Spoiler alert: This article contains a spoiler from the first episode of And Just Like That…
Sex and the City producer Michael Patrick King has explained the reason why he chose to use a Peloton bike in a major storyline for the first episode of And Just Like That...
In the episode, the stationary bike is involved in a plotline revolved around Mr Big (played by Chris Noth) and Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker).
Big suffers from a heart attack at the end of the episode after having completed a workout on a Peloton bike, leading fans to speculate that his death was related to the equipment.
However, the characters later stress that Big had clearance from his doctor to use the bike – and Peloton has released a statement claiming its equipment might have even delayed the character’s death.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Dr Suzanne Steinbaum, a member of Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council and a preventative cardiologist, said: “I’m sure SATC fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr Big dies of a heart attack.
“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 six.
“These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death.”
Steinbaum added: “Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.”
Now, King has explained why they chose to use a Peloton in particular as opposed to a generic spinning bike.
“Well, we knew he was gonna have a heart attack. So the Peloton had nothing to do with the heart attack,” he told Vanity Fair.
“The Peloton is a thing [though] that people have now, right? It reflects [modern] society. I wanted something to show that Mr Big was current.
“Everybody kept coming and saying, ‘Oh, [the characters] are old. They’re old.’ These characters are alive and vibrant.”
King added that the bike would’ve been a go-to way for Big to spend his time during lockdown.
“He’d be listening to his record collection and exercising at home,” he said.
“So we built this enormously decadent, titan-of-the-world spa bathroom and put the signature item that you would have in that at home, which is a Peloton. I ride it all the time, not in a bathroom like that.”
