And Just Like That... Season 2, Episode 9 Fashion Recap: Mommy Dearest
Just when I think I’m ready to give up on And Just Like That..., resolved in the fact that it will never live up to the original, I get pulled back in. To be fair, it won’t ever live up to Sex and the City, and the value inconsistency between the episodes can be frustrating; you never know what you’re going to get when you open the Max app on Thursday. But that also means when you’re like me, ready to cut your losses and move on, AJLT delivers another promising episode—and that’s exactly what happened with “There Goes the Neighborhood.”
It seems another month has passed since episode eight and there have been some updates in the lives of the main characters. Carrie has met Aidan’s three kids to varying degrees of success, Charlotte’s family has been forced to get used to their master homemaker missing dinner, and Miranda has remembered she’s a mother. In addition, Nya has discovered casual sex, Seema has been showing rentals to the cute Marvel director, and Lisa Todd Wexley is tired. As usual, though, these last three storylines are fairly inconsequential, so let’s return to the main three, because there is some fun to be had with their arcs in “There Goes the Neighborhood.”
Charlotte and Miranda deal with the possibility that their kids may be hooking up, leading Charlotte to spiral like only Charlotte can. Carrie, meanwhile, is tapping into her own maternal instinct, not only with Aidan’s kids, but also with the kitten Che brings home from the vet. The motherly touch seems good for her—hell, it could even be affecting her style for the better. This episode, we get some of the best looks we’ve seen on Carrie all season (which, to be fair, isn’t saying much), though, per usual, they’re not all winners. But, hey, progress is progress. Below, we break down every look from the episode, as well as where you can shop the pieces for yourself.
The episode begins with Carrie casually reading in bed, waiting for Aidan to arrive to the Chebnb. Any nonchalance is completely eradicated, however, when she pops out from under the covers and reveals her skin-tight, completely sheer knit dress–suggesting it was all a rouse to seem carefree.
We learn that Carrie has met Aidan’s three sons, but 14-year-old Wyatt isn’t her biggest fan. That’s to be expected, as it’s basically the law for a teenager to be trepidatious about their parent’s new partner. It’s possible, though, that Wyatt heard about how things ended between Carrie and Aidan last time and he’s wary about his father’s relationship. That would add him to the long running list of Aidan-and-Carrie skeptics, which includes basically everyone other than the couple themselves, who seemingly don’t understand everyone else’s concerns.
The discussion around Wyatt’s apprehension is cut short, however, when Aidan and Carrie hear from Che’s building manager, informing them they’ve exceeded the guest policy, leaving them with no place to live as Aidan still refuses to enter Carrie’s West Village apartment. It’s a reminder that despite their honeymooning nature, all is not perfect in the world of Carrie and Aidan.
It only took 19 episodes, but Seema may finally be getting a true, independent storyline. Last week, Seema (who, in case you forgot, is a real estate agent) got a new client—Ravi, the cute, single director who is looking to rent a luxury apartment while filming Marvel’s newest film. Seema doesn’t normally work with rentals, but she took the job because, well, he’s cute, single, and his wallet is exploding with Marvel money. In “There Goes the Neighborhood,” we see Seema showing Ravi around with the help of Million Dollar Listing New York star Ryan Serhant.
Ravi is being exceptionally picky, but it’s not just because he has an issue with beautiful, modern NYC apartments with loads of natural light and a fireplace. He claims to be turning down perfectly good options because he wants to spend more time with Seema. Now, I don’t blame him. Seema is looking pretty good in her white wrap dress, black-and-white patterned Kallmeyer trench, Marlo Laz necklace, and Mansur Gavriel cloud clutch. But come on, Ravi—just pick an apartment, get Seema that commission, and ask her out on a date like a normal person. Instead, the pair hook up in the rental, leading Seema to close two deals in a matter of moments.
Miranda, meanwhile, has not only found her groove at her new job, but also within her closet. The 56-year-old intern is looking better than she has all season in a patterned Reiss shirt dress, Jimmy Choo heels, snakeskin bag, and off-white blazer coat while going for a walk with her son. She’s back in mom mode, trying to get Brady to trade in his double shifts at Steve’s bar for a Costa Rican summer program. And while it sounds like a teenager’s dream, Brady is adamant that he just wants to hang out in Brooklyn and flip burgers with his dad.
It’s been about three weeks since Charlotte started her new job at the gallery, and it seems in that time, she has recovered from her clothing-related issues and managed to find a nice balance within her wardrobe. While her family is slightly spiraling without her presence (and cooking), she seems to be doing well, looking sharp in a pinstripe Ralph Lauren set.
Things are moving fast for Seema and Ravi following their rental apartment test drive; Seema is ready to show him off on a double date with Aidan and Carrie. Ravi, of course, is wearing his neckerchief, lest we forget he’s a director. Carrie, meanwhile, swapped out a cute look featuring a striped pink skirt and heart-patterned blouse for an uncharacteristically casual dinner outfit, featuring a raspberry pink long-sleeve top and paisley patterned pants. Seema, though, looks chic as always in a brown Fendi dress with a bag from the brand, doing TikTok dances in the bathroom as Carrie breaks the news to her that she’s ready to sell her West Village apartment.
Turns out, Seema has the perfect apartment for Carrie: a gorgeous four bedroom, three bath on Gramercy Park—big enough to fit her, Aidan, his chickens, and, of course, Carrie’s clothes. Carrie brings equally overdressed Charlotte and Miranda along to see the place and break the big news. Charlotte opts for her favorite Oscar de la Renta in the form of an orange floral midi dress with dramatic sleeves, while Miranda wears a mint green suit with a Wales Bonner button-down. Carrie, meanwhile, welcomes the return of her once-favorite accessory—the faux corsage—sticking an extra large pink one on her paint-splattered coat.
Miranda recruits Lily to help motivate Brady into aspiring to something other than a line cook promotion, but it seems her plan works out a little too well. She returns home to her former Brooklyn apartment to find Lily emerging from Brady’s bedroom...pants-less. Miranda calls up Charlotte to break the news that they may soon be in-laws, but the gallerina is as clueless as ever. “Yes, yes, I did know that Lily slept over last night. I guess they had a lot to talk about,” Charlotte says while walking through the gallery in her rose-covered Dolce & Gabbana pencil skirt and Moschino cropped, double-breasted jacket. “Well, I’m not sure how much talking they actually did,” Miranda responds from the Human Rights Watch offices. Charlotte grabs her black Fendi Peekaboo and Mirando throws a patchwork Rixo coat over her bronze Reiss dress as the two head to Chipotle to discuss further. Now, I’m not sure what’s more unrealistic here, the idea that Charlotte would ever step foot in a Chipotle, or her complete naivete regarding the Lily/Brady situation.
Everyone heads to the York-Goldenblatt residence for a fundraiser Harry is (for some reason) throwing for Herbert Wexley. The whole gang shows up, including Brady, who’s eager to see his new fling, Lily. For the occasion, Miranda returns to her favorite fall color palette, wearing an orange pleated midi dress from Ralph Lauren with a blazer on top, a Ximena Kavalekas snakeskin clutch, and Veronica Beard suede heels, while Carrie and Charlotte coordinate in their respective pale pink jumpsuit and Alexander McQueen dress with Amina Muaddi satin pumps.
While Lisa arrives late to the party, she sure grabs attention when she gets there with a bright pink suit, turquoise pussy bow blouse, and a matching JW Anderson bag. If that wasn’t enough, she makes even more of a mark by informing Herbert right before his big speech that she’s pregnant.
Carrie dips out of the fundraiser early to prep for her meet-up with Aidan’s ex-wife, Kathy, the next day. She arrives to lunch in a monochrome emerald green look, and after a season of pattern clashing, it’s refreshing to see Carrie in something relatively simple and glamorous. For the outing, she opts for a dress from the Converted Closet, vintage green bomber jacket, necklaces from Briony Raymond and Marla Aaron, a bag from Rafe New York, and metallic Gianvito Rossi heels.
While it was a bit worrisome when Carrie revealed Kathy wanted to have lunch with her, it turns out the reason was fairly innocent. Kathy just wants to make sure Carrie doesn’t write about her sons, as the writer has a history of mining her personal life for content. It’s a fair request (and a good thing Carrie no longer has a regular column, or else it may have caused a problem as she attempted to reach her word count each week) so she agrees to the terms.
After her lunch with Kathy, Carrie is ready to show Aidan the new apartment, so she puts on a pink floral Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini dress, vintage ring master-esque jacket, crocheted straw beret from Gigi Burris Millinery, a Serpui wicker crossbody, and Gianvito Rossi heels for the big reveal. The pair talk more about their relationship, as well as their past, and it’s once again clear everyone else is more concerned than they are about what happened between them. “I think that this is now,” Aidan says. “Different time, different place.” And now, different apartment.
