Unpopular ‘And Just Like That…’ Opinion: Miranda and Steve Were Going to Divorce With or Without Che Diaz’s Influence
Sex and the City fans who ‘shipped Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady were absolutely furious when the couple ultimately divorced in And Just Like That…, the HBO Max reboot of the famed series. Because Miranda left Steve for Che Diaz, the comedian became a villain to fans. While all the Che hate makes sense as an emotional reaction, we shouldn’t blame them for what happened. In fact, if Miranda and Steve were a real couple, they likely would have ended up divorced, whether Che walked into their lives or not.
Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady were mismatched from the start
Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady’s separation was among the saddest moments in And Just Like That… For some fans, the separation was even sadder than Mr. Big’s death in the pilot episode. While the decision to divorce after so many years together was certainly emotional, it wasn’t really all that surprising.
Miranda and Steve were, in our opinion, never going to be an endgame couple. They didn’t satisfy each other. Their likes, dislikes, and personalities were too mismatched to work forever. Before they ever welcomed Brady Hobbes into the world, they had broken up twice. In fact, Brady was conceived during what Samantha Jones described as a “mercy f***.” When they reconnected and married, it was clear that their relationship was centered more around raising Brady than connecting as a romantic couple. With Brady aging toward adulthood, the marriage feels like it reached its expiration date long before Che Diaz showed up.
Che Diaz had no idea Miranda was in a traditional marriage when they met
Che and Miranda met rather by chance. They actually didn’t care much for each other the first time they connected. Still, interest grew on both sides. They ultimately hooked up in Carrie Bradshaw’s kitchen following her hip surgery.
Some Miranda fans argue that Che plied Miranda with liquor and pot, but Miranda was the one in the wrong. Not only did she actively flirt with Che, too, but Miranda never bothered to mention her relationship status. Che innocently assumed Miranda and Steve were in an open relationship. If Che was guilty of anything, it was being a bit too naive. So, can we really blame them for the breakdown of Miranda and Steve’s marriage when they didn’t know the intricacies of the agreement?
Even if Che hadn’t walked into Miranda’s life, Miranda was already unhappy
Aside from the fact that Che was, more or less, a completely innocent party at the beginning of their affair, things wouldn’t have progressed if Miranda wasn’t already miserable in her marriage. While Che certainly created a sense of urgency in Miranda, their actual presence didn’t cause the divorce; it merely hastened it.
You could argue that Miranda and Steve would have ended up divorced regardless of Che, especially considering how mismatched they were as a couple and where they were in their lives when And Just Like That… opened. The couple was facing the prospect of being left alone together as Brady aged out of needing them. They never had much in common, to begin with, and Steve’s simplistic tastes and preference for Brooklyn didn’t gel with Miranda’s need for a more cosmopolitan life and high-energy personality. Once Brady graduated from high school, the couple’s relationship would have fizzled out. Che’s interest in Miranda may have pushed up the timeline, but the divorce was going to happen one way or the other.
While we don’t blame Che for what happened to Miranda and Steve, we aren’t crazy about Miranda and Che together. That has more to do with the massive changes made to Miranda’s personality to accommodate the new relationship than anything. If Miranda reverts back to her more logical qualities while being romantically linked to Che in season 2 of And Just Like That… we probably won’t hate it nearly as much.
