Sara Ramirez Doesn't 'Recognize' Themself in Che Diaz

"I don't recognize myself in Che," Sara Ramirez told the New York Times in an interview in Thursday's edition.

On "And Just Like That," which just concluded its first season that night, Ramirez plays Che Diaz, the nonbinary podcast host and stand-up star who employs Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) on their podcast "X, Y, and Me." Carrie brings Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) to their stand-up where Miranda is inexplicably smitten. At that point, Miranda was not dealing with her alcoholism, but that's another story...

While drunk and caring for Carrie (recuperating from hip surgery), Miranda and Che have sex in Carrie's kitchen. Miranda has a queer "epiphany" of sorts, which turns out to be unearthed by Che – a love story that (spoiler alert) concluded on a happy note in the finale. But to some, it was Miranda trading one addiction for another, which quickly became apparent with the dewey-eyed expression Nixon gave every time she saw Che. It seemed headed for disaster, and even though it didn't, it may only mean that emotional blow is being saved for Season Two (if there is one).

"Miranda's discovery feels like it's popping out of nowhere," "AJLT" fan Megan Holland, a fourth grade teacher who leads her school's LGBTQ-affinity program, told NBC News. "For me, it was years and years of grappling, trying to understand, and educating myself, communicating with my partners, connecting with a community. And it doesn't feel good to watch the way they've shown it," she said.

"Holland, who is currently in a queer relationship after her marriage to a man ended during the pandemic, said that watching Miranda embrace her queerness later in life has given her a lot to think about," NBC News said. "Although, she's not thrilled with how the character's sexual identity is portrayed as a sudden anomaly, which doesn't align with most people's reality."

"On the one hand, I'm thrilled to see that they've embraced her queerness, which we all knew was there all along. But I don't love the chaos of it all. That's a really harmful stereotype, about bi women in particular. All of the destructive stuff happening, the self-destructive tendencies with alcohol, her whole attitude toward Steve and her treatment of him, and the dishonesty – it's just so chaotic," Holland told NBC News.

There's been a lot of criticism around Che as a character, as well as how the show treats them.

The Daily Beast's Kevin Fallon labeled them "the Worst Character on TV" in a headline. In the piece, he addressed the divisive opinion on the series itself. "Yet in these divisive times – in all things related to Carrie Bradshaw or otherwise – there is comfort in knowing that there is one thing that seems to have united us all: a passionate hatred for the Che Diaz character on 'And Just Like That...'"

He continued: "The interactions between Che and Cynthia Nixon's Miranda are hard to watch. That's not because of any discomfort with the queer attraction being explored. It's because Che is unhinged. The shotgunning of weed off a vape pen. The fingerbanging in Carrie's kitchen while Carrie pees her bed. The instruction to Miranda to "DM me" if she wants to hang out again. It's hard to put into words the vibe, other than to say the vibe is unsettling. Every time someone calls Miranda 'Rambo,' an angel loses their wings."

On Twitter Che elicited a similar response.

In the Times interview, Ramirez candidly addressed Che's bad press while defending their character. "I'm very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry. And that's way more important to me because I'm a real human being."

Criticism acknowledged, Ramirez said they're still "proud of the representation that we've created. We have built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who's complex, who is not here to be liked, who's not here for anybody's approval. They're here to be themselves."

"I'm also not in control of the writing," Ramirez continued. "I welcome the passion that folks are bringing to the table around this representation. But in real life, there are a lot of different human beings who show up to the table, speaking truth to power in myriad ways. And they all land differently with different people. And Che Diaz has their own audience that they speak to who really get a kick out of what they're doing."

Asked how they'd think Che would respond to the criticism, Ramirez said: "I imagine Che would have something very witty and silly and funny as a rebuttal; something that ultimately reminds everyone that they are human; something with a sprinkling of self-deprecation, because I think they know they're a narcissist. And maybe just a little reminder that no one's perfect."