No one has made me laugh more than Charlotte York-Goldenblatt on the second season of “And Just Like That.” Charlotte (Kristin Davis) has somehow become the funniest friend of the extended friend group. (And yes, that includes the actual comedian among the crew.) Between her quest to find condoms for Lily during a literal snowpocalypse to her drunken outburst after one too many cocktails with new coworkers, she’s provoked countless laugh-out-loud moments over the course of the season. After watching her provide the majority of — if not the only — comic relief in one episode after another, I couldn’t help but wonder . . . was Charlotte always this funny?
Now, I’ve seen the original “Sex and the City” series several times over, and I don’t quite recall Charlotte being particularly humorous. Sure, she had her moments, but Samantha usually provided the bold one-liners and sex jokes. Who would have thought the more traditional, sometimes judgmental one would evolve into the comedic star of the series?
In season two of the reboot, Charlotte’s friends deal with heavy situations and face big life decisions. Miranda has her ongoing tensions with exes Steve and Che, Carrie is stuck in a love bubble with Aidan, and Lisa Todd Wexley is overwhelmed with, well, everything. That leaves room for Charlotte to take on the fun, perhaps sillier, storylines that still further her character development.
Charlotte shrieking, “Please! My daughter needs condoms!” into a pharmacy window has to be one of my favorite scenes of the show.
For one, we see Charlotte’s growth as a parent. Previously known for her modesty in the original series, she becomes sex-positive and creates a safe space for her kids to talk to her about sex. (Charlotte shrieking, “Please! My daughter needs condoms!” into a pharmacy window has to be one of my favorite scenes of the show.) The plot thickens as she and Miranda discover Lily and Brady may be having sex. The two parents are hilarious scene partners as they spy on their kids and decipher their body language to figure out their relationship status — until Charlotte finally decides to give her daughter space and let it go.
Later in the season, Charlotte makes the exciting decision to return to work, and after a series of non-urgent asks and phone calls from her family members, she delivers a passionate monologue, declaring, “I was a person before all of you!” She tells Harry, Rock, and Lily that they need to “get it together” because she is more than just a wife and a mom. Of course, she says all of this after a handful of tequila shots, so the delivery is amusing, but that doesn’t take away from the powerful way in which she draws important boundaries and finally prioritizes herself.
Whether she’s learning as a parent or sharing a silly exchange with Harry (never forget the kegels), there’s humor baked into her moments, both big and small.
Though fans have criticized Davis’s exaggerated acting, viewing Charlotte’s character as a caricature of sorts, I’d argue Davis’s sometimes-amplified portrayal makes Charlotte who she is. Charlotte was always dramatic! She’s a breath of fresh air this season, and simply put, it’s just nice to see someone having fun on the show. Here’s hoping we get to see more of her comedy in season three.
Let’s take a look back at some of Charlotte’s funniest scenes in “AJLT” season two below.