Since her debut in And Just Like That…, Sarita Choudhury’s Seema Patel has sparked endless comparisons to the iconic Samantha Jones. But is she really a stand-in for the show’s most beloved bombshell? According to Choudhury, that was never the plan—and the truth is a little more nuanced than fans may think.
The shadow of Samantha
There’s no denying that And Just Like That…, the reboot of Sex and the City, carries a Samantha Jones-sized void. Played by Kim Cattrall, Samantha was the show’s sexually unapologetic, endlessly loyal, and hilariously candid publicist—a character who helped redefine the portrayal of empowered female sexuality on TV. Her absence from the sequel series, save for a fleeting cameo in season two, has left many fans wondering who—if anyone—can fill her sky-high heels.
Enter Seema Patel, portrayed by Sarita Choudhury. Introduced in season one of And Just Like That…, Seema quickly became a close confidante of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). She’s stylish, smart, fiercely independent, and—yes—open about her love life. Naturally, comparisons to Samantha came fast and loud.
“People bring that comparison up a lot,” Choudhury tells ELLE UK. “But look, when you get a script, you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, that reminds me of that person,’ because they’re just lines. So it’s more about bending things the way that you want them to be.” Choudhury’s response reflects a grounded approach to acting—one that doesn’t begin with imitation, but with intuition.
Understanding Seema on her own terms
Despite inevitable comparisons, Seema isn’t a carbon copy of Samantha. Her arc in And Just Like That… has explored themes that are very much her own—her complicated relationship with dating, her career as a real estate powerhouse, and her experiences as a single woman in midlife navigating both friendship and identity.
Choudhury, who binge-watched the original Sex and the City before joining the reboot, admits to feeling a personal connection to both Samantha and Carrie. “My friends would say that I’m a mixture of Samantha and Carrie,” she says. “But I feel like more of a Carrie because I think a lot about what I want to do, then I’ll do it and it’ll be entirely the wrong thing; and I feel like Carrie’s like that. She’s headstrong, she makes mistakes, but she owns up to them. She’s unapologetic.”
It’s a telling insight. Like Carrie, Seema is deeply reflective, often torn between her desires and her sense of self. Like Samantha, she doesn’t shy away from pleasure or confidence. But unlike either, she’s her own woman—one who doesn’t need to echo the past to be relevant in the present.
Filling a gap or forging a path?
The fandom’s instinct to find a “new Samantha” speaks volumes about just how iconic the original character was. According to Google Trends, online searches for Samantha Jones have surged by a staggering 3,950% in the past year alone, even with her minimal screen time in the sequel series. Her cultural imprint remains indelible—so it’s no surprise audiences are hungry for a character who brings back that spark.
But this craving for a one-to-one replacement may miss the point. Seema Patel isn’t designed to be Samantha 2.0. In fact, trying to slot her into that mold does a disservice to both characters. Seema brings a fresh perspective to the group dynamic—a woman navigating singlehood not as a 30-something navigating dating apps, but as a 50-something seeking genuine connection and self-assurance. Her journey is different, her tone more measured, her presence more contemplative.
The attempt to graft Samantha’s energy onto Seema may say more about our nostalgia than it does about character development. In truth, And Just Like That… has evolved into a different kind of show: less about sexual bravado, more about midlife reinvention. In that context, Seema’s role feels essential—not because she’s filling a gap, but because she’s defining a new frontier.
What comes next?
As And Just Like That… continues into its third season, Choudhury’s portrayal of Seema remains a steady force. Fans have grown to appreciate the complexity she brings to the ensemble—even as they continue to debate the “Samantha question.” Yet even Choudhury doesn’t know what lies ahead for her character—or the series.
“We keep bugging the producers,” she admits. “We’re like, ‘Is there or isn’t there?’ We’re all coming up with cheeky ways to find out because we have no idea.” That ambiguity mirrors the spirit of And Just Like That… itself—a show that’s still finding its voice, even as it wrestles with the long shadow of its predecessor. But one thing is clear: Seema Patel isn’t trying to be anyone but herself. And in a universe once defined by labels—“the Samantha,” “the Carrie,” “the Miranda,” “the Charlotte”—that authenticity might be exactly what And Just Like That… needs most.
Bottom line: Seema Patel isn’t Samantha Jones, and she was never meant to be. In Sarita Choudhury’s hands, she’s something new—a character navigating the modern landscape of female friendship, independence, and identity on her own terms. Whether or not that satisfies nostalgic fans, it’s a meaningful evolution in a franchise still discovering what comes after happily ever after.
