‘And Just Like That ...’ review: ‘Sex and the City’ is back on TV but the vibes have soured

What are the non-cynical reasons to extend a TV series beyond its inevitable end? “Sex and the City” ran for six seasons, from 1998-2004, but it never answered that question in its two subsequent films, somehow managing to retroactively sour any good vibes the show had generated during its run. The age of streaming has made everything ripe for a do-over, or do-again, which means “SATC” is back, this time with a new title. “And Just Like That …” on HBO Max returns the franchise to its TV roots, where it always belonged — minus, notably, Kim Cattrall’s Samantha — while retaining the awkward ponderousness of its cinematic incarnations.

So here we are. But where is “here,” exactly?

Let’s start with grief. There has been so much of it in the world these past