Does Kim Cattrall Return as Samantha?

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the And Just Like That… series finale.

Ever since it was announced that And Just Like That… was coming to an end, many fans have been on the edge of their seats and wondering if Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) would return.

The series finale, titled “Party of One,” aired Thursday, Aug. 14, and gave viewers the answer to that lingering question.

So, did Cattrall return as Samantha to help the Sex and the City revival series come to a full-circle conclusion after three seasons?

No, Cattrall does not return as Samantha for the And Just Like That… series finale.

The episode revolved around Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who decides to work on accepting her next phase in life, while Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) hosts Thanksgiving for the first time in her new apartment. Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) is included in the episode as well, helping Carrie and Miranda out by bringing stuffing to the gathering.

Samantha’s absence doesn’t come as a huge shock, though.

Cattrall famously played the outspoken and sexually liberated PR professional for all six seasons of Sex and the City from 1998 and 2004.

After the original series ended, Cattrall returned in the two feature films, released in 2008 and 2010. However, she did not return for the revival series, which first aired in 2021.

Samantha’s absence from the series was first explained in the season 1 premiere, when it was revealed that she and Carrie had fallen out after Carrie fired her as her publicist. As a result, Samantha moved to London.

During season 1, Samantha sent flowers to Big’s (Chris Noth) funeral and connected with Carrie over text. Following the season 1 finale, the two characters had an off-screen reunion for drinks when Carrie was in Paris.

Cattrall made her only on-screen return on And Just Like That… in the season 2 finale.

Samantha was in a car on the way to London’s Heathrow Airport for a quick trip to New York City, as Carrie was moving out of her iconic Upper East Side brownstone into her Gramercy Park townhome.

With her flight delayed, Samantha called Carrie to tell her she wouldn’t make it to her “Last Supper” at her old apartment. Carrie put Samantha on speakerphone so she could “pay my respects” to that “f—— abulous, fabulous flat.”

Samantha did return once again — in text message form — earlier in season 3. Carrie texted Samantha to ask her about Duncan Reeves (Jonathan Cake), the British author who was living on the garden level of her townhome, and the two had a little banter reminiscent of their Sex and the City dynamic.

Michael Patrick King announced on Aug. 1 that And Just Like That… would be ending after three seasons.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the showrunner said, “And Just Like That…. the ongoing storytelling of the Sex and the City universe is coming to an end.”

King explained that while writing the season 3 finale, “It became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop.”

“SJP and I held off announcing the news until now because we didn’t want the world ‘final’ to overshadow the fun of watching the season,” he continued. “It is with great gratitude that we thank all the viewers who have let these characters into their homes and their hearts over these many years.”

Parker delivered an emotional tribute to Carrie and the Sex and the City universe while reacting to the cancellation news.

Parker’s heartfelt post encapsulated the breadth of Carrie’s journey over the past nearly 30 years, including all of her ups and downs.

The actress included a callout to Nixon, Cattrall and Davis, writing, “Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, there will never be better friends.”

There was also a shout-out to Sarita Choudhury and Nicole Ari Parker’s new characters, with Parker adding, “And what great fortune for Carrie to come to know and love Seema and LTW, most divine new connections.”

“Carrie Bradshaw has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years. I think I have loved her most of all,” she wrote. “I know others have loved her just as I have.”

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Sex and the City, as well as its two feature films, and And Just Like That… are all streaming on HBO Max.