From the very beginning ofAnd Just Like That…Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) has not had a favorable rep. From the get-go, the character has been subject to the internet’s relentless scrutiny, calling them cringey or just flat-out annoying. No matter what side you’re on, whether you love Che or hate Che, there’s no denying the show really has fumbled the bag with the character. What was once a great casting and character opportunity has now become a meme and ruined any chance the show had at being taken seriously going forward. Or has it?
Going into Season 2 of the sequel series, the show has been trying to remedy some of the dislike for Che. Rather than sneaking around, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Che are out and proud together, living in Los Angeles. But even still, there are some bumps along the way, like Che not understanding, or really respecting, the fact that Brady (Niall Cunningham) comes first in Miranda’s life. But the fifth episode of the series’ second season sees a new side to Che, one that we’ve yet to see before. It’s a stripped-down, raw, and vulnerable side that we’ve never gotten to see from the character, and it paints them in a new (and more likable) light.
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What Is Going On WIth Che in ‘And Just Like That…’ Season 2?
The first episodes of Season 2see Che and Miranda living together in Los Angeles in a honeymoon-esque state while Che is filming their new TV series. However, the season’s fifth episode, titled “Trick or Treat,” does a bit of a time jump, and suddenly, Che’s sitcom is being shown to a focus group. All season it’s been hinted that Che’s pilot was going to be a bit of a disaster. The crew behind the series was continuously pointing the show in a direction that was further and further from Che’s real life — which is what the series is meant to be based on.
When the test group arrives, Che is put on the other side of a two-way mirror, where they’re able to watch and hear what everyone has to say about the show — and it’s not good. What stings the most is when a viewer in the room calls the character of Che “a walking boomer joke, that felt so fake.” They continue on to call the character a “Phony, sanitized, performative, cheesy-ass, dad-joke, bullshit version of what the non-binary experience is.” Ouch! Given that the pilot is meant to be a telling of Che’s own life story, these words hurt on a deeper level. This isn’t just a made-up character they’re talking about, this is Che’s own self, it’s deeply personal and to have it picked apart so brutally clearly devastates them. To really rub salt in the wound, the exec in the room asks if anyone else had a problem with the character of Che, to which multiple hands are raised.
Returning home, Che tells all of this to Miranda who naturally acts as a cheerleader, telling Che that it’s all corporate bullshit and that the New York tourists they gathered can’t possibly relate to Che’s story. Che fires back and tells Miranda that it was a genderqueer person who tanked the pilot and that their comments on the show and character hit too close to home. While Che vents, Miranda continuously replies telling the people who are against the pilot to “eat shit,” which Che says isn’t helping. After more and more cheerleading from Miranda, Che finally snaps, saying “This isn’t a game, this is my life, this is my career, this is my identity! It took me 46 years to figure out who I am and then a focus group one hour to destroy me.” When Miranda asks what she can do, Che simply says they need space, and asks Miranda to stay at her other place for the night, as well as adding that they may need a few days alone.
It’s a Good Thing That We Are Seeing Che Be Vulnerable
While some may still have rolled their eyes at this storyline, seeing Che in such a vulnerable state is actually one of the best choices the show has made. Part of what adds to the slander of Che’s character is how little we see them as an actual person. They’re always the comedian,Miranda’s significant other, orCarrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker)woke podcast co-host. Digging into this emotional and vulnerable side of Che is exactly what was needed to break up the cringiness that is most of their storylines.This break from Mirandacould actually open the door for Che to flourish on their own and establish themselves as more than just Miranda’s partner. Because quite frankly, they are so much more than that, andAnd Just Like That…has continuously failed to showcase it.
Casting Sara Ramirez in the role was a great move as the actor was already so beloved from their time onGrey’s Anatomy. Ramirez beautifully portrayed Callie Torres on the long-running medical series, who became one of thelongest-running LGBTQ+ characters on TV after coming out as bisexualin the show’s fifth season. Over their many seasons on the show, Ramirez showed off their acting chops and garnered much praise for their performance. We know they can do vulnerability and pull off some dramatic and emotional scenes, so it’s about damn timeAnd Just Like That…finally went down that route. Now it just has to keep it up. No time jumps or off-screen resolvent, we want to see the nitty-gritty of Che’s character, we want to see them navigate this, and Sara Ramirez has proven time and time again that they can turn in a spectacular performance.
Sara Ramirez Should Be Given More To Do in ‘And Just Like That…'
Many fans (and even news sites) have made the joke that Che watching the focus group tear their pilot apart was sort of like Sara Ramirez watching the entire world rip their character of Che apart. But it’s actually quite sad to think that that may be true. Of course, Sara and Che are two separate entities, with Che simply being a made-up character, but it’s clear that Che has a lot of deeper meaning to Ramirez. In fact, Che’s comment of “it took me 46 years to figure out who I am” likely was a reference to Ramirez’s own coming out, as they were around that age when they announced they are non-binary. It’s about time the show put Ramirez’s acting chops front and center, and though it may not erase the disdain many feel for the character, hopefully seeing this new side of Che will at least warm fans up to them. Every other character is multi-faceted and has so many layers to them, it’s far past time to let Che be the same. And honestly, if the show does this well, Che could very well be heading for a redemption arc that I, for one, would love to see.
