And Just Like That Review: No Strings Attached (Season 1 Episode 9)

And Just Like That Season 1 Episode 9, “No Strings Attached,” is heartbreaking to watch. Not because it’s emotional, impactful, or a good episode of TV — it’s not. 

It’s hard to watch because sometimes, for a few seconds, it’s tolerable and we know what it could have been. And then it transforms from a baby bird trying to rise into a heaping pile of burning garbage again. 

Carrie’s struggle with her ring is predictable as far as grief on TV goes, but if predictable makes And Just Like That easier to swallow, at this point I welcome it. 

“No Strings Attached” would be stronger without Lily’s battle with tampons. There is a time and place for that kind of humor, and it’s just wasted on And Just Like That. Plus, what is the obsession with using Charlotte for bodily humor? 

Che the comedian is the least funny person on the show, and the laughs do need to come from somewhere. Especially because every word coming out of Miranda’s mouth gives me second-hand embarrassment. 

Che is meant to be a groundbreaking character, but they are a parody of the community they represent at this point. It’s just awful. The least cool people in the world are those who think they’re cool, not those who know they’re cool. 

It’s so uncomfortable to watch fake fans come up to them and ask for pictures and talk about their sexual history when we all know the show would be better without Che in it. 

For Che to be considered a character, we’d have to see into their life, literally. Let us into their apartment where they’re cooking dinner or writing. Let us see Miranda’s confession at Che’s show even. 

The melodrama on the stairs is ridiculous. But Che and Miranda deserve each other at this point. 

Miranda isn’t worthy of having Dr. Nya Wallace as a friend. It’s frustrating that And Just Like That isn’t portraying serious issues like why domestic violence shelters need to exist. It’s using a serious issue as a glorified photo op so Carrie can wear cute overalls. 

If it was committed to representing the issue, we would have met some women who need to use the shelter already. But And Just Like That is literally all talk. It’s the television equivalent of the “white lady who just writes the check” trying way too hard not to be. 

We can’t blame the character Nya for any of this and moments with Andre and lack of desire to keep trying to have a baby are the most relatable on the show. They deserve their own show in a far-off universe away from And Just Like That. 

Shifting gears to Carrie to wrap things up, it’s actually okay watching her become ready to date in earnest. It just makes me want to scream that Steve is once again made to look pathetic so that Carrie can find courage. 

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

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