The story behind Kim Cattrall's return to And Just Like That is more dramatic than anything on TV.

Die-hard Sex and the City fans always thought it would be a cold day in hell (or in Carrie's case, Aidan's country home) before Kim Cattrall agreed to reprise her role as Samantha Jones.

And yet, that's exactly what is happening.

Today Variety reported that Kim Cattrall will reprise her iconic role in the season two finale of And Just Like That, the continuation of Sex and the City, coming to Binge on June 22.

(Of course, for anyone who listens to the Every Outfit podcast, this wasn't a surprise. Hosts Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni told listeners weeks ago they had heard from sources on set that Kim had filmed a small cameo, and all the evidence around this theory appeared to be factually correct.)

In an unfortunate turn of events for the perception of women everywhere, a well-documented cast feud has garnered as much publicity over the years as the plot twists in Sex and the City itself.

For years Carrie Bradshaw's portrayer Sarah Jessica Parker publically denied there was any animosity between herself and her three costars, in particular Kim.

But in 2017 this story came crashing down when, in an interview with Piers Morgan, Kim explained that she had a "toxic relationship" with Sarah Jessica and believed her former co-star could have been nicer around Kim's decision not to return for the proposed third film. 

Listen to The Spill team unpack the new twist in Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker’s feud. Post continues.

In response, Sarah Jessica appeared on Watch What Happens Live and told Andy Cohen she was "heartbroken" after hearing Kim's interview. She said: "I mean that whole week, you and I spoke about it because I was just... I don't know I found it really upsetting because that's, you know, that's not the way I recall our experience."

The real escalation of this story then happened in February 2018 (a moment forever burned into the brains of SATC fans), when Sarah Jessica offered public condolences to Kim following the death of her brother.

In response, Kim posted this statement to her Instagram feed: "My Mom asked me today 'When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?' Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona."

So, how did we get from a cherished TV friendship burning down before our very eyes to Samantha Jones weighing in on Carrie Bradshaw's widowed dating life?

The answer that many people have put forth today is, of course, money – and the idea that a paycheck rivalling the length of a list chronicling Leonardo DiCaprio's past girlfriends was thrown Kim's way. 

And while it's plausible that money would have of course played a role in Kim finally returning one of creator Michael Patrick King's (no doubt) many calls, it doesn't feel like this would have been the deciding factor in her decision.

Without having actual insight into her finances, we do know that Kim is an actress who has been in the industry for decades, who already turned down a no-doubt lucrative offer to star in a third Sex and the City movie, and who would also still be receiving some pretty decent royalties from the syndication of the beloved series.

It also doesn't appear that Kim is in dire need of another acting gig, because even though her series Queer As Folk was cancelled, she's still appearing in the (potentially ill-fated, judging by the last season) How I Met Your Father series, an upcoming film with Robert De Niro called About My Father and the new Netflix drama Glamorous, which shares a premiere date with And Just Like That season two.

More so than money, I'd say the reason behind her return lies in the chance to take back ownership of her most beloved character, but only on her own terms.

What we do know about this Samantha Jones return is that it is a cameo appearance only, and that Kim Cattrall filmed her scene solo without having to interact with Sarah Jessica and fellow leading ladies Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis (both of which she has maintained a positive public relationship with).

It's also been leaked, although not officially confirmed, that her cameo consists of Samantha Jones in a car on a call to Carrie Bradshaw, and that both actresses filmed the call with someone else reading the lines with them.

Variety also confirmed that the woman behind Sex and the City's most iconic looks, the franchise's original stylist Patricia Field, returned to the series only on the condition that she dressed Samantha for this one scene. Patricia had apparently declined to return to And Just Like That when it was announced the series was moving ahead, instead opting to unleash her stylist powers on Emily In Paris.

(A move we can all agree was a real choice.)

Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall at the height of Sex and the City’s fame. Image: Getty.  

Without appearing to look like we're clutching at straws (which is all anybody can do when speculating about the intricacies taking place behind the scenes in a series that has been filling tabloid pages for decades) it appears that Kim Cattrall clocked the goodwill the series was starting off with as it moved into its second season and decided to briefly opt back in.

But only with her own small, trusted, and removed from the main series team around her. 

All because, even with some criticisms that were aimed at the first season, there's no denying fans are thrilled at the prospect of seeing their favourite gratuitously wealthy but stylish friends return for another lap around Manhattan.

 In the same breath, there's also no denying that these same fans are still equally rabid at the thought of Samanta making her way back into this story, in any way possible.

So now we come to the biggest question of all: what kind of world war-level negotiators were brought in to mediate discussions between the Cattrall and Parker camps in order to make this happen? Because even though the women will not appear on screen together if their wish was not to discuss their feud in public anymore, then they have now opened themselves up to an ongoing PR disaster.

With And Just Like That season one met with mostly positive acclaim, and Kim Cattrall already having faced down a barrage of questions about her involvement in the series last year, both women could have easily sidestepped the sore topic this time around.

Now they are both standing on the precipice of all-encompassing press tours for their upcoming projects, and journalists have a free pass to probe into the scene that has already become the most anticipated moment from the new season – bringing their feud back into the harsh public spotlight.

There's no doubt that behind the scenes, Kim Cattrall's return to the Sex and the City universe is more dramatic than any TV show, but at the same time every fan has today shared one collective thought.

It's nice to have you back, Samantha Jones, even for a moment.

And Just Like That season two premieres on Binge on June 22.

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here.

Image: Getty.