Believe it or not, we are now approaching the end of And Just Like That. With only three episodes to go, reflecting on it now...it has been a very unpredictable series. The Sex and The City reboot has divided the internet due to controversial moments - from Big's death, to the absence of Samantha. But one of the most controversial moments for fans of the original had to be Miranda cheating on dear Steve.
While many fans expressed upset over Miranda cheating on fan-favourite Steve, that was just one of the issue's they had with the development of the character. At the start of the reboot, we were re-introduced to Steve, but now he is suffering from hearing loss. At first fans were quick to criticise this choice from the writers. They called out the storyline for making the character appear older than he is and turning him into a joke. According to fans, a once beloved character has been turned into someone who is gullible, dumbed-down and unsexy in order to justify Mirandacheating with Che.
One fan tweeted, 'Why is Steve from #AndJustLikeThat deaf or hearing impaired? Did something happen or is this more of the ridiculously out of touch ‘we’re so old at 50’ storyline?’. While another added, ‘As a hard hearing person I feel very sad about how the writers are treating Steve and his disability. Being deaf isn’t an excuse for making him undesirable and dumb, you just killed the character completely.’
From social media, it was clear that fans of the show were not pleased with the writer's direction for Steve. However, it might surprise many to know that the real reason behind Steve’s storyline comes from actor David Eigenberg’s real-life experience. And Just Like That writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky explained in a recent conversation withVanity Fair. Elisa said, ‘When [showrunner] Michael Patrick reconnected with David Eigenberg about the show, the very first thing that David said was, ‘I got hearing aids.’ It was literally what he led with,' she added. 'That actually wound-up being Steve’s tone about his aging [in the show].'
Elisa revealed after that conversation, the creators and writers decided to incorporate his hearing loss into the show. Within the first episode Steve discusses his hearing air and whether to take it out when he does not to hear his surroundings – such as when his son Brady is having sex.
Regarding the other very important criticism— that Miranda isn’t treating her partner with respect ( due to the cheating scandal)— the writers insisted that they weren’t out to create 'virtuous' characters, but instead tell a story that many women in their 50s could relate to. They also confirmed that it dosen't mean the show will never explore how Steve feels about Miranda’s behaviour. Elisa confirmed to Vanity Fair that fans will 'see that scene.'
The general outcry is that Steve deserves better. It is good to see a real-life mirrored through Steve due to David's hearing loss. However, just because Steve is now hard of hearing, it doesn’t mean the writers had to feed into stereotypes.
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