And Just Like That showrunner Michael Patrick King said he wants to show more of Che Diaz in the series’ upcoming second season.
Back in December, HBO Max dropped the highly-anticipated Sex and the City revival series.
The new show followed Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis) as they navigated their life in their 50s.
The revival also introduced an array of new characters, including documentarian Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), Columbia law professor Dr Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), and real estate broker Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury).
However, while most of the new additions were welcomed by viewers, the reception of non-binary podcaster and comedian Che Diaz (Sara Ramírez) was noticeably mixed.
Over the course of the season, Che developed a romantic relationship with Miranda – which served as a jumping-off point for the latter’s sexual awakening.
Even though fans of the series have been critical of the polarising character, King told Variety that he wants to showcase a new side of Che in season two.
“One of my burning passions about Season 2 is Che,” he revealed. “I want to show the dimension of Che that people didn’t see, for whatever reason, because they were blinded, out of fear or terror. I want to show more of Che rather than less of Che. Like, really.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the AJ and the Queen producer expressed his confusion regarding the fan’s pushback of the character.
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“My friend Gregg Araki, he’s a filmmaker, said to me, ‘How does it feel to have created the most polarizing character in all 5,000 shows that are on TV?'” he said.
King went on to say that Araki listed other controversial characters on TV at that time, like “Vikings who are drinking children’s blood.”
In response, King said: “And what everybody’s concerned about is a nonbinary standup comic in the present day.”
The controversy surrounding Che Diaz is also not lost on Ramírez.
In the same interview with Variety, the Grey’s Anatomy star expressed their admiration for the complicated character and their role in the show.
“What I love about Che is that Che is complicated and messy and human. Che is a great reminder that even when we don’t like someone in our community, they still deserve love, safety and joy like everyone else,” Ramírez said.
“But the movement for liberation includes everyone, even people we don’t like. This movement, this fight, this party of pride, isn’t just for the people who make us feel cozy and cute – it’s for everyone.”
The 46-year-old talent, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, then revealed that they avoid negative social comments directed at the character.
“Other people’s opinions of a character – that’s not something I can allow into my process,” they explained.
“I choose what I receive, right? That’s the beauty of being grown – I don’t have to receive everything.”
The first season of And Just Like That is available on HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
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