Warning: This contains spoilers for the And Just Like That... finale.
Love them or hate them, Che Diaz is here to stay.
In the season finale of And Just Like That, the comedian (Sara Ramirez) announces—in a musical number—they're moving to Hollywood to film a TV pilot episode. And while Che initially seems commitment-phobic, they invite Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) to join them in California.
It's a grand gesture that wins Miranda over, much to the dismay of her best friend, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). Of course, Miranda is upset by her friend's advice, pleading, "Why do I feel like I can't go to L.A. without letting you down?"
They eventually make up and Miranda is off to the airport to follow Che, a decision that will surely cause trouble down the line. This also means that season two of the Sex and the City spinoff will no doubt feature Che—that is, if HBO Max renews the show.
It would be a big surprise if the network chooses not to renew the series. Because while a lot's been said about And Just Like That..., people can't deny that there are viewers. After all, how can there be so many critics if no one's watching it?
Sara, the non-binary actor who portrays Che, said they're aware of the response to the character but they try to drown out the noise. "I'm really proud of the representation that we've created," they explained to the New York Times. "We have built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who's complex, who is not here to be liked, who's not here for anybody's approval. They're here to be themselves."
Moreover, they don't want to internalize the criticisms of a fictional character, adding, "I don't recognize myself in Che."
In fact, when asked about Che's response to the backlash around the series, Sara said they couldn't personally speak to that. "Michael Patrick King [the showrunner of And Just Like That…] and the writers' room would probably answer that best since they wrote the character of Che Diaz," they explained. "I imagine Che would have something very witty and silly and funny as a rebuttal; something that ultimately reminds everyone that they are human; something with a sprinkling of self-deprecation, because I think they know they're a narcissist. And maybe just a little reminder that no one's perfect."
And maybe, just maybe, And Just Like That... viewers should be grateful the writers chose Che for Miranda's love interest. Because Cynthia said they nearly went down an entirely different path.
"So originally, when Michael was sort of trying to think about what would happen in our season, he talked about Nya (Karen Pittman), Miranda's professor, being the romantic relationship," Cynthia revealed in the And Just Like That.. The Documentary. "Nya was a straight character and Miranda's a straight character and I was like, 'Well that doesn't sound very sexy at all.' Do you know what I mean?"
Cynthia thought it would be boring to have "two women who have gotten to this age and are now just sort of fumbling around." She remarked, "That doesn't seem great. And I was like, 'Why couldn't it be, you know, why couldn't it be this butch person that you're talking about having for Carrie?'"
So, perhaps Che wasn't such a bad choice after all.
Season one of And Just Like That... is streaming now on HBO Max.