Is And Just Like That about to kill Samantha...and Sex and the City?

However, no one expected the headlines which confirmed that Kim Cattrall would be reprising her iconic role as the fabulous Samantha Jones from the original series in a cameo for the season finale.

Cattrall had been very open about not wanting to return to the franchise and has also been frank about a feud with its star Sarah Jessica Parker.

So, the idea of Samantha making a comeback - regardless of a likely hefty paycheck and an idyllic filming experience with a glamorous wardrobe - still feels so surprising.

Variety reports that Samantha will appear in a single scene, speaking to Carrie on the phone, with Cattrall's scenes filmed away from the rest of the cast.

Yet, some other comments that came after the news of her return broke may be a cause for concern...

Will And Just Like That season 2 kill off Samantha Jones?

We don't want to panic you but we are thinking it could be possible that this will be the end of Samantha Jones.

Showrunner Michael Patrick King still remained coy about the circumstances of Samantha's return to the series, which he never imagined would happen when writing the season.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, King said: "I am a little bit upset that you even know about it because I really wanted you to be sitting there watching the show, see Carrie look at her phone and all of a sudden seeing Samantha."

He then added: "But there's a secret. You don't know why she's there and what's going to happen."

On a potential future return, he said: "I wouldn't even want you to know she was coming back this time, so I am not gonna say anything about Samantha in the future."

It seems there is a real surprise in regards to Samantha's shock return and we won't know until it airs - even the press won't be getting a preview.

Could the unexpected return of Cattrall be to wave goodbye to Samantha forever and end all discussion of a potential full-time comeback?

It certainly could be possible and would enable the franchise to continue ever so slightly more out of her glamorous shadow.

Where else could we go from here? There is unlikely to be a full-time return so fans will just be left begging for even more Samantha and not getting any. In fact, her appearance could just feel like an even bigger tease.

Killing Samantha would certainly put a stop to that...

We're sure fans of Sex and the City might burn social media to the ground in anger, but at the same time it would feel like the exact sort of chaotic move And Just Like That would pull to keep us on our toes.

Now, we may be panicking unnecessarily, it could just be a nice treat in line with the classic show's 25th anniversary earlier this year, so take this concern with a pinch of salt.

And yet, I had to wonder, could this all be due to another huge possibility...

Will And Just Like That season 2 end the Sex and the City franchise?

Another possible poignant reason for a Samantha comeback would be if And Just Like That is about to end the story of Sex and the City...for good.

The most recent episode saw Carrie make the monumental decision to once again get rid of her classic apartment to find a new home in New York City where she could live comfortably with renewed love Aidan Shaw (John Corbett) and even have his children come to stay with her.

Of course, it is early days, but the series is doubling down on the idea that Carrie returning to her troubled romance with Aidan - and even doubting her toxic but canonically 'one true pairing' with Big (Chris Noth) - is really the endgame for her.

Aidan's ex-wife Kathy (Rosemarie DeWitt) even warned Carrie to not hurt him again and also warned that now his children are in the equation too. Carrie remained resolute in her awareness of this and then went all in by deciding to get her new home.

Carrie being entirely romantically settled for good feels... rather final.

Elsewhere, another original SATC lady is also rather settled. Charlotte is in a very healthy space - she already had her ideal set-up and is now getting explore returning to the workplace again.

Of course, being a mother to adolescents is always going to have ups and downs, but Charlotte's story could be comfortably left here regardless.

The only outlier in all of this is Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) whose characterisation in this revival series has been divisive at best and panned at worst.

Miranda's changing relationship with her sexuality, her decision to divorce long-term love Steve Brady (David Eigenberg) and also pursue a romance with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) was not a particularly beloved story, neither was her slightly ditzier personality and cringy attempts to show her liberal outlooks.

The character has only just started to feel more consistent with her classic iteration in recent episodes - post-Che - but as she reenters the working world and juggles motherhood struggles, it all still feels very much up in the air and we can't see her character arc wrapping up satisfactorily in two episodes.

We're still not ruling out a last-minute U-turn reconciliation with Steve, either, which might please fans but would feel so at odds with two seasons' worth of this Miranda.

So, while no decisions on the franchise's future are being confirmed - or at least made public - we should brace ourselves for this potentially being the last we see of the SATC ladies - and we can't think of a more fitting reason for Samantha to return, either.

Read more

• And Just Like That season 2 cast: Full list of actors and characters
• And Just Like That star teases LTW's "remarkable" season 2 journey
• And Just Like That's Evan Handler addresses Kim Cattrall's surprise cameo
• And Just Like That star on what Samantha would make of Lisa Todd Wexley
• And Just Like That stars hope Kim Cattrall cameo doesn't "disappoint" fans
• And Just Like That star says Carrie and Aidan "are ready" to be together now
• And Just Like That season 2 episode 7 recap: Are we all Team Aidan?
• In defence of And Just Like That’s Miranda and Che

And Just Like That airs on Sky Comedy and NOW in the UK and on HBO Max in the US. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.

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