A Brief Recap of ‘Sex and the City’

Article contributed by Ailish Brassil

Sex and the City, created by Darren Star, won seven Primetime Emmy awards. The last episode of the series aired in February 2004, followed by Sex and the City: The Movie releasing in 2008 and then the sequel in 2010. The last time fans caught up with the girls was on their trip to the Middle East where secrets were spilled, old lovers resurfaced, and an iconic karaoke performance tied it all together. Now, the girls are back once more! And Just Like That is the reboot that Sex and the City fans have not so patiently been waiting for, although Samantha Jones (Kim Catrall) will be missed, and it has been airing weekly from 9 December on HBO Max. The ten episodes focuses on Carrie Bradshaw-Preston, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York Goldenblatt as they now navigate New York city life, friendship, and marriage in their 50’s. I couldn’t help but wonder what adventures these three fabulous ladies will experience this time around… 

For those looking to jump on the reboot, which currently has four episodes left to air, here is a quick recap of the major moments in each season of Sex and the City!

Season One: The first season consists of 12 episodes and introduces the audience to the cast—Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, a sex columnist for the fictional paper named The New York Star; Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes, a Harvard grad lawyer; Kristin Davis as Charlotte York, a respected art dealer; and finally, Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones who owns a Public Relations company. This is the first and only season where the cast talk to the camera. Carrie meets John Preston aka Mr Big, “have you ever been in love? Absof–kinlutely”. (Episode 1).  She begins an on and off relationship with him for a year and ultimately breaks up with him in the final episode. Miranda tries to get ahead at the law firm where she works by pretending to be a lesbian whilst Charlotte goes through several romantic.

Season Two: The girls return for 18 episodes in the second season where adventures and the ultimate quest for love continues. The first episode takes the girls to a ball game at Yankee Stadium and the overall season takes a more emotional turn after Mr Big tells Carrie he loves her, but then decides to move to Paris and becomes engaged to “an idiot stick figure with no soul” or Natasha Naginsky. “I started to wonder, In a city as cynical as New York, is it still possible to believe in love at first sight?” (Episode 7, “The Chicken Dance”).

For all of the hopeless romantics out there (myself included), the emotional season two finale refers to the iconic scene between Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford in The Way We Were. Charlotte gets crabs and a man falls asleep during sex with her; Miranda buys her own apartment and then meets Steve, the bartender, but they soon run into problems based on class issues; and for Samantha plans revenge on a mean ex, but she still cares. The key words from this season are single and fabulous (exclamation point).

Season Three: The third season mixes the emotional with the comedic relief across 18 episodes. The fifth episode introduces the audience to Carrie’s ‘one that got away’ love interest, Aidan Shaw. Whilst dating him, she has an affair with Big and confesses on Charlotte and Trey’s wedding day. The wedding bliss doesn’t last long as Charlotte and Trey separate. Miranda and Steve move in together, but they break up because she nags. Samantha gets invited to the Playboy Mansion and takes Miranda, Charlotte, and Carrie with her, plus they also go on a trip to Staten Island to judge the male finalists for the New York’s Fire Department calendar. Among the glamour of New York and the fashion, they are women with real problems that they face together.

Season Four: The 18 episodes in season four breaks all the rules: the girls celebrate Carrie and Aidan’s engagement and Miranda’s pregnancy; commiserate Charlotte and Trey’s official divorce; Carrie and Samantha discuss their experience with abortion; Steve is diagnosed with cancer, and Miranda mourns the loss of her mother. Samantha, feeling fed up with men, meets Maria, a Brazilian artist, and begins a relationship with her before falling for hotelier Richard Wright. Carrie’s inability to commit and Aidan’s mistrust causes them to break up, but not before himself and Big brawl in the mud. The final episode introduces the audience to Miranda and Steve’s son, Brady.

Season Five: With only eight episodes, the fifth season is the shortest in the series. Before babies, break-ups, and baggage, “I couldn’t help but wonder: Does that sense of adventure still flicker inside of us?” Carrie is a single lady with a book deal, “Here lies Carrie. She had two great loves and lots o’ shoes”.

Miranda tries to deal with the trials and tribulations of being a single mother and is self-conscious about her baby weight. After a trip with the girls to Atlantic City on Richard’s private jet, Samantha feels she can’t trust him not to cheat so she dumps him. Charlotte is not happy about turning 36, but the time has come for her to meet the love of her life, Harry Goldenblatt, her divorce lawyer. The final episode takes the girls out of the city to a flamboyant wedding in the Hamptons.

Season Six: The sixth and final season consists of 20 episodes that showcases all the drama in Manhattan and Paris. “I couldn’t help but wonder: When will waiting for the one be done?” (Episode 12, “One”).

After her post-it breakup, Carrie moves to Paris with Aleksandr Petrovskey. Big, still in love with Carrie and in a rather chivalrous way, comes to the girls for advice about what to do, to which Miranda responds, “go get our girl”. *cue the happy ending*.

Charlotte gets married to Harry and suffers a miscarriage. They begin their adoption journey, which is difficult but eventually leads to the adoption of their daughter, Lily. Samantha meets and falls for Smith Jerrod, *ding ding ding*. He shaves his golden locks in solidarity with Samantha when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Miranda proposes to the love of her life, Steve, and they move to a townhouse in Brooklyn after their outdoor wedding. The two-part finale has a fairytale ending for all with subtle hints from the first season like Carrie’s fur coat and Big’s iconic line, “absof-kinlutely”.