In the opening scene, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are waiting to be seated at a restaurant for brunch, when an old acquaintance spots the group and makes her way over.

“Where’s the fourth musketeer? Where’s Samantha?” she asks, directly addressing the elephant in the room.

“Oh she’s no longer with us,” says Charlotte, to the stricken look of the acquaintance, who assumes Samantha has passed away.

It’s a funny, sad and awkward moment that aptly mirrors the feelings that of many of the SATC actors have expressed when discussing the subject that one of the most well-loved and well-recognised characters from the franchise is no longer around.

Miranda then steps in to clarify matters, in the standard Miranda way.

“No no no, she didn’t die,” she says. Charlotte also pipes up, explaining that Samantha is “no longer with us.”

Carrie and Miranda then round off by explaining that Samantha has moved to London for work. Judging by the looks exchanged between the three best friends, though, there’s much more to the story than what they’re letting on – and after Carrie and Miranda leave brunch, the pair have a far more frank conversation.

And Just Like That: this is how the first episode of the Sex And The City reboot addresses Samantha’s absence