Ding dong, Aiden (John Corbett) is gone. 

After giving Aiden a clear boundary not to engage with Duncan (Jonathan Cake), Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) returns home from picking up her dry cleaning to find Aiden and Duncan in the garden talking. From the look on Carrie’s face, we can tell she’s annoyed, but tries to make peace and introduces Aiden as a talented furniture designer. Aiden ruins this by asking Duncan, “What’s the deal with the pipe?” We know from SATC that Aiden was a strong opponent of smoking, so it’s clear he’s picking a fight. Duncan gives a kind of charming reason for smoking a pipe, attributing it to a habit he’s formed while writing his book on Margaret Thatcher. Carrie agrees to the premise and tries to get Aiden to back down. Still, Aiden pushes on, referring to the fact that most people dislike the smell of pipe smoke. Duncan says his wife would agree (wait, he first refers to his wife, but then clarifies that it’s his ex-wife. Danger! Danger!). Duncan confirms that he and his ex-wife did not have kids, and Aiden shares that it’s the best thing he did with his ex-wife. Yikes, this is uncomfortable. Carrie excuses herself to go to lunch with Seema. 

“Present Tense”-AND JUST LIKE THAT…, Pictured: Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw and John Corbett as Aiden Shaw.. Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/MAX ©2025 MAX. All Rights Reserved

Seema (Sarita Choudhury) and Adam (Logan Marshall-Green) continue to sleep together, but her use of traditional deodorant is becoming an issue. Adam gives her some crystal deodorant to try, and although initially repulsed by the idea, she decides to give it a try. We really don’t know enough about Seema to understand if this is real growth. Still, I know 30-minute comedy shows, so this crystal will come back to bite her in the tush, which it does as she rushes to make a business lunch and finds that the crystal deodorant doesn’t do the job, forcing her to use her travel deodorant at the restaurant. She gave the crystal a try, and it was a bust. 

Charlotte’s (Kristin Davis) vertigo is annoying. We get it; she has a physical manifestation of the emotional toil of caring for Harry (Evan Handler), taking care of the kids, and working. It makes sense, but it’s played for laughs, which undermines what could have been a really compelling storyline. I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you to hear that their kids aren’t helping out at all. 

Seema has a new office, and it’s big and beautiful. Wait, is she poor or not? She claims that it’s not that expensive since people stopped going into the office, but it can’t be that cheap. Carrie tells Seema that she had been very clear with Aiden to not get friendly with Duncan. A lot is going on here. Yes, Aiden defied Carrie’s request out of jealousy, but I’m also wondering why this was such a firm boundary for Carrie. Yes, Carrie cheated on Aiden with Big, and it was awful. I’m glad she mentioned Big, because I was starting to wonder if he ever existed. Carrie’s not thrilled that Aiden was pumping Seema and Adam for information on Duncan. Carrie knows that Aiden still doesn’t trust her, but hopes this is a blip and doesn’t want to take Seema’s very mature advice of talking about it. 

The storyline of Herbert (Chris Jackson) trying to diet is really unconvincing. From yelling about Nutty Buddies to calling Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) at work, we’re meant to see this as a stark contrast to the connection she has with her editor, Marion (Mehcad Brooks). Still, it’s challenging when her storyline is advanced each week in one-minute increments. 

The devolution of Miranda continues. Joy is over for dinner and asks about her gin. Miranda attempts to play it off that her cleaning lady might have taken it, but eventually tells Joy the truth about being an alcoholic. SATC Miranda wouldn’t have lied, or blamed someone else, or worn a shirt with shells affixed on the sleeves, but here we are. Every time I think Joy is going to run for the hills, she proves to be the only adult in the room by being honest with Miranda about why she drinks. They are both vulnerable, and it might not be the idyllic bubble Miranda wanted to preserve, but it does serve to deepen the relationship. 

Carrie provides Duncan with some solid feedback on his Thatcher chapter when Aiden knocks at the door, asking about dinner. He’s willing to cook dinner for the three of them, but Carrie reminds him that they didn’t make dinner plans and she’s working. Ugh. He’s so needy. 

Anthony (Mario Cantone) is having dinner with Giuseppe’s (Sebastiano Pigazzi) mom (Patti LuPone) trying to get her to like him. No one plays bitch as well as Patti, and it’s fun to see her chew the scenery with her Italian accent dropping in and out. She tells Anthony that the age difference between him and Giuseppe bothers her. Additionally, he’s not wealthy or cultured. Gia wants more for her precious son and, just like that, she drops the accent entirely and tries to bribe Anthony to dump Giuseppe. The argument threatens to become physical. It’s a funny scene, but it feels like it’s from a totally different show. Gia tells Giuseppe that she will not support him if he continues to be with Anthony. 

“Present Tense”-AND JUST LIKE THAT…, Pictured: Patti LuPone as Gianna Amato and Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino. Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/MAX ©2025 MAX. All Rights Reserved

Carrie returns home to see the raw steaks on the kitchen counter (put these away, Aiden!) and sees Aiden is still awake. She tries to connect with him, but Aiden tells her she smells like smoke and sends her away, and you can see the dejection on her face. This is not the happily ever after she envisioned, so she goes to Shoe’s room to sleep. She’s pissed, and it’s about time.

I actually like it when these two fight. Aiden asks her to meet for lunch, and they start talking. Aiden admits his trust issues, but it’s in the present tense (hey, the title of the episode!). He still hasn’t forgiven her for cheating with Big, even though he recently cheated with Kathy. Carrie has changed her entire life for him—moved to a new house, agreed to wait until Wyatt is out of the house to be with him, and he still can’t get over the past. At that moment, she knows she’s done. She returns to her beautiful Gramercy home and removes the Virginia postcards from the fridge while Taylor Swift’s How Did It End plays. Cut to Carrie dressed beautifully in a white dress strutting down the street to her waiting friends. She’s going to be fine. 

With three more episodes left in the season, will we see Carrie and Duncan’s relationship turn romantic? Do we care? 

Hey! Steve’s in next week’s episode. Remember when he was a fun character?

Meredith Howell

Meredith lives in Chicago where she and her husband made sure their two boys were fluent in all things pop culture. She loves talking about all things GG- Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, and Golden Girls and indulges in a yearly viewing of Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version is the only one recognized).