And Just Like That... Fans Spotted An Error About Billy Dee Williams’ Character

Now in its second season, And Just Like That... is fleshing out its new characters and their respective personal lives. But as the July 6 episode proves, not every detail meets the standards of astute, fact-checking fans. The latest Season 2 entry may be titled “ALIVE!” in reference to the magazine Carrie’s old boss, Enid, is starting — but it works on another level, too, because the show just revealed a character thought dead is ALIVE! instead.

To recap, the new episode follows Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) and Herbert (Christopher Jackson) as they throw a lavish 20th-anniversary party. Herbert forgot to send out invitations, so the turnout is pretty sparse — but one guest of honor who does show up is Lisa’s father, Lawrence Todd, played by none other than Billy Dee Williams.

Not only is it fun to see the iconic actor on screen, but the introduction of Lawrence Todd also helps explain where Lisa’s strong, creative character comes from. He’s in the arts, too: “a renowned playwright and poet and founder of the Newark Free Theater,” as Herbert explains to Harry (Evan Handler).

So like the man who plays him, Lawrence is a big deal! But several fans took to social media to point out that, um, Lisa’s dad actually died before the events of And Just Like That...

In Season 1’s “Little Black Dress” (the funeral episode), Lisa consoles Charlotte by sharing her own experience with grief. “I was the exact same way when I lost my dad last year,” she says. “I could see my rings literally shaking on my hands while I was trying to be so strong for [my kids].”

“So is he a ghost ... or a poltergeist of some sort?” wondered TikTok user @watchwithmeellebee in a July 9 video. As the viewer acknowledged in the caption: “Folks can have two dads... but I don’t think that’s what this is!”

Viewers on Reddit also pointed out the apparent error and tried to make it make sense. “I’m just going to assume that LTW came from a very progressive theatre/arts household and was raised by two dads lol,” wrote user u/OneHappyOne.

Indeed, that’s definitely a possibility! However, Lisa has never mentioned having two dads on And Just Like That... so far, and it’s the kind of character detail you think would have come up — especially with Lisa and Herbert’s continued discussion of their respective in-laws this season. The show recently made a similar mistake with a comment about Harry’s late mom, so a simple continuity error seems to be the most likely explanation here.

But of course, if you can get Billy Dee Williams on your show, that’s reason enough to rewrite history. And as Nicole Ari Parker recently told Bustle, she was happy to see her character’s dad step into the spotlight.

“Usually in these kinds of shows, you get a husband or a girlfriend, or you get kids,” she explains. “But to see extended family just adds to the dynamic of where these people really come from. Because a lot of people still don’t realize that there are extremely wealthy Black people in New York City, who live on Park Avenue. They’re not a fluke. They’re generations of hard work and money and city life. [They] are global, worldly, and dynamic. I just love that little detail.”