‘Toxic, toxic, toxic’: And Just Like That fans divided after Sarah Jessica Parker drops new season teaser

Fans of And Just Like That are divided over a possible romantic reunion in the show’s second season.

In August 2022, it was announced that John Corbett would be joining Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the cast of in season two of the Sex and the City spin-off.

Corbett played the role of Aidan Shaw, one of Carrie’s two big love interests on Sex and the City, which ran from 1998 until 2004.

Along with Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones, Aidan was one of two fan-favourite characters that did not appear in the show’s spin-off, which was released in 2021.

New photos from season two, released by the production on Friday (13 January), show Carrie (Parker) and Aidan walking through New York, holding hands.

Fans are split down the middle over whether to be thrilled by their possible reunion or worried that Carrie will break his heart for a third time.

Aidan, a furniture designer, dated sex columnist Carrie twice over the course of Sex and the City. The first time they broke up was after Carrie admitted to cheating on him with Mr Big (Chris Noth). The second time came after Parker’s character got cold feet at the thought of marrying him.

When Carrie runs into Aidan in season six, she learns he had a wife and son. She eventually goes on to marry Mr Big, after years of on-again, off-again tensions.

*spoilers for And Just Like That follow - you have been warned*

The reboot began with the death of Mr Big, who suffered a fatal heart attack during a Peloton workout.

Following the season finale, the show’s executive producer explained why Aidan had been absent from And Just Like That.

He told Deadline: “It really just felt like this was a lot for Carrie. This season was a lot. We wanted to get her through [Big’s death] and into the light – the last episode is called, ‘Seeing the Light.’ We wanted to get her out.”

Reacting to the new set pictures of Parker and Corbett, teasing a reconciliation between Carrie and Aidan, one fan wrote: “She’s literally his female Big. Terrible and toxic.”

Another person echoed the sentiment, writing: “Toxic, toxic, toxic.”

“I loved Carrie and Aiden, but I don’t know how I feel about this. Maybe third time’s the charm,” someone else commented.

“At least now she can’t cheat [on] him with Mr Big now,” one social media user wrote. Another wondered: “Are there no other men in all of Manhattan?!”

Some Sex and the City fans also defended Carrie and Aidan’s romance, with one writing: “They still had chemistry in Abu Dhabi! Finally going to give it a go.”

Carrie and Aidan share a passionate kiss in Abu Dhabi in the Sex and the City 2, but things between them are left unaddressed.

Another person tweeted: “I need them to end up together. The final episode of this series must show them happy, together. SATC show, SATC2, I can’t take losing him again….”

Corbett had hinted at returning as Aidan after season one finale of And Just Like That, telling Page Six “I might be in quite a few [episodes]”.

No release date for season two has been announced as yet.