There Was A Subtle SATC Easter Egg In And Just Like That's Diwali Episode

And just like that, the latest episode of HBO Max’s And Just Like That hid a total blast from the past in plain sight. During Episode 6, “Diwali,” Carrie attends her new realtor buddy Seema’s family celebration where she meets Seema’s parents. Pretty normal. But take a closer look. Seema’s father is played by none other than Ajay Mehta, who guest-starred on an episode of SATC as well. Ajay Mehta’s appearance in And Just Like That was a total SATC easter egg that had fans remembering one special Samantha Jones moment.

Mehta first guest-starred on Season 2 of SATC on an episode titled, “They Shoot Single People, Don't They?” In that episode, Samantha Jones was waiting for her date to arrive at the restaurant, but he never showed up. I mean, who stands up Samantha Jones? Mehta, who played a busboy at the restaurant, took notice of Samantha’s situation and offered to go home with her. And although Samantha declined the offer, the two did share a kiss to mark the moment.

It seems like Mehta is playing a different role as Seema’s father in And Just Like That, since Seema mentions her parents had an arranged marriage so he probably wouldn’t have been out smooching Samantha back in the day — but who knows, maybe it is the same character? The casting decision was first caught by a fan account that said, “And just like that… I realized that the busboy that Samantha kissed in S2/EP4 is now Seema’s dad 🤯.”

The episode was directed by Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes) and Nixon even commented on the post with approval: “Good eye!”

Nixon celebrated her directional debut by sharing a few behind-the-scenes shots of the making of the episode. “Our new episode of #AndJustLikeThat is out now and I hope you all enjoy! To the incredible cast and crew: thank you for welcoming me with such open arms to take a seat in the director's chair!” she wrote before giving a few shoutouts. “A few special shout outs for friends and colleagues who helped me become a director for the very first time: Michael Patrick King, who with this show not only gave me a chance to both look back and move forward, but opened a new door into the world of directing and my life will never be the same.”

Sarah Jessica Parker also congratulated Nixon on a job well done, “Directed by @cynthiaenixon. And Just Like That... she did a beautiful job! We are so proud,” she wrote in the caption before nodding at some familiar faces in the episode. “As well, some familiar and much beloved actors join in this week's @justlikethatmax episode.”

I guess we’ll just have to keep tuning in on Thursdays to see if any more familiar faces show up in AJLT.