carrie pushes back, wondering how a woman alone in a garden is a “tragedy.” 

Amanda then tells Carrie, “A woman alone at the end would be a tragedy, would it not?” 

This is clearly the show musing over how Carrie’s story should end.

Carrie then meets with her friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) to mull over her meeting with her editor. 

She complains that her editor and publisher think that a story ending with a woman alone is too “tragic,” but she says, “I like the ending, I thought it was honest.”

Does this mean that after years of going through romantic escapades on “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That,” Carrie will end up alone, with no “happily ever after?” 

Maybe, but not so fast.  The episode ends with Carrie writing an epilogue to her novel. 

In it, her heroine gets a letter from a friend, inviting her to attend a party to celebrate the return of her cousin. Carrie takes pains to specify that this man, whom her heroine will soon meet, is a “handsome widower.” 

So, in Carrie’s novel, her heroine will end up alone, but with the implication that there’s a new man in her future. 

Does this mean Carrie may have a similar ending? Time will tell, as the last episode lands on HBO Max on Aug 14. 

Carrie had rekindled her romance with Aidan (John Corbett) before calling it quits.

The most recent man in her life was her neighbor, Duncan (Jonathan Cake), but it was implied he was a passing fling, as he’s leaving New York soon. 

“And Just Like That” was reportedly not canceled.

When Parker announced that it would end with Season 3, showrunner Michael Patrick King also posted his own announcement on social media. 

“While I was writing the last episode of ‘And Just Like That…’ season 3, it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop,” he wrote. 

Referring to Parker, King said, “SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn’t want the word ‘final’ to overshadow the fun of watching the season.” 

Despite his claims that ending the show is his choice, ratings had been dwindling, with the Season 3 premiere averaging a paltry 429,000 households during the live-plus-three-day viewership window, according to Forbes.

The show has also faced backlash over its choice to start by killing Big.

Fans have also slammed “And Just Like That” over seemingly careless writing resulting in plot holes – such as the show appearing to kill off one character’s father twice – and characters such as Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), who fans slammed as a “woke” caricature. 

Plus, as original “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall didn’t return to “And Just Like That,” things just weren’t the same without Samantha Jones.