On Monday, the news broke all over the web that Sara Ramirez had exited And Just Like That… ahead of the third season of the Max hit series, taking Che Diaz with her. While we appreciate Ramirez, we can’t say the same for Che.
So it’s no surprise that reactions were, to say the least, quite positive.
Che, seen throughout the first two seasons, was extremely polarizing.
While Che’s introduction led Miranda to experience her sexual awakening, it also led to Miranda’s downfall as an independent, strong-willed lawyer. It turned her into someone she would have mocked on Sex and the City.
However, the And Just Like That… Season 2 finale gave us a glimpse into what will hopefully be the new Miranda.
With a new job with Human Rights Watch, a rekindled friendship with Steve, and the knowledge that she will no longer be Che’s comedic fodder, there is a chance that Season 3 will see a brand-new Miranda.
The Che era began with Carrie, who met Che on their podcast and brought them into the group.
While Che remained on the periphery of Carrie’s world for both seasons, most of the interactions between those two were pretty positive. Carrie saw Che’s fun and helpful side.
Che willingly accompanied Carrie when she spoke at the grief conference in a snowstorm and lent their apartment to Carrie when staying in a hotel with Aidan became burdensome.
Luckily for Carrie, she kept Che mostly at arm’s length and was never weighted down by them.
So, it is doubtful that Che’s departure will have any real impact on Carrie. In any scenario, Che can be replaced by someone else in Carrie’s story and will not likely be missed.
And Just Like That… Season 2 opened with Che and Miranda living in California ahead of Che’s ill-fated television show, meaning a total lack of interaction between Che and the rest of the And Just Like That… characters.
By taking her away from everything she loves- New York, Carrie, Charlotte, work, and Brady- and isolating her in LA, Che creates an untenable situation for Miranda.
Occasionally, we see glimpses of the old Miranda, heading out by herself to help clean the beach, only for that to be overshadowed by the return of needy, helpless Miranda, who proceeds to lose her phone and requires rescuing from Che’s emissary.
This good-looking rescuer turns out to be Che’s ex, cue Jealous Miranda. But she can’t confront Che about anything, not her feelings of isolation or jealousy, because she fears that their relationship is about sex and nothing more and she’ll lose Che.
Che doesn’t help by freezing her out, which worsens when the focus group pans her television show.
Miranda walks on eggshells around them, which is the antithesis of Miranda, who is used to getting in people’s faces and standing up for what she wants.
Upon their return to New York, the situation does not improve, with Miranda jumping through hoops to keep Che happy and out of their way.
When she finally can’t take it anymore, their relationship ends, and Miranda’s renaissance finally begins.
With their relationship ending so early on in Season 2, Miranda has time to move forward, which makes the announcement that Sara Ramirez was not returning more shrug-worthy than anything else.
Che served their purpose for Miranda’s growth from Season 2 to 3, but with the breakup, Che would have played a more minor role had they stayed.
Miranda gained the confidence to ask out the author and the strength to leave her apartment and the strange situation. The breakup led Miranda to reach her breaking point with Steve, but it also cleared the air for them and ended Season 2 as actual friends.
Che’s presence on the show had no real impact on Charlotte or her family. In fact, if you can recall an instance where Charlotte had a meaningful interaction with Che, please drop a comment below.
So, Che’s departure is meaningless to the Goldenblatt crew, and their absence will not be felt in Season 3. Only Lisa can remove Charlotte from the action, but she is not seen as polarizing, so let’s leave her be.
Hopefully, the most significant impact of Che’s departure will continue to be having our ladies of NYC back together.
Is a time jump possible? Would the powers that be send us into the future so Carrie and Aidan can be together?
It’s possible since Season 3 won’t premiere until 2025, so that’s already two years. What would be three more?
Hopefully, Carrie is enjoying her new apartment and doing what Carrie does.
Truth be told, it would be good for Carrie to have something new to do. She’s too iconic a character to spend the whole season waiting for Aidan, and she already wrote a book about the loss of Big.
So, maybe something more significant is around the corner for her—something exciting and outside of the box.
Similarly, for Charlotte, if there’s simply more of her working in the gallery and dealing with the outrageous things her kids do, it will be more of the same.
Maybe another gallery attempts to poach her; after all, selling a piece of art to Sam Smith was a big deal. Or perhaps it’s time to look at colleges with Lily; a road trip could be fun.
Or in that vein, maybe we see her get sucked into the world of college admissions coaches and witness a scandal, a la Felicity Huffman and Aunt Becky.
But Miranda’s story has the most significant potential.
Perhaps a new mature relationship, maybe with the woman from the UN?
More possibilities for growth at work. An apartment of her own. A real friendship with Steve. And more time spent at his bar on Coney Island — all the things that normal people would do that we’d talk about in other TV Fanatic reviews.
But most importantly, the lack of Che and the return of independent, strong-willed Miranda.
What do you think about Sara Ramirez’s departure and what it means for Miranda’s future?
Are you looking forward to another season of And Just Like That…?
Hit the comments and let us know.
Lucy Peel is a staff writer for TV Fanatic.