And Just Like That Review: Some of My Best Friends (Season 1 Episode 4)

There is something oddly comforting about watching everyone on And Just Like That Season 1 Episode 4, “Some of My Best Friends,” get coffee in the morning. 

So, the first 12 minutes of the episode are the best by far. The ladies also have Chloe to thank for this rating being as high as it is. 

Ali Stroker is funny, and of all of the marginalized characters on the show hers is the most authentic. Chloe just uses a wheelchair. She doesn’t do a comedy special about it or incessantly talk about it or have to educate anyone about her existence.

It also is authentic to Charlotte’s character that she would run around like a madwoman trying to find Black couples to invite to a dinner party so that her one Black friend wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. This behavior might also be true of many white women. 

Where the storyline falls short is that Lisa tells Charlotte she was worried about the Goldenblatt’s feeling uncomfortable being the only white couple at her home. 

That negates the whole point. Who cares if the white people who are always around other white people feel safe in your home? 

Storylines about race that are most effective depict harsh realities. And Just Like That literally makes Charlotte a white savior for praising Lisa’s art in front of her mother-in-law. 

Lisa can handle herself. It’s so hard to understand why Charlotte would be the person she needs to protect her from her mother-in-law. Plus, it’s hard to care at all. 

And Just Like That fans definitely care about Willie Garson, so Stanford’s exit is also baffling. 

There is no easy way to write out someone who has died, especially because there has already been a big death in Carrie’s life. Fiction and reality are at odds here, but it still doesn’t feel respectful of the character to say he’s just abandoned everyone he loves and moved overseas. 

I don’t have a fix for this issue and am just glad that Che does not have much screentime. 

And Just Like That is very slowly abandoning Carrie’s grief story although she has yet to fully feel her feelings. So, it is refreshing to see her get mad at Seema for breaking the picture frame. 

The more time that passes, the clearer it becomes that Mr. Big existing as ashes in an urn is for the best. 

Seema is the clearest replacement for Samantha that And Just Like That has offered up. But it is still too soon to hit the reset button. 

An argument and a sushi dinner won’t erase Carrie’s grief. Nor does Miranda naturally bonding with Maya and less Che make And Just Like That a good show. 

But it is nice to visit Carrie’s old haunts and her huge closet with her one last time. Here’s to hoping it continues making slow steps forward. It can’t get much worse than this. 

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New episodes of And Just Like That are available to stream Thursdays on HBO Max.

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