Peloton responds as 'And Just Like That...' kills off major character
Warning: This story contains a major spoiler from the first episode of And Just Like That...
Have you recovered yet from the premiere of And Just Like That...? The HBO Max limited series wastes no time before sending Sex and the City fans a gut punch thanks, in part, to a Peloton bike.
It's been 11 years since we saw Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York Goldenblatt on screen together, and it wasn't all cosmos and butterflies. The show says goodbye to a major character that has been around since the 1998 premiere. The death upset enough fans that Peloton issued a statement hours after the show debuted.
Again, if you haven't watched the first episode or don't want to know what happens, please stop reading now.
Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones is absent the reboot, but alive. However, Mr. Big (played by Chris Noth) doesn't make it to episode 2. John James Preston dropped dead after working out on the at-home stationary bicycle.
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a member of Peloton's health and wellness advisory council and a preventative cardiologist, spoke to the Los Angeles Times, saying she's "sure SATC fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack," but that exercising on a Peloton before his heart attack had little to do with his death.
"Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6," the statement continued. Big had a "routine" heart procedure in the 11th episode. (Remember when Carrie dressed up as his nurse and got her heart broken — again?)
Steinbaum adds, "More than 80 percent of all cardiac-related deaths are preventable through lifestyle, diet and exercise modifications. And while 25 percent of heart attacks each year are in patients who already had one (like Mr. Big), even then they are very, very treatable. The lesson here is, KNOW YOUR NUMBERS! It’s always important to talk to your doctor, get tested, and have a healthy prevention strategy. The good news is Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride, so you can do it safely."
A spokesman said in a statement to Bloomberg the company knew its product would be used in the show, but not exactly how.
In the second episode, Miranda comes to Peloton's defense. When her husband Steve questions why Big was on that bike she replied, "He was on that bike for over a thousand rides. He got the OK from his cardiologist. Exercise is good for the heart."
Viewers seem split. The fitness company's stock dropped after the first episode debuted.
"Although unlikely to impact sales," analysts at BMO Capital Markets told Bloomberg, "it does question whether [Peloton] is losing degrees of control over its storytelling, perhaps its greatest achievement to date."