Kanika Kumar
HBO Max’s romantic comedy-drama ‘And Just Like That…’ brings back old faces from the much-loved ‘Sex and the City’ franchise whilst also introducing new and fascinating characters. The limited series builds off the content — fashionable, sexy, and emotional — that we see in the original series but adds its own contemporary twist to it. As we delve again into the world of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis), secrets new and old emerge.
In episode 2 of the show, we encounter two individuals we don’t have a lot of immediate context for — Gloria (Brenda Vaccaro) and Susan Sharon (Molly Price). Both women attend Mr. Big’s (Chris Noth) funeral — whilst Gloria leaves Carrie feeling comforted, Susan leaves her feeling thoroughly flummoxed and mildly amused. You must be curious about these two ladies and why they choose to reach out to Carrie. Well, we’ve got the answers you need! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who are Gloria and Susan Sharon?
During Mr. Big’s funeral, we see Carrie warmly approaching Gloria, who we are told likes to be known as “Mr. Big’s secretary.” An old woman, Gloria is quite respectful and asks Carrie about her stance on hugs, wanting to know whether she’d appreciate physical comfort. Carrie immediately asks for a hug and the two women embrace. They talk fondly about Mr. Big, and we realize that Gloria probably worked for him even though her services weren’t needed in a technologically advanced and computer-driven world.
In fact, Gloria says, “He kept me on for years when all the others got rid of their old gals.” Clearly, she is genuinely appreciative of Mr. Big’s generosity. Carrie mentions how her husband often said that “Gloria knows more about me than I know about myself.” Thus, it is obvious that even though fans haven’t seen Gloria before, she has been an important part of Mr. Big’s life.
Carrie even says “I’m sorry for our loss,” underlining how much Gloria means to her due to her association with her husband. Later, Gloria mentions that they need to “deal with paperwork,” which highlights that she does actually work for Mr. Big, who was an entrepreneur, financier, and business mogul. It is likely that we will see more of Gloria in future episodes of the reboot.
The other noticeable person in the funeral crowd is Susan Sharon, who immediately draws the disapproval of fans by saying “Am I the only one who remembers what a prick he [Mr. Big] was to her [Carrie]?” during Mr. Big’s funeral. Although what she says is true — Mr. Big indeed is horrible to Carrie during the earlier stages of their relationship due to his commitment phobia — a funeral is certainly not the right place for such scathing opinions.
Fans of the original series must remember Susan from season 2 episode 2, titled ‘The Awful Truth,’ wherein it is revealed that her rich, successful, hedge fund manager husband, Richard, is toxic, controlling, and emotionally abusive. She reaches out to Carrie for advice and ultimately decides to leave her husband. However, she soon ends up missing him and goes running back to him and their wildly unhealthy relationship. We also see her in season 4 episode 15, titled ‘A Change of a Dress,’ wherein Carrie is unable to tell her about her then-fiance, Aidan Shaw. So, why is Susan meeting Carrie again? And why is she so forthcoming?
What Happened Between Susan Sharon and Carrie?
Towards the end of Mr. Big’s funeral service, Susan approaches Carrie and says, “I forgive you. It’s over. In the past.” She says she stopped holding a grudge against Carrie after she saw Mr. Big’s obituary in the Times newspaper. Carrie, still confused, tries to make conversation but Susan, known for being loud, talks over her.
“I love you. I’m back. The end,” she says, adding that they can work through their issues whenever Carrie is emotionally ready, before sauntering away. When an amused Miranda asks Carrie what transpired between her and Susan, Carrie states that she has no idea. It is possible that Susan is still angry at Carrie for hinting all those years ago that she ought to leave her horrible husband.
It is also possible that, sometime in the past, Susan must have misunderstood Carrie’s words and/or behavior and took them as an indication of some form of enmity between them. Based on how exaggerated her responses are, this is not a far-fetched conclusion to arrive at. Additionally, her casual dismissal of Miranda hints that her issue is with Carrie, so it is likely that Mr. Big is also involved in this little drama between the two women that fans are currently unaware of.
Additionally, it could also be that some monumental incident, unbeknownst to Carrie, caused Susan to change her opinion of her. Perhaps we will find out more in the upcoming episodes of ‘And Just Like That…’ However, the reintroduction of old characters from the original series is certainly an indication that uncomfortable secrets, particularly pertaining to Carrie and Mr. Big, are about to be revealed.
Read More: And Just Like That…Episode 2 Recap and Ending, Explained
