It’s been 85 sleeps since Kim Cattrall’s return as Samantha Jones on the second season of And Just Like That… was announced—and the tortuous wait to see the scene in question finally ended on Thursday with a brief but blissful long-distance call from across the pond. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment marked Cattrall’s first onscreen appearance in the Sex and the City sequel series, which was officially renewed for a third season earlier this week.
Perhaps sensing this long-awaited reunion, the show wastes no time in revealing Samantha’s cameo. “Hello, London,” Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw says in the season two finale’s opening moments. “What’s shakin’, Lady?” She’s speaking to none other than Ms. Jones, calling from the back of a car to deliver the solemn news that she won’t be able to attend Carrie’s “Last Supper” dinner party. Blame a flight delay—or perhaps the longstanding rumoured feud between Cattrall and SJP.
But despite the brevity, within her few minutes of screen time, Samantha confirms a few things: She’s still in contact with Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis); she feels close enough with Carrie to show up unannounced at her dinner party; and she can joke about her former life as a Manhattanite. After paying her respects to Carrie’s “fabulous, fabulous flat,” which she will now officially never set foot in again, Samantha sports a faux British accent as “Annabelle Bronstein.” Fans of the show will remember that Samantha uses Annabelle’s misplaced member pass in season six, episode 10 of Sex and the City to get into the Soho House pool.
A beat-by-beat transcript of their interaction can be found below:
Carrie: Hello, London. What’s shakin’, lady?
Samantha: My flight’s three hours delayed, Carrie. I won’t be able to make it there in time.
Carrie: In time for what?
Samantha: The last supper. Miranda and Charlotte told me all about it. I was gonna surprise you.
Carrie: Oh, my gosh. Well, you did. I’m very surprised.
Samantha: Well, the fog finally lifted, but the crew? Maxed out. Oh, I am fucking furious!
Carrie: Well, no, no, no, don’t worry. We’ll just get together tomorrow.
Samantha: Honey, I just left Heathrow. I was flying back on the first flight in the morning.
Carrie: Wait a minute…you were flying all the way to New York for an overnight?
Samantha: Well, it is your apartment and I have to pay my respects. So, uh, put me on speaker. Go ahead, put me on speaker, and hold up that phone.
Carrie: All right, you’re on speaker.
Samantha: Thank you for everything, you fucking fabulous, fabulous flat.
Carrie: Uh, Samantha, do you have a British accent?
Samantha: Who’s Samantha? This is Annabelle Bronstein. I’m from ‘Injah.’ Ta and cheerio. And have a great night.
While there’s been a somewhat mixed reaction to And Just Like That – with some loving the Sex and the City reboot, others less impressed – Twitter at large seems decidedly in favour of Cattrall’s cameo, with some deeming it the highlight of the episode – “You made the finale”.