SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from Season 3, Episode 6 of HBO Max‘s And Just Like That… titled “Silent Mode.”
For longtime fans of Sex and the City and its sequel series, And Just Like That, we’ve seen our share of back and forth between Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Aidan Shaw (John Corbett).
The pair, currently on their third go at a relationship, were again faced with a heartbreaking confession that could ruin the relationship once and for all. On the original HBO series, Carrie broke Aidan’s heart at least twice, due to her toxic and extensive affair with Mr. Big (Chris Noth). With Big not only out of the picture but dead on And Just Like That…, somehow, Carrie and Aidan found their way to one another again.
The reunion of the characters has been met with warmth and affection by Parker, who boasted about working with Corbett during a recent chat with Deadline.
“Well, you may or may not have heard this, but John is the easiest person to work with and play opposite, and I sincerely mean that. He’s famously enthusiastic and energetic. He cares a great deal about every single line. He thinks a lot about it the night before. He’s really committed and delightful, and has such an ease when the camera rolls. He’s so comfortable on screen, and it makes the entire experience so delightful,” said Parker.
Adding, “And that doesn’t mean that the work is always easy to get right or to do, but I think we’re both so happy to be there, trying to sort it out with each other. I’m glad that, even though there was some kind of agreement about a sabbatical, they were both incapable of honoring it because it meant that John Corbett was around a lot. For all of us, that meant really good times and happiness. I’m really fond of him. I think he’s just lovely.”
Their offscreen connection and trust translate into a passionate love between their characters, which was tested once again in today’s episode. Carrie and Aidan are currently separated geographically as he lives in Virginia, where he coparents three sons with his ex, Kathy, two of whom are underage. Carrie is still in New York, living in the house she bought for them to live happily ever after, with plenty of rooms for his boys to stay as often as they like. The agreement made at the end of Season 2 was that they’d live in different states for 5 years, though they didn’t discuss important details that they now realize were imperative to avoid causing further pain to one another.
In “Silent Mode,” Aidan shows up at their home hoping to surprise Carrie with a cute, romantic gesture. He throws a small rock at a window, hoping to get his beloved’s attention, but accidentally breaks a vintage panel of glass that is irreplaceable. While discussing the damage, Aidan admits he and his ex-wife, Kathy, had sex.
“I slept with Kathy,” he tells Carrie after she pulled him in for a kiss.
She replies, “What do you mean you slept with Kathy?”
He fills her in on the details, “It just happened,” during a moment when they were trying to comfort one another. He tells Carrie it was a mistake, something he and Kathy agree on. Carrie is silent and in shock at his admission and his later apology that it will never happen again.
As Carrie looks away to gather her thoughts, I can’t help but think back to the moment in SATC when Aidan yells at Carrie, “YOU BROKE MY HEART!” So, I’m thinking, “Wow, here comes the fireworks,” but none came.
“So odd, but I kinda understand,” she tells him with a shrug. “Or, maybe, I don’t know, maybe I’m in shock… No, I do. I can understand how that could happen,” she affirms.
It’s in this moment that Carrie and Aidan are in each other’s shoes. Carrie understands how you can get swept up in old feelings and the mistakes that follow. Aidan can maybe, for the first time, understand that Carrie wasn’t trying to hurt him when she slept with Mr. Big, even though that was unavoidable. There was an undeniable connection and attraction that they succumbed to without thinking of the people they were hurting.
“I was really pleased with that conversation. I loved shooting that scene. I love the proportion of the room. It’s so empty. And if I recall correctly, I haven’t seen the episodes, but I love that it wasn’t hysterical. It was hard for him to tell Carrie, and [I love that] Carrie was not condemning. What I also liked about it is what that conversation provoked, which is, ‘Well, what did you think I meant [about the sabbatical]? What does that mean? What did you assume the words ‘five years’ meant?’ Not being certain of what each other’s words mean is very common in relationships, especially relationships where there’s a huge amount of investment. You think you’re always hearing, knowing, and understanding somebody,” Parker shared.
“I really love that scene. I love that storyline, and I think it’s real. Also, people behave in ways when there’s a tragedy, disappointment, sadness; when you share a concern, you’re looking for comfort. It’s a perfectly reasonable human response to feeling sad or grave concern, you reach out to somebody,” she added.”
Parker understands that fans are also heavily invested in seeing Carrie and Aidan go the mile this time, whatever that may look like. Both have already been married and established their families, so running down the aisle doesn’t seem like a priority for these two, at least for now. But certainly, it wouldn’t hurt to have Carrie and Aidan reach that level of commitment one day, considering how close they got before.
Whether or not that’s where they are headed, Parker is keeping mum.
“I’m just not going to tell you. I don’t want to answer in any way that will suggest one thing or another. I will simply say that it’s really great to have a story like this with an actor who can do it all. It’s time well spent.”
