'And Just Like That...' Carrie Faked COVID to Avoid Recording Her Audiobook

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PEOPLE's recap of the latest adventures of 'Sex and the City' favorites Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte in the third episode of 'And Just Like That...' season 2

<p>Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max</p>

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the third episode of season 2 of Max’s And Just Like That...

Living in New York City is like being involved in a love/hate relationship, as the third episode of And Just Like That’s second season set out to prove.  

As Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) leisurely strolled past Bryant Park in New York City, she ran into her downstairs neighbor Lisette (Katerina Tannenbaum), who told Carrie she was watching organizers put up the party tent for her upcoming jewelry show. (Bulgari apparently christened Lisette one of their “designers to watch.”) Lisette double-checked that Carrie would coming to her show that Friday.

“You’re the only one I care about,” Lisette said. “You ... and the buyer from Neiman [Marcus] and Saks [Fifth Avenue].”

Related: &#39;AJLT&#39; Season 2 Premiere Recap: Carrie Has &#39;Exiting-out-of-Grief Sex&#39; and Miranda Makes a Big Discovery About Che

Seema (Sarita Choudhury), meanwhile, was leaving her townhome, chatting on her cell phone and sifting through her Birkin bag for a cigarette when a man bumped into her and ran off with the bag. She briefly ran after her mugger, pleading with passersby to help her, but she lost him.

While circling the block in hopes that the thief had ditched her bag nearby, Seema called Carrie and filled her in on the incident.

“I splurged on that bag as a gift to myself after my very first big sale,” Seema said. “I bought it so long ago, there wasn’t even a waitlist.”

<p>Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max</p>

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Later at a PTA meeting, Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) were quietly chatting when the Head of the PTA (Tim Bagley) revealed that some of the students at The Arbor School had compiled a “MILF list.”

“We are totally getting on that list,” Lisa whispered to Charlotte.

Related: Sarah Jessica Parker Reveals the ‘Complicated’ Path to Rewearing Carrie’s Wedding Dress in &#39;And Just Like That…&#39;

In the recording studio, Carrie tried to narrate the audiobook for her memoir Loved and Lost. But when she reached chapter 3 about Mr. Big’s (Chris Noth’s) death, she struggled while emotionally reliving the moment she came home and found him having a heart attack just a few feet from his Peloton.

Over in Los Angeles, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) helped Che (Sara Ramirez) run lines for the scene from her sitcom pilot when her character was going to come out as nonbinary. Che hated the contrived scene and started to tear up because they feels like they couldn't push back with the producers after nixing several other asks, including dying their hair blue.

During a group lunch, Lisa received the MILF list, revealing that she and Charlotte ranked second and third, respectively. They alternated between feigned disgust and delight.

”Maybe we should switch gears and talk about abortion rights, how our democracy is hanging by a thread or how our planet is dying,” Nya (Karen Pittman) says, before receiving a text from the “hot” sound guy she recently filmed an interview with, leading her and Lisa to squeal with excitement.

Related: Karen Pittman Says &#39;And Just Like That...&#39; Nailed the &#39;Awkwardness&#39; of a Woman Leaving a Long-Term Relationship (Exclusive)

Back in the recording studio, Carries tried recording chapter 3 of her audiobook again but started tearing up. The producer offered to skip the chapter and come back to it later. Walking back home after, she ran into Bitsy von Muffling (Julie Halston), who told Carrie she'd preordered the memoir and couldn’t wait to read Carrie's perspective on losing a husband.

Carrie crumbled, revealing how she “lost it” reading the chapter about Big’s death. “I thought I was doing so well,” she said. “I got through that whole first year.”

Bitsy — who'd lost her own husband, Bobby Fine (Nathan Lane) reassured Carrie that the second year of widowhood was actually “worse” than the first. “That’s the dirty little secret nobody tells you, because time is passing, and whatever is happening — good, bad, weird — he’s missing all of it,” she said. “You do whatever you do to make yourself feel better.”

For Carrie, that meant retail therapy — specifically, raiding Bergdorf Goodman for nearly a dozen pairs of fabulous heels and pumps. As she started to reread chapter 3 to herself, Carrie shook her head. She just couldn't do it.

So she called her audiobook producer and lied that she just tested positive for COVID. “You’re going to have to get an actress to record it,” she adds. “I’m so sorry.”

<p>Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max</p>

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Related: Sarah Jessica Parker Gave a Sweet Nod to Late Friend and &#39;Sex and the City&#39; Costar Willie Garson on &#39;AJLT&#39;

Back at The Arbor School, Charlotte, Lisa and several of the moms were the student behind the MILF list, when Milo H. himself walked by. The group gawked and whispered about him in slow motion as though it was the second coming of Brad Pitt (which he was not — though he was underage).

During another parents meeting later, the head of the PTA reported that he's received a complaint that a group of Arbor School mothers were overheard “objectifying” a male student in the hallway. Who could the guilty ladies be? Lisa and Charlotte feigned surprise.

Related: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis Celebrate 25 Years of ‘Sex and the City&#39; at N.Y.C. Pop-Up

Cut to Miranda, waiting in line to get into the TV studio where Che’s sitcom pilot was filming. She was talking on her faulty, new smartphone with Brady (Niall Cunningham), who was weepy over breaking up with his girlfriend while visiting Amsterdam. He promised to call his mom once he was back at the hostel.

Brady’s call came at the worst possible time while Che was in the middle of their coming-out scene with TV dad Tony Danza. Miranda's wonky phone went off, halting filming and earning her glares from the crew.

In an emotionally charged scene on the studio lot, Miranda and Che argued about Miranda’s big faux pas. Che didn’t think Miranda needed to fly back to New York City to shepherd Brady through his breakup, but the couple agreed to end things on a positive note before Miranda headed to the airport.

<p>Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max</p>

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Related: Cynthia Nixon on Miranda and Che&#39;s Racy &#39;And Just Like That...&#39; Premiere Scene: &#39;I Was Always Fairly Game&#39;

When Seema visited Carrie at her apartment, Carrie admitted she faked having COVID and explained why. “Carrie, something horrible happened to you,” Seema replied. “You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself. And if you don’t want to go out of this house, don’t. Just crawl into that bed, lay down, pull the covers over your head and just feel whatever you need to feel.” But Carrie vowed to go to Lisette’s jewelry show later.

Lisette’s big night quickly went awry when a cater waiter stole her jewelry and threatened Carrie and Seema for their valuables, too. Security was nowhere to be found, but Carrie decided to double-dip on her foolproof get out of duress free card and shouted out, “I have COVID!”

Though the room was cleared, the thieving waiter remained. Carrie begged him to let her keep her necklaced because it "means everything to me.” He was unmoved, but Seema pulled out what looked like a gun, prompting the waiter to flee. (It turns out, Seema's "gun" was actually a fancy cigarette lighter.)

<p>Gotham/GC Images</p>

Gotham/GC Images

Related: All of the &#39;Sex and the City&#39; & &#39;And Just Like That...&#39; Hot Spots Where You Can Dine in New York City

The next day, Miranda hugged Brady when he came home. Seema, meanwhile, fortuitously found her stolen Birkin bag lying in some bushes on her walk home. She clutched it, smiling in relief as if she'd seen an old friend for the first time in years.

Later that day, Carrie checked in on Lisette, who was (understandably) wallowing in bed. “I have to start over,” Lisette said.

“I know how you feel,” Carrie said after crawling into bed next to her. “At some point, we’ll have to get up. But not now.”

Carrie took her own advice and returned to the recording studio to finally tackle recording chapter 3. Obviously she nailed it.

Later that evening over cosmopolitans and dinner, Carrie and Seema toasted to New York — the “good and the bad.”

Tonight, though, it wasn't so bad. A handsome, rowdy group of Australian rugby players happened to be dining at their communal table. The lads scooted over to get the ladies' sightseeing recommendations, and Seema quipped,  “Suddenly, I’m into New York again,” Seema says.

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