And Just Like That… season 3, episode 4, “Apples To Apples,” just redeemed one of s3x and the City’s best returning characters, but is it enough to save one of the revival’s most controversial storylines?

After Mr. Big’s (Chris Noth) shocking death in And Just Like That season 1, we couldn’t expect Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) to stay single for too long. Revival shows love revisiting old storylines and conflicts, and AJLT is no different. Enter sensitive and loyal Aidan Shaw (John Corbett), Carrie’s other great love from s3x and the City.

Of course, Carrie and Aidan’s third relationship attempt couldn’t be too easy. At the end of AJLT season 2, Aidan’s youngest son, Wyatt (Logan Souza), was injured in an alcohol-induced car crash; Aidan decided to return to Virginia permanently until Wyatt was old enough to take care of himself.

In response, Aidan suggested a five-year, committed, no-contact “break” from their relationship, and Carrie surprisingly agreed. And yet, in AJLT season 3, Aidan kept stringing Carrie along, making it hard to root for him or understand his need to keep Carrie at a distance. That all changes in “Apples To Apples,” though.

Aidan’s Reason For Staying In Virginia Is Completely Justified After And Just Like That Season 3, Episode 4

We Finally See What Aidan And Wyatt Are Really Going Through

Aidan never really explained why his son needed so much extra attention. The night Wyatt drank, stole a car, and got injured was understandably terrifying for Aidan, but it’s not like he’s the only parent around.

Aidan’s ex, Kathy (Rosemarie DeWitt), is still very much in the picture, and she has a dedicated if somewhat socially awkward partner to lean on, too. Did Aidan truly have to spend that much time with his son? Why couldn’t he and Carrie try long-distance rather than pushing her away almost completely?

In AJLT season 3, episode 4, Carrie (and the audience) finally gets to see the truth of Aidan’s family situation. Wyatt struggles with ADHD, substance abuse, and impulsive, violent mood swings, and it’s an ongoing battle.

Aidan and Kathy disagree about how to take care of Wyatt, too, with Aidan opting for a natural, “give him a routine” type approach, and Kathy wanting Wyatt to take medically prescribed Adderall. Having concocted an elaborate plan to see Aidan in Virginia for lunch in the previous episode, Carrie is asked to stay for a few days instead and witnesses Wyatt’s temper firsthand.

Aidan’s always been hyper-focused regarding Carrie. Maybe, in choosing his son, he finally recognized that harmful behavioral pattern and decided to do something about it.

Given the disagreement between Aidan and his ex-wife and Wyatt’s difficult situation, it’s completely understandable that Aidan felt the need to put his youngest son first to such an extreme degree, especially since, despite their long, will-they-won’t-they history, Aidan and Carrie’s rekindled relationship is still relatively new.

There’s no real guarantee, and Aidan’s always been hyper-focused regarding Carrie. Maybe, in choosing his son, he finally recognized that harmful behavioral pattern and decided to do something about it.

And Just Like That’s Reveals About Aidan’s Sons Relieves My Worries After He Kept Hiding Carrie

In Season 3, Aidan Was Becoming An Unlikable Character

I’m glad And Just Like That season 3, episode 4, took the time to show us the difficult truth of Aidan’s family situation, rather than just having him make vague allusions to what was happening.

In the season’s first three episodes, Aidan was becoming increasingly unlikable. Though Aidan asking Carrie to wait for him for five years remains audacious, he could have at least stuck to his self-imposed “no-contact” rule. Instead, he began stringing her along, giving her hope of reconnecting with him, only for him to push back and ignore her whenever it suited him.

This was made even worse after the phone s3x debacle and the way he hid her away in the guest house in episode 3 because he didn’t want to give the boys a jump scare.

Now, at least, after the events of episode 4, it’s clear there’s a genuine reason for Aidan not wanting to be emotionally involved with or relied on by Carrie. Either he focuses wholly on Wyatt and feels guilty for leaving Carrie behind, or he runs around with Carrie and feels guilty for abandoning his son. It’s an impossible situation.

Will Carrie Really Wait For Aidan?

Their Third Relationship May Still Be Doomed To Fail

Though Aidan’s motivations are much clearer, that doesn’t mean I now fully support Carrie and Aidan’s new attempt at a relationship. I also don’t think he’s handling Wyatt’s situation particularly well, as it seems he’s ignoring what his son wants in favor of what he believes will calm Wyatt down.

Farm work may make Aidan happy, but Wyatt doesn’t seem interested. Still, Aidan is trying his best, in a roundabout way, and I don’t blame him for being confused. At least he isn’t an outright bad guy anymore.

That being said, I still don’t think it’s fair to ask Carrie to make a genuine commitment to him when they’re not even in a real kind of relationship. I think there may come a point soon when Carrie will realize that, while she wants Aidan, she doesn’t want him this way.

This is hinted at in Carrie’s closing voice-over in episode 4, when she says, “The woman glanced out of her train compartment mystified, not quite sure if her taxing journey had brought her closer to or further from the things she most longed for.”

Carrie Bradshaw is driven by love. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, Aidan can’t give her what she needs. She may understand him better now, but I don’t believe it will ever be enough. Maybe, as the truth of the situation sinks in when And Just Like That… season 3 continues, Carrie and Aidan’s on-and-off relationship will finally reach its definitive ending.

And Just Like That season 3 airs weekly, each Thursday on HBO Max.