This Tales of the City is more concerned with the thematic story it’s telling–how to reconcile the gay-rights movement and feminism of the ’70s with a more progressive 2019 understanding of those ideals. And while fans of the original will likely dive into this new series with warm nostalgia, newcomers may have a harder time parsing the specifics of these impressively convoluted backstories and relationships. You’d be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed: this is a lot of ground to cover. There are new additions too–Michael’s boyfriend Ben (Charlie Barnett) Margot (May Hong), a lesbian artist and Jake (Garcia), a trans man discovering his sexual identity. Mary Ann also needs to reconnect with the people she left behind: her best friend Michael (Murray Bartlett, a recast from the original), her ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross), her socialite pal DeDe (Barbara Garrick) and her estranged daughter Shawna (Ellen Page). Mary Ann (Laura Linney) returns to 28 Barbary Lane–the “chosen family” apartment complex where she once resided–to celebrate the 90th birthday of wise landlady Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis).

Netflix’s Tales of the City jumps ahead a couple decades from where the last of those miniseries, Further Tales of the City, left off, with several actors reprising their roles.

Tales of the city barbary lane