'And Just Like That' Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Carrie and Enid become 'PayPals'
Spoilers for 'And Just Like That' Season 2 Episode 4
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO’s ‘And Just Like That’ Season 2 is back with nostalgia and the new episode is more exciting than ever. In Episode 4, Miranda is notably seen behaving like her old self once again. Meanwhile, Carrie manages to promote her book through her long-time editor, Enid, only because of her deep pockets. On the other hand, Miranda explores a whole new deal with Che and their ex-husband, Lyle, leaving her relationship even more complicated than ever.
‘And Just Like That’ Season 2 Episode 4 opens with Carrie and Jackie having lunch as she encounters former Vogue editor Enid Frick and shamelessly asks her to promote her book on a new talk show. Enid, who was always somewhat jealous of Carrie, declines her request. However, Carrie manages to get her new book promoted by Enid using her money. Meanwhile, Miranda is back in New York City and working through her relationship with Steve and Brady. At the same time, she finds herself entangled in a three-way between her, Che, and Lyle. On the other hand, Charlotte helps Harry using her Kegels skills by coaching him based on the doctor's suggestion as Harry is unfortunately not able to ejaculate. Overall, this episode reminded us of ‘Sex and the City’ as the main characters are slowly but surely coming back to their original genre.
How did Carrie Bradshaw and Enid become ‘paypals’?
In the world of ‘Sex and the City’, there has always been an underlying suggestion that Enid, a fellow writer, is jealous of Carrie Bradshaw's success. Enid's envy becomes apparent as she complains about not having her own book to promote. However, her jealousy may stem from a belief that Carrie's writing is overrated or even mediocre. Enid recognizes that Carrie has built a career by charming people, especially men, a skill that Enid herself lacks.
Carrie vents about her encounter with Enid to her friend Seema, who offers her support and advice. Initially, Seema brushes off the notion that Carrie is getting old but changes her tune upon learning that the comment came from Enid, who Seema idolizes. Seema encourages Carrie to attend the Vivant launch event that Enid invited her to and to propose a trade, suggesting she would participate in the event in exchange for a blurb in Enid's column. Meanwhile, Charlotte and her husband Harry prepare to send their children off to camp, eagerly anticipating some child-free time. Charlotte's friend Lisa, who is also free of children at the moment, plans to focus on work and on preparing for her upcoming twentieth-anniversary party. Over lunch with Carrie, Miranda, and Anthony, Charlotte brings up a sexual issue she's experiencing with Harry. This leads to a frank discussion about jizz-free sex and the merits of orgasm without ejaculation. Later, Charlotte and Harry visit a doctor, who assures them that this is normal but suggests pelvic floor exercises to help Harry. Charlotte takes on the role of a personal trainer, coaching Harry in kegel exercises.
Meanwhile, Miranda, who has returned to New York to address her son Brady's issues, finds herself sleeping on the couch while her husband Steve channels his frustrations into intense workouts with a punching bag. At the family therapy session, Brady expresses his desire to confront his parents' separation and reveals that he has no plans to attend college in the fall. Surprisingly, Steve is accepting of Brady's decisions, while Miranda remains silent, unwilling to share her true thoughts. Frustrated, Brady assures the therapist that this isn't who Miranda truly is, a sentiment likely echoed by viewers. Finally, Miranda opens up to Carrie about her reluctance to express herself within the family dynamic, feeling responsible for the upheaval they have experienced. In this candid moment, Miranda's true self shines through, and it becomes clear that audiences would appreciate more of this authenticity.
Will Charlotte take up the new deal?
Che returns to town, accompanied by their ex-husband Lyle, who helped them move into a new apartment. Carrie and Miranda join them for a drink, and the conversation turns to Che and Lyle's past marriage and throuple situation with another woman. Uncomfortable with the discussion of strap-ons, Carrie decides to leave. As the night progresses, Miranda and Che end up having a middle-of-the-night make-out session that leads to the possibility of a threesome. Miranda hesitates but agrees, only to be interrupted by a cramp, resulting in her and Che sleeping on the couch. Meanwhile, Lisa and Herbert's twentieth-anniversary party is ruined when Herbert forgets to send out the Evites. Consequently, only the guests invited through word of mouth, including Charlotte, attend. Charlotte charms a gallerist, Mark Kasabian, who offers her a job, but she prioritizes her children's needs over career prospects, though it hints at a potential storyline for her in the future.
The episode concludes at Enid's launch party for Vivant, where Gloria Steinem makes an appearance. Inspired by Steinem's speech, Carrie agrees to write for the magazine, only to discover that Enid expects a substantial monetary contribution instead. Enid's clever manipulation leaves Carrie reconsidering her involvement. Carry contributes $100,000 as Enid wished, sending it to her on PayPal. Carry concluded by saying, "And just like that Enid and I became PayPals."
Overall, this episode showcases complex relationships and covers the themes of sexual exploration, career choices and personal boundaries for the characters, leaving viewers intrigued about the unfolding dynamics and potential story developments in the remaining episodes.
‘And Just Like That’ Season 2 Episode 4 is streaming on HBO.