And Just Like That...I Feel So Seen, Part 2

Sarita Choudhury as Seema Patel in And Just Like That.
(Source: warnermedia.com, photo by Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max.)

 
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This post contains spoilers for 
And Just Like That Season 1, Episode 6.
 
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Seema Patel is fabulous. And in case the photo above isn't enough proof, here are a couple more in evidence:

Sarita Choudhury as Seema Patel in And Just Like That.
(Source: warnermedia.com, photos by Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max.)

But who is Seema? We know her as Carrie Preston's real estate agent and new friend.

Of course, in reality, she's a fictional character on And Just Like That. So why is this a big deal? There are fabulous characters on TV all the time.

Yes, but how often are they a never-married single woman? How often are they a never-married single woman in her 50s, no less? I mean, even in the original series, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha were in their 30s or 40s—never 50s. And of course three of those four got married during the series.

Seema is 53. Which does not stop her from continuing to "put herself out there" as they say.

And like many single women, she has to deal with the "When are you going to get married?" thing from her parents. (While shopping for an outfit for her family's Diwali party, she tells Carrie, "In India, Diwali is a Hindu celebration of light triumphing over dark. In Queens, it's the celebration of my family asking me why I'm still not married.") So much so that she tells her parents she's dating "Dennis" (who, of course, does not exist).

(Note: Indian viewers have pointed out online that while the characters use the word "sari," the shop that Seema and Carrie go into does not have saris; it only has lahengas. I used "outfit" because which type they are shopping for—and later in the episode wearing—is not the point of this post. More importantly, as a non-Indian with almost no knowledge of Indian garments, I'm not really qualified to comment.)

In addition to having a great career, having a killer wardrobe, and being generally fabulous, Seema's independent. She knows her own mind. In telling Carrie she doesn't want an arranged marriage like her parents', she says, "...[E]very time I push back on one of their choices for me, I get, 'Your father and I weren't in love at first sight either, but we grew to love each other.' If I have to convince myself to love someone, then I don't want them."

What's more, she's happy with her life. At least...sometimes she is. After they both attend the Diwali party, where Carrie learns about the "Dennis" thing, Seema tells Carrie, "Trust me, when I'm alone, I know there's no Dennis in my life."

Carrie: "Yet."

Seema: "Okay, yet."

Carrie: "So are you happy with your life alone, like you said you were...[earlier]?"

Seema: "Most times. And other times, it's wishful thinking, something I tell myself."

What I love about this is: Seema is not one-dimensional. She's independent, not wanting her parents (or anyone else for that matter) choosing things for her, and she feels the pressure enough to fib to her parents. She loves her life and wants to—and, as we learned in episode 4, is working to—find someone to share it with.

So...to the And Just Like That creative team, I must say: Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us a 50+ single woman character who is both fabulous and flawed, "looking for love" and loving her life—all at the same time. You could've made her into yet another example of the older single woman stereotype...I'm so glad you didn't.