And Just Like That writers speak out over Miranda and Steve criticism
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Sex And The City fans have had plenty of *thoughts* when it comes to HBO reboot And Just Like That... And one of the biggest topics of conversation has (of course) been Miranda Hobbes' husband, Steve.
Fans were very invested in one storyline in particular, which sees Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) cheating on beloved Steve (David Eigenberg) with Che Diaz (Sara Ramírez). While some viewers were happy to see Miranda exploring her sexuality, others were less than thrilled about Miranda's treatment of Steve, claiming "Steve deserves better".
Now, two And Just Like That writers, Elisa Zuritsky and Julie Rottenberg, have responded to backlash against the Miranda/Steve story, explaining their reasons for the controversial plot line.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Zuritsky explained, "We love Steve. We are really invested in the Steve-ness of him. He’s so full of life, and the Steves out there are good guys."
Rottenberg then added, "But Miranda’s journey is representing another reality out there, which a lot of people go through - the reevaluations and transitions in life. Grown couples grow apart, and people come to epiphanies about what their spouse is or isn’t fulfilling for them. Miranda’s story was very representative of a certain path that a lot of women find themselves on."
Zuritsky added that the writers "didn’t set out to make virtuous characters necessarily," saying, "Even moral, generally wonderful people make choices that aren’t necessarily admirable or virtuous." She went on to speculate that the criticism of Steve's storyline could be rooted in a "lopsided gender issue…you feel angry at her and more protective of him."
Continuing later in the interview, Zuritsky went on, "To me, it falls under the same umbrella of why are we coming back to do this show if it’s not going to be different? ... Creatively, we wanted to see what happened to these women.... Where are they? What have they gone through? What are new stories for these women? How are they rooted in the real-life experience of women in their 50s? What do women go through?"
Rottenberg added, "If we were going to come back, let’s come back and cover what we are really experiencing in our own lives and our friends’ lives, although that’s sometimes not as much fun."
However, the writers add that they've had positive responses to the Miranda/Steve story too, quoting viewers: “‘Thank God. Please. What’s taking so long? Get out of there. You’re in a loveless marriage.’”
Teasing what's to come later in the series, Zuritsky touched on how Steve is feeling about the situation, revealing, "You’re going to get that scene." Intriguing.
What's more, it seems that the crew were fully aware of the storyline's potential controversy, with the writers revealing that crew members could choose "Team Steve" or "Team Miranda" pins (with David Eigenberg hilariously opting for Miranda).
The next episode can't come soon enough.
You Might Also Like
