Sarah Jessica Parker has finally addressed a question fans have been asking since “And Just Like That…” premiered in December.
At the end of the series premiere, Carrie returns from a piano recital to find Mr. Big (Chris Noth) collapsed on the bathroom floor, dying of a heart attack after riding his stationary bike. She screams his name and runs to him, holding him as he takes his last breaths. And at the end of the episode, Carrie says, “And just like that, Big died.”
While the moment was certainly a tear-jerker, viewers have been questioning for months why Carrie didn’t immediately dial 911.
Parker was pressed about the scene while appearing on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live,” explaining that — from her perspective — the moment “suspended animation.”
“It’s this moment where everything stops, and then whatever collapsing of time that happens doesn’t stop her from taking care of somebody in a fashion that you would expect from your partner or husband or wife,” she continued. “In my head, she struggled through this moment and tried to get him to be responsive, and then she, you know, came to her senses — I’m going to say after about two to three seconds.”
While chatting with Cohen, Parker also addressed another hot topic from Season 1, which was the absence of Kim Cattrall and the quasi-appearance of her character Samantha Jones.
Of the way that creator Michael Patrick King chose to write Samantha into the show, Parker said: “Samantha isn’t gone. The actress that played that role is no longer playing that role, but people aren’t absent from your life when you don’t want them to be.”
“I thought it mimicked many friendships that challenge each other and struggle, and want to remain connected in a way,” she added.
The one aspect of the show that Parker refrained from speaking on was Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), the non-binary stand-up comedian and podcast host. When asked whether she found Che funny, Parker dodged the question.
“I feel that I’m not in a position to declare whether Che’s comedy is funny or not, nor does it matter what I think,” she said.
Season 1 of “And Just Like That…” is streaming on HBO Max.