Farewell, Che Diaz: A Controversial Character in 'And Just Like That...' - Vanity Fair

Written by Chris Murphy

In HBO Max’s “And Just Like That…”, audiences may no longer be hearing "Hey, It’s Che Diaz.”. It was reported by Variety that the character portrayed by Sara Ramirez, allegedly won't be returning for the third season of the “Sex and the City” revival. The iconic role of the nonbinary comedian and love interest of Cynthia Nixon’s character, Miranda Hobbes, has made its exit. The role is remembered for being insanely polarising and meme-encouragingly podcast-cohost-slash-comedian-slash-veterinarian-office-worker. Farewell, Che Diaz.

There has been longstanding speculation regarding Ramirez's departure from the show, stemming from allegations made by the actor about being “blacklisted” for supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Nixon, who has also been vocal about her support for a ceasefire, is likely to return to the show, however. In a recent Instagram post, Ramirez, who identifies as nonbinary, made comments about the hypocrisy in Hollywood regarding performative activism implying at their recent role.

Considering the storyline, it makes sense for Che Diaz's character to move on. The turbulent romantic arc of Che and Miranda has experienced every kind of twist, and by the end of the second season, there was no room left for their story. Che, in fact, was introduced with a new love interest, Toby, at the season finale.

Che's departure is sure to bring relief to some viewers. While Che was a character who left fans divided with peculiar behavior such as rudely interrupted Miranda's care for a recovering Carrie and slept while Miranda was still in bed. Although, such behavior fed much criticism, making Che a much debated character, Ramirez did portray a unique character.

Whatever one's thoughts on Che are, there’s no denying their vital role in “And Just Like That…” journey. The series has moved away from its predecessor “Sex and the City”, with major character Samantha (Kim Cattrall) being absent, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) dealing with the stresses of being a parent, Miranda undergoing an identity crisis, and Carrie embracing life as a recently widowed woman. The addition of Nya (Karen Pittman), Seema (Sarita Choudhury), and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) marked a shift as it addressed the absence of Samantha and other DEI issues. Che Diaz fit into this chaotic narrative perfectly, making the internet obsessed with them.

Despite their off-putting antics, Che delivered several compelling moments. Their relationship with Miranda led her to self-discovery and helped her leave an unfulfilling marriage. Their clear expression of their gender identity and queerness brought the series into the modern times. Even their reaction to the test audience’s feedback on their pilot, Che Pasa, was impactful in how it exposed the extreme expectations queer individuals have regarding mainstream representation. Following this, removing Che from the third season of “And Just Like That…” may leave the series feeling less dramatic but equally unfulfilled.

Some of Sex and the City’s most memorable scenes were spurred by ridiculous and absurd love interests—the 30-year-old who lived with his parents, the man who cursed when he came, the guy with the funkiest tasting spunk. Che Diaz entered this pantheon, and succeeded at both shocking and amusing us. Say what you will about the comedian, but no one was doing it like them. With Che Diaz, we briefly touched the sublime. And yes, the sublime includes the phrase “comedy concert.”