Remember Miranda's husband Steve Brady? You know, the goofy but affable guy that eventually won Miranda over in Season 6? The one who broke her heart when he cheated on her in Sex and the City: The Movie? I remember Steve on Sex and the City quite well. But it seems that And Just Like That and his wife Miranda have pretty much forgotten about him.
While the world was busy meme-ing Miranda having sex in the kitchen with Che — and Miranda was busy masturbating at said sex — I couldn't help but wonder... where the hell is Steve? David Eigenberg's technically appeared in the first three episodes so far, but his presence has been limited to him attending Lily's piano concert, questioning the safety of Big's Peloton ride (same, Steve, same), and eating ice cream on the couch with Miranda.
To be fair, Eigenberg had to film Chicago Fire at the same time as And Just Like That and he talked about his busy schedule on E!'s Daily Pop. But I'm less concerned with his physical absence and more his emotional one when it comes to Miranda and her fling/impending affair with Che.
One would think that seeing your BFF lose her husband might make you think about your spouse's feelings. (As Steve said during Big's funeral, "If it were you in that box, I'd be a total mess.") And if not that, how about how Miranda herself felt when Steve cheated on her in the Sex and the City movie?!
I know we'd all like to forget the Sex and the City movies. But they did in fact happen. And in the first movie, Steve cheats on Miranda one time, claiming he was driven to do it because they hadn't had sex in so long (it had been six months). He confesses and tells her how terrible he feels. She tells Carrie, Charlotte, and Samantha over lunch and when Samantha says anyone could slip up one time, Miranda says she can't forgive him. "Even if I could get my mind around that justification, it's the cheating part," Miranda says. "The behind-my-back part, the violation of the trust. That's what's killing me."
Of course, Miranda does forgive him when they meet up on the Brooklyn Bridge. But how did Miranda go from cheating is a "violation of the trust" to "it's not an affair, it's a finger." From that to this?
Miranda did tell Charlotte that she and Steve have been in a sexless marriage for years in Episode 3. But according to movie Miranda, that doesn't really excuse cheating. After the kitchen incident, she also confessed to Carrie, "I'm unhappy. I'm unhappy. OK? I'm trapped. I hate my marriage. I hate it. I hate my life." I don't want that life for Miranda... or Steve! But it doesn't track that someone who was so upset about being cheated on would express zero regret for cheating — even if it is 14 years later. Miranda gets defensive at Charlotte calling it affair, doesn't flinch when Brady walks in on her masturbating to Che, and doesn't seem to have a moment of self-reflection on what pursing this would do to her 18-year marriage. Instead, she ends Episode 6 with a DM to Che.
I'm all for Miranda's sexual awakening with Che. I'm all for her realizing that something else would make her happier. But maybe And Just Like That could have Miranda acknowledge that she is still indeed married to Steve and is being a bit shitty to him. Until then, I guess I'll just imagine he's sitting on their Brooklyn couch eating chia-less ice cream sundaes alone.
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