***Warning: This blog post contains spoilers for episode six of the HBOMax series, And Just Like That…***

As I cued up episode six, “Diwali,” I had to chuckle. I had just re-watched The Office “Diwali” episode, which is wacky, but I figured this wouldn’t be anything like that. (Turns out, there was one* key similarity — but we’ll get to that later.)

As the episode opens, Carrie is looking to move to a very modern apartment downtown, something she has reservations about. “Out with the mold, and in with the new!” exclaims Anthony. Carrie debates the pros and cons of being downtown over lunch with Miranda and Charlotte. When pondering the option to stay in the apartment she owns, she notes it feels a bit too much like retreating into the past.

I feel for her here. “Starting over” at any point in time is hard, and you do find yourself reaching for familiar comforts. I admire Carrie’s self awareness about branching out and not just playing it safe.

That said, I hate her downtown apartment. It’s stark white, cold. No personality. She hasn’t really decorated it yet, but it just seems so sterile. At one point in the episode, she can’t seem to put her finger on an incessant beeping noise, something we never do get the answer to.

Carrie and Charlotte head to Carrie’s storage space to pick up some things for the new place — and Carrie comes across Big’s record collection, which upsets her. They grab a lamp and hightail it out of there for now.

Meanwhile, Rock tells Charlotte they want to redecorate their room — and cut their hair. Charlotte frets over moving her collection of Madame Alexander dolls that she has displayed in the kids’ room (barf), and Lily tells her they’re culturally offensive, anyway. Charlotte-0, kids-2

Carrie goes sari shopping with Seema for her family’s upcoming Diwali celebration and ends up more or less inviting herself along. Seema assures her wearing a sari will not be cultural appropriation but rather cultural appreciation. (There’s also been a lot of internet chatter that Carrie ultimately dons a lehenga, not a sari.)

Carrie accompanies Anthony to a consult for a facelift under the guise of stopping him from doing anything too rash. However, Carrie ends up being the focus of the appointment, as the doctor goes over various treatments she could do to look younger — after telling Anthony he looks great.

All I can think is… don’t end up looking like Charlotte! It’s tough for Carrie, and I think tough for all of us who are over 25. The societal expectations to look young — for women — are ruthless. It’s how someone as beautiful as Kristin Davis ends up looking how she does on this series. I think SJP looks good. I’m sure she’s had some botox, but she still looks relatively normal. As far as the character goes, it seems Carrie ultimately decides to forgo any major work — for now.

Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte meet downtown for a picnic, with non-alcoholic wine. So I guess Miranda really is quitting — drinking that is. She’s not so sure about quitting Che, though, and fills Charlotte in on the latest. Before she tells her, she asks her not to freak out, but that’s like asking a dog not to eat a piece of bacon you just dropped on the floor. Nature is nature.

So yes, Charlotte freaks out. This is one of my favorite scenes in the series so far. I think everyone is coming from a vulnerable place and trying to understand one another. Charlotte wants things to just “stay as they are” — and that’s not realistic. Carrie wants everyone to keep things in perspective, but people are always going to have their own point of view and hierarchy of “crises.” Miranda wants to do as she wishes and be supported along the way, but she’s blowing up her life and her friends are rightfully trying to check her on it.

And then Miranda stomps off, but Carrie goes after her and says something that deeply, deeply resonated with me:

Man oh man, is Miranda a woman after my own heart. Purse wine, drunk ordering and now stomping away from an argument.

If you’re a longtime reader of my blog, you know I struggle with fighting fair. I have quite the flight instinct when things get uncomfortable or people tell me things I don’t want to hear. So I totally feel Miranda here… but I also think Carrie is right. Sometimes, you just have to work through the uncomfortable stuff, and life’s too short to go away angry.

As the episode winds down, Carrie attends the Diwali celebration and we get to meet Seema’s parents who just want her to get married and settle down.* (Remind you of anyone else’s parents in a certain Diwali episode I mentioned earlier?! Haha.) Carrie also finds out Seema apparently lied to them about having a boyfriend, just to keep them off her back a bit.

Meeting the parents.

On the way home, Carrie tells Seema she’s not happy in the new apartment and Seema assures her they can sell it. Back at her old apartment, Carrie finally feels ready to unpack Big’s records and embrace her happy memories.

“And just like that… I realized how much I enjoyed the last 15 years.”

She dons her signature “Carrie” necklace, and as the episode closes, she steps out in a vibrant dress topped with one of Big’s blazers. We also see Miranda making the choice to message Che, and Charlotte puts her dolls away as a short-haired Rock covers the girly “Rose” painted on her wall with a snowboarding poster.

Forward.