And Just Like That... season 3 finale ending explained: Does Carrie change the ending of her novel? Does she get a happy ending?

And Just Like That... season 3 finale, which aired on August 14, 2025, brings the S*x and the City legacy to a close after 27 years. The conclusion of the HBO sequel has given fans a chance to say goodbye to the beloved trio of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon).

Carrie is navigating life on her own after her split from Aidan and Duncan while adding finishing touches to her novel. And while everyone, including her editor, begs for a happy ending, Carrie doesn't change the ending of her novel and keeps her protagonist alone in the end, just like her in real life.

Although she writes a brief epilogue for it, she doesn't give it a conventionally happy ending in the arms of a man. Carrie gives herself and her novel her own version of a happy ending in And Just Like That... season 3 finale. Meanwhile, Charlotte and Miranda are thrown into the chaos of their current life.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for And Just Like That... season 3 finale. Reader's discretion is advised.

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And Just Like That... season 3 finale: Does Carrie write herself and her novel a happy ending?

The And Just Like That... season 3 finale kicks off with Carrie Bradshaw adjusting to her life after breaking up her longtime romance with Aidan and her subsequent fling with Duncan. And, the series ends with her sense of acceptance that she can live by herself, with no man and no man's validation, and be okay with it, and that's her version of a happy ending.

Carrie writes her ending (Image via Max)

In And Just Like That... season 3 episode 11, Carrie's editor loves her novel, but she doesn't think that the ending is good enough. The protagonist is alone, and she doesn't think that's a good ending. She even goes on to call the story a tragic romance and suggests Carrie to change it to make her readers feel good about the ending, maybe give it a more conventional happy-ever-after finale.

The series closes episode 11 with Carrie starting to write an epilogue that will give her protagonist some sort of hope that she will meet another man in the form of an invitation and a party with Virginia Perry's handsome widowed cousin. However, at the final moments of the And Just Like That... season 3 finale, Carrie deletes everything she has written and hammers down the novel's original ending.

While the original ending of her novel can be construed as a tragic ending, mirroring Carrie's hopelessness in finding another man she can build a life with, her new and final epilogue gives a new perspective to it. Instead of taking the woman being on her own as a sad ending, she makes it so that it's a simple fact of life.

She writes:

"The woman realized she was not alone. She was on her own."

There is no romantic add-on to her novel or her own story, and what makes it a happy ending is that Carrie realizes that there's nothing wrong with being by herself. She doesn't need to have any man in her life, and she doesn't need a man to choose her.

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How is Carrie's happy ending in And Just Like That... season 3 finale a nod to S*x and the City finale?

Carrie Bradshaw in season 3 finale (Image via Max)

The And Just Like That... season 3 finale not only closes the season, but it also concludes the S*x and the City saga after 27 years. It is why Carrie's ending, despite the lack of a conventional happy-ever-after story, is happy nonetheless because it's a deliberate nod to the finale of the original series.

As Carrie Bradshaw once said in the S*x and the City finale, "the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself." She has that in the And Just Like That... season 3 finale, and perhaps, she realizes that it's enough - she doesn't need to seek a relationship with any man to feel happy and fulfilled.

She also said in the finale of the original series, "and if you find someone to love the you that you love, well, that's just fabulous." And like Charlotte tells Carrie in the reboot's finale, she's fabulous even all on her own. Yes, finding a person who can love her the way she loves herself is indeed fabulous, even if that person is Carrie Bradshaw herself.

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Where does And Just Like That... season 3 finale leave Miranda and Charlotte?

The And Just Like That... season 3 ends with everyone enjoying pie during Thanksgiving, basking in both the chaos and the cheerful moments of their lives. Miranda spends most of the day with Joy at the vet clinic, leaving Carrie and Brady to deal with Mia and her eccentric friends.

Miranda in season 3 finale (Image via Max)

She also ends up cleaning after a bathroom mishap following their visit, realizing that chaos may be the new theme in her life as she navigates becoming a grandmother. But Joy, and her dogs, will be part of it, and life wouldn't be so bad even with each of their baggage.

Meanwhile, Charlotte perhaps gets the most satisfying ending in the And Just Like That... season 3 finale. After the stress throughout the season, she and Harry get their s*x life back, and Charlotte gets an uninterrupted time to enjoy her family around the dining table.

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And Just Like That... season 3 finale: How does the series wrap up Seema's story?

Seema and Adam's romance is another narrative that doesn't get a conventional happy ending in the And Just Like That... season 3 finale. While Adam's opinion on marriage has rubbed Seema off a little bit, it has also urged her to question her own biases, like whether she really wants to get married or if she just wants it because that's how she was brought up.

That said, there is the lingering question of whether Adam really sees a future with Seema. However, his confession to Carrie that Seema is not merely a Thursday but a "lifetime" confirms his feelings. And Just Like That... season 3 ends with Seema and Adam happy in the world they are making for themselves while sharing pie.

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Catch all episodes of And Just Like That... season 3 streaming on HBO Max.