WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for And Just Like That season 2's finale!

Summary

• The season 2 finale of And Just Like That sets up multiple storylines for season 3, providing closure to some plot points while introducing new challenges for the characters.
• Carrie and Aidan decide to take a 5-year break due to Aidan's commitment to his children, leaving Carrie stunned but willing to let go of expectations.
• Kim Cattrall returns as Samantha Jones in a small cameo, showing that she remains as fabulous as ever and still maintains a strong friendship with Carrie.

The official end to Carrie's Sex and the City story. Instead, And Just Like That season 2's finale episode sets up several season 3 threads, all while bringing some much-needed closure to plot points that have overstayed their welcome.

As the title implies, the bulk of the episode centers around Carrie's Michelin-star supper party. Along the way, Miranda tries to patch things up with both of her exes, Steve and Che; Charlotte reiterates to Harry that he needs to step up when it comes to running the house; and Nya receives wonderful professional and personal developments. Meanwhile, other And Just Like That characters navigate challenges: Seema regrets her "I love you" to Ravi; Anthony remains emotionally distant; and Lisa laments her recent loss. In addition to a long-awaited cameo from Sex and the City's missing "fourth musketeer," And Just Like That continues the roller coaster ride of the original show's memorable Carrie and Aidan romance.

Carrie & Aidan Decide To Take A 5-Year Break

After refusing to set foot in Carrie's apartment for the entirety of And Just Like That season 2, Aidan breaks the pattern when he shows up post-dinner party. Still shaken from his son, Wyatt's, car crash in "The Last Supper Part One: Appetizer," Aidan reveals that he won't be ing Carrie in her new apartment — one they dubbed "our place" at Aidan's insistence — because he's "been the constant" in his kids' lives and can't uproot that. Carrie understands that the boys are Aidan's top priority, but, even so, she's stunned when their conversation seemingly veers into breakup territory.

Memorably, Carrie and Aidan broke up twice on Sex and the City and even briefly rekindled their romance in the 2010 sequel movie. In And Just Like That season 2, the pair is confident about their rekindled connection, which makes the turn jarring, even though it was forecasted in the penultimate episode. "We’re not back here again," Aidan assures Carrie, and then pitches his idea: he'll her in New York in five years, once Wyatt is out of his teens. Perhaps surprisingly, Carrie agrees. At her dinner party, she vowed to let go of expectations, and Aidan's predicament presents the perfect chance to do so. "This," Carrie says, gesturing to her apartment, and then herself and Aidan, "and this — was not a mistake."

Kim Cattrall's Return As Samantha Jones Explained

The season 2 finale of And Just Like That delivers its promised Kim Cattrall cameo, but Samantha's appearance has little bearing on the series' narrative. While readying her apartment for the titular gathering, Carrie receives a phone call out of the blue. Carrie's face lights up when she sees her friend's name pop up and, in true Samantha Jones fashion, the London-based publicist immediately launches into her situation with a few pleasantries, including a nostalgic reference to the British woman Annabelle Bronstein, whose identity she memorably impersonated in Sex and the City season 6. Evidently, Charlotte and Miranda filled Samantha in on "The Last Supper, which encouraged Cattrall's character to book a flight to New York to "pay her respects."

It's a step up from sending flowers to Big's (Chris Noth) funeral, but Samantha's grand scheme doesn't pan out thanks to a three-hour flight delay. When Carrie suggests they hang out in the morning, Samantha tells her it was meant to be an overnight stint, so she's canceled altogether. Honored Samantha would go to so much trouble, Carrie puts her friend on speakerphone. "Thank you for everything, you f****** fabulous, fabulous flat," Samantha shouts. As if no time has ed, Samantha blows a kiss into the phone and cradles it close to her heart. If it really is Samantha's last appearance, it's solid assurance that she remains as fabulous as ever.

Miranda Reconciles With Steve And Che

And Just Like That has often received criticism regarding Che Diaz being "annoying" — and for good reason. In season 2's penultimate episode, Che not only puts Miranda on blast in their new standup set, but demeans queer women and queer peoples' individual journeys on the whole. Even though Miranda has every right to be done with the selfish comedian, Carrie insists that Miranda must reconcile with both Che and Steve. According to Carrie, Miranda has a habit of cutting her exes out of her life, which is true, but, in some cases, the best path forward.

First, Miranda visits Steve at his combination hot dog-clam shack on Coney Island and asks if she can be part of his present and future — just as friends. She then tells him that he was right about a lot of things, from moving to Brooklyn to the joys of parenthood. When Miranda suggests the only thing Steve didn't correctly assess was their romantic relationship, he disagrees, saying, "I was right for a long time." It's a nice moment of closure for the abiding couple, and it's even sweeter when their son, Brady, witnesses the tender exchange from afar.

Next on Miranda's breakup apology tour is Che. "Hi, we can't ruin Carrie's thing," Miranda says, tapping Che on the shoulder at "The Last Supper." After debating whether Che's frustratingly queerphobic jokes were funny, Miranda asks what their relationship really was, to which Che replies, "a train wreck." In an attempt to put a more positive spin on their time together, Miranda insists it was "like a good train wreck, where nobody dies, and you get off in a new place." This line finally closes the page on the Miranda-Che chapter, leaving the two open to new romantic possibilities in And Just Like That season 3.

Nya Meets A Man From Her (Recent) Past

After being largely sidelined throughout And Just Like That season 2, Nya has more satisfying developments in the finale. While at her Columbia University office, Nya is visited by a colleague, who informs her she's been unanimously nominated to the American Law Institute. Upon arriving home, Nya shares the news with Miranda, but laments the fact that she has "no man to share it with." She then immediately regrets saying that out loud, but, as she tells Miranda, can't help what she's feeling.

When Nya and Miranda arrive at Carrie's apartment for the dinner party, they bump into the Michelin-star chef who's catering the event. Almost immediately, Nya places him as the charming stranger she wanted to hook up with at Bar T early on in season 2, when she was still trying to make things work with her now-ex. The chef, Toussaint Feldman, re Nya and her "rampart" purse, too. Over the course of Carrie's going-away party, Nya and Toussaint continue to flirt. At the end of the episode, he takes Nya home and charmingly invites himself inside for some wine and a bite to eat, setting up their romance for the recently renewed And Just Like That season 3.

Carrie And Seema Go On Vacation In Greece

And Just Like That season 2's finale contains a few other important moments, which run the gamut from sad and serious to cute and amusing. For one, Lisa grapples with her guilt over her miscarriage. "Did I wish the baby away?" she wonders. In the end, Lisa decides to let go of her guilt, realizing she can hold both sadness and relief in her heart. On the other end of the spectrum, the finale confirms that Carrie did, in fact, adopt the kitten Che brought over. The kitten, which Carrie somewhat predictably names Shoe, gives the newly single gal the gift of "conversation with no ."

Finally, the series wraps up Seema's plot line with big-shot director Ravi. The Manhattan real-estate pro can't help but continue to regret her confession of love. When she arrives at Carrie's, Seema decrees, "I’m not putting any more energy into this [relationship]." However, over the course of the evening, Seema becomes convinced that she and Ravi are the real deal — even if he has to suddenly spend the summer on a film set. At the end of the episode, Seema tells Carrie she's booked them a non-Hamptons beach vacation. "Well, as you suggested, we ran at love," Seema says to Carrie as the two sip cosmopolitans on a Greek beach and look ahead to the twists that And Just Like That season 3 has in store for them.