Yahoo News Aidan Returns to ‘And Just Like That’: Who Asked for This?
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “And Just Like That…” Season 2, Episode 7.]
The moment you’ve been craving, fearing, or both is finally here. Aidan Shaw, as played by John Corbett, is back in “Sex and the City” land thanks to “And Just Like That” Season 2. Episode 7 sees Carrie’s email to her ex-fiancé lead to a Valentine’s Day “date” — and it is, it turns out, a date. The former furniture-maker and out-of-work podcaster rekindle old flames after a momentary meeting-spot mix-up, before skedaddling to Carrie’s apartment for a quick spat and a longer kiss.
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But as much as the “And Just Like That” writers would prefer we think less about Aidan & Carrie taking one more stab at love, we have… questions. A lot of questions. Like, too many questions for a sequence of scenes spanning no more than 10 minutes. So if you, dear readers, also have misgivings about what you just saw (and what may come next), IndieWire’s Erin Strecker and Ben Travers teamed up for a Double Take on Episode 7, Aidan, and more.
ERIN STRECKER: “And Just Like That” has done many deranged things in the 17 episodes so far, but bringing back Aidan may be the most messed up of all. He, of course, has a big fan base of people who (wrongly) believe he’s Carrie’s actual one true love, but throwing him back with Ms. Bradshaw post-Big’s death seems wild even by this show’s standards. Nevertheless, the end of Episode 7 sure makes it seem like he’ll be sticking around for the rest of the season, so with that assumption made, let’s dive in. What were your Aidan character thoughts prior to this?
BEN TRAVERS: Erin, just the phrase “Aidan character thoughts” is a risky proposition, since it could send me down a long, dark rabbit hole filled with exasperation and dismay — though that scary void could simply be tied to the fact that the last time we saw him, we were watching “Sex and the City 2.” Dark times, indeed.
It’s fair to say I’m not a fan of Aidan. Initially, he was good for the show, but over the years, too many misconceptions of what that character stood for have turned him into an annoying lightning rod. (There should never have been #TeamAidan vs. #TeamBig fan factions — Aidan was written to be the wrong choice.) But I’ll also concede the original series spent so much time showing and telling us why he and Carrie weren’t the right fit, I absorbed that knowledge and, most likely, continue to expel it back with added vitriol on the former furniture maker. Remembering Aidan means remembering Carrie gone astray — aka, trying to force a relationship with a man who she clearly doesn’t want to be with.
So I was pretty confused when I found out he was returning yet again for “And Just Like That” Season 2 — and after seeing it happen, I still am. Erin, please help — help me understand the set-up for Aidan Part III.
ERIN: Oh Ben. Unfortunately my sickness is knowing these characters better than I know most of my friends. So: Basically last week Carrie and The Girls got to talking about relationships and came to the conclusion that some people are better left in your past. Yes, I thought. Finally we are getting away from “And Just Like That’s” odd decision to bring back random characters for no real reason as if to permanently distract us from the one person who is never coming back (secret cameo excluded). Aidan is a PERFECT example of a character that should have stayed in the past — two romantic go-rounds on the original show where it was painfully clear they were wildly different people + a kiss in Abu Dhabi in the terrible second film. WHY WOULD CARRIE EMAIL THIS MAN!? Sicko behavior. (It’s never good when Shoegal messes around with email, but I digress.)
Her psychotic decisions get worse from there: Aidan ACCEPTS and they set up a dinner date ON VALENTINE’S DAY. My girl is positively ADDICTED to chaos. And, it must be said, clearly I am as well, so I buckled in and attempted to enjoy the ride. What were your thoughts when John Corbett finally showed up?
BEN: Honestly? My first thought was, “He looks like a cult leader.” That black skintight raincoat? The hair slicked back with little curls behind each ear? The needy, palms-out plea for a hug? I like John Corbett (from what little I know about him), but there was nothing appealing about his forced star turn here. (And the way Carrie turns in the other direction even after she’s figured out where the right restaurant is? Come on.)
But dinner gave me a brief flicker of hope. All episode, the heavy-handed romanticism put on their Valentine’s Day get-together feels unwarranted. For one, Carrie does not appear ready to date anyone seriously right now. (She dumped Podcast Producer — no, I will not look up his name — because he wanted to go on an actual date, and she bailed on Cyclist Chin because he… has a job, I guess? No matter how you slice it, she’s not at the “let’s get a boyfriend” stage of her grieving process.) For another, as you mentioned, she should never be ready to date Aidan again. So every “did he mean to ask you out on Valentine’s Day” and “does that mean he’s single” indulgence rings false.
Then they sit down and act like… people. Aidan acknowledges the elephant in the room — John’s death — with respect. He apologizes for not reaching out when he first heard, and his reasons were more than sound. He even read Carrie’s book, which should really knock a writer’s socks off, let me tell you. For a second, it seems like they’ll catch up and part as friends (maybe they acknowledge what happened in Abu Dhabi, but honestly, I’m fine with pretending it never happened, too). No harm done. “Growth,” as they say.
Then it’s a hard cut to her apartment, and everything went to shit. But please: Tell me if it went downhill even sooner.
ERIN: OK interesting! We totally agree. I thought the moment they actually sit down together at dinner is really good. As you note, they have a respectful convo, are warm to each other, and I started thinking maybe the show was going to say something interesting about closure and respect. I really perked up when they go back to her apartment and we learn that it isn’t quite that easy to just pick things up again. It makes total character sense that despite earlier excitement, Aidan would not be able to ultimately go up to her apartment with her. She didn’t want to marry you! She dragged her feet about living together! DO NOT GO BACK INTO THAT HOUSE OF HORRORS. I was THRILLED that it looked like the show was going bring him back only to show that it was a wish-fulfillment fantasy the whole time, and they could never be what they once were to each other. Instead, he makes a joke about hotels and they make out in the street. Fade to black.
We should note that neither of us have seen any more episodes, so we are just as in the dark about what will come next as traditional viewers. Having said that, it sure seems likely he’ll be sticking around through the end of the season (there are four more episodes remaining in Season 2), and while I can’t say I’m excited about watching them date yet again, I do think it is probably pretty accurate for a woman to realize that good guys in NYC can be tricky to find, and why not roll the dice on a third try with a guy you have been circling — yikes — for the better part of 20 years? I assume Big is rolling in his grave.
BEN: With full knowledge I will live to regret these words, I do not think “AJLT’s” Aidan/Carrie romance will get any worse. I mean… how can it? Yes, Aidan’s reaction to seeing Carrie’s old apartment — their old apartment [insert massive eye-roll] — is on the money, but did he not hear her give the address to their cab driver? Was he too enamored with her ivory dining robe to notice the street he was on? Why was it such a big reaction after he got out of the cab?
But also: Get your metaphors in order! Their last words at the restaurant are, “We’re on the same page,” and then Carrie is standing on her stoop, pleading with this direction-averse New Yorker, “It’s the same place, but we’re not in the same place” — only for the episode’s inexplicable resolution to get buttoned-up by Carrie’s voiceover returning to “And just like that… Aidan and I were back on the same page.” My god, people. If the apartment is going to be the embodiment of their problems, can we not at least use it through the end?
I’m sorry, I’m sorry. That’s nitpicky and probably the least annoying thing about a scene that makes zero sense. From Aidan’s bewildered arrival to his insane conclusion that one dinner got them “back to where we started,” all the moment really illustrates is the man’s internal fraudulence. For years, Aidan was framed as Big’s “emotional opposite” — the sensitive one, the one who’s ready to commit, blah blah blah — but he was actually an emotional moron. He’s pushy without realizing why. He’s prone to big gestures (moving in too fast, proposing too fast, all while ignoring reality), and his chill demeanor is really just a mask for infantile temper tantrums. (Remember when he freaked out over Carrie finding his Rogaine pills? Corbett’s iconic line, “I don’t want to TALK about it” says everything we need to know about Aidan’s understanding of intimacy.) This guy didn’t have it together 20 years ago, and — as evidenced by his plan to never go inside Carrie’s apartment but to date her anyway… like, how?? — he still doesn’t have his shit together now.
But, Erin, BUT — that is why I don’t think the Carrie/Aidan arc can get any worse from here. “And Just Like That” chose to push past the hard, honest conversations and plow ahead with a third-times-the-charm coupling, logic and history be damned. It may never make sense why they got back together, but now that they have, whatever happens should be judged by how they fit in the here and now. I see no other choice but to treat them like any other friend who embarks on a relationship we don’t fully support: patiently listen to their happy stories, have their back in any disagreement, and, eventually, enjoy the fireworks. You said you’re addicted to chaos, Erin, and I do think we’re in store for more. Michael Patrick King killed Big so Carrie could be single again — I don’t think he’s going to keep Aidan around for long.
“And Just Like That” Season 2 releases new episodes Thursdays on Max.
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