And Just Like That…, the highly anticipated revival of Sex and the City (SATC), finally premiered on HBO Max on Thursday. The sequel series follows the lives and friendships of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) now that they are in their 50s.
Carrie’s husband, John James Preston (Chris Noth), aka Mr. Big, made an appearance in the series premiere only to be killed off at the end of the episode. Apparently, Mr. Big suffered from a heart attack after using his Peloton bike. And in the final moments of the installment, Carrie, who just returned from Charlotte’s daughter’s piano recital, saw him lying on the ground, telling the audience, “And just like that, Big died.”
To clear things up, the exercise equipment company released a statement stating that the Peloton bike is not responsible for Mr. Big’s shocking death.
“I’m sure SATC fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and member of Peloton’s Health & Wellness Advisory Council, said in a statement to Us Weekly. “[But] 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 [of the original series]. 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.”
Dr. Steinbaum also pointed out that “more than 80 percent of all cardiac-related deaths are preventable” by changing one’s “lifestyle, diet, and exercise.” “While 25 percent of heart attacks each year are in patients who already had one (like Mr. Big), even then they are very, very treatable,” she told Us Weekly. “It’s always important to talk to your doctor, get tested, and have a healthy prevention strategy. The good news is Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride, so you can do it safely.”
Though Mr. Big’s death has upset some fans, it seems that Noth had some say with how his character’s journey ended on the show. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Noth revealed that a conversation with the revival’s writer and director, Michael Patrick King, inspired him to return to the romantic dramedy franchise. “It was a long conversation, it continued through the pandemic and he took in a lot of my ideas and we came up with a way for me to work into it,” Noth said.
The first episode of And Just Like That… dropped on HBO Max along with the second episode on December 9th. New episodes of the SATC revival will arrive weekly on the streaming service every Thursday.