Fans were shocked to see the major plot twist at the end of the first episode of the 'Sex and the City' revival.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Do not read on if you haven't watched the first two episodes of And Just Like That.
And just like that, the shocking death in the Sex and the City revival became the biggest talk of the town. On Thursday, And Just Like That premiered on HBO Max, with fans eager to catch up with New York's most stylish and hard-working women. What they didn't expect was to see Carrie Bradshaw's husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth), tragically die of a heart attack. ET spoke with Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and showrunner Michael Patrick King about their thoughts on the unexpected death.
"I am, of course, like many other people, sad to see him go," Nixon told ET's Lauren Zima. "But I think it was a very bold move. But the title of the show is And Just Like That and it's open to interpretation. To me that means, in a moment your life can be transformed. Something wonderful can happen, something horrifying can happen. And certainly there could be no more blow to the center of Carrie and her life than robbing her of Mr. Big. I think it was very bold and I think it starts the new series on such a foot that you see we're not going to be treading water. We're actually going to be sailing into completely uncharted waters, and we hope you come with us the way you did last time."
Big's last breaths came at the end of the first episode, when he completed his 1,000th ride on a Peloton bike with his favorite instructor Allegra, played by real-life instructor Jess King. As he goes to take a shower, he drops his phone and clutches his left shoulder in pain.
By the time Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie gets home from Charlotte's daughter's piano recital, Big is barely alive as Carrie screams and cries with the shower running over them both. The episode ends with Carrie's voiceover, saying, "And just like that, Big died."
As for Davis, she was "nervous" about the storyline and the scene was "terrifying" for her. "When Michael Patrick told me this, which was quite some time ago, I was nervous. I was sad. Of course, I love Chris. Thankfully he's fine. But you know, it's hard because you never really want this to happen in life," she explained. "Just like you don't want it to happen in fictional life."
"But on the other hand, it is actually something that does happen in life," Davis continued. "So from that perspective, I could see the possibilities of trying to deal with that. And we are still [a] comedy, but we have always dealt with serious things. And I knew that Sarah felt very strongly about it and…It was a bold vision and very, very terrifying, of course."
She added that she was "so worried" and "felt terrible," but that the work Parker and Noth did "was so beautifully done." "Such great acting from both of them," she noted, adding, "And I understand that people are having a lot of feelings."
If there's anyone to "blame" for Mr. Big's death, King admitted that it was his idea. But, he had good reason to take the daring move.
"It was mine because I wanted to see if it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," he explained. "And I wanted to do an amazing arc for Carrie and Sarah Jessica because I knew she could be amazing playing both the dark and the light. I wanted everyone to see that and I wanted to write for that."
He then noted that the thesis of the show "has always been -- and Carrie says it in the finale voiceover the last series -- Everybody thinks it's about Mr. Big calling and saying, I'm coming. But really, what the voiceover is, 'The most significant, challenging relationship of all is the one you have with yourself,'" he stated. "And if you have that and then somebody else comes along, well, that's fabulous. So this is now the significant, challenging relationship of her life is the one you have with yourself and others. We'll see. And then the friends."
He also shared that he wanted to dig deeper into Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte's friendship because it's "so solid" and "golden." "I really wanted to see what happens when your friends show up for you in the most difficult thing that can happen to you in life, which is a death."
While fans may have mixed emotions, Peloton wasn't as pleased to be at fault for Big's demise. After the episode, the company released a statement about the scene.
"I’m sure Sex and the City fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack," Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventative cardiologist and member of Peloton's health and wellness advisory council, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, before adding that she doesn't blame Big's death on his Peloton workout. "Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle -- including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks -- and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in season 6."
Big previously had heart surgery for a "blockage" in SATC's season 6, which was addressed in "The Domino Effect" episode.
"These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event," she continued.
Noth had previously told ET that he had been "hesitant" about joining the revival. Watch the video below to hear what he said.
New episodes of And Just Like That drop every Thursday on HBO Max.
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