Greetings, reader!
I recently finished watching HBO's Sex and the City for the first time! Between the magnificent dialogue, brilliant character dynamics and ahead-of-its-time portrayals of feminism and sex positivity, this was a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience, and I'm currently diving deep inside the rabbit hole with the movie sequel, the other movie sequel, the reboot series, the prequel series, the animated series and the Broadway musical (okay, I made the last two up). Anyways, while I was watching the series, I couldn't help but wonder - what are its best episodes?
Here are my honorable mentions: La Douleur Exquise! (Season 2 Episode 12), Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda (Season 4 Episode 11), Just Say Yes (Season 4 Episode 12), One (Season 6 Episode 12), Splat! (Season 6 Episode 18).
15. The Real Me (Season 4 Episode 2)
As anyone who has ever seen me pick an outfit can tell you, I've never really gotten fashion. While the fashion aspect of Sex and the City was quite an illuminating and educational dive into a strange new world for me, I couldn't help but see it as a slightly less interesting counterpart to all the completely fascinating relationship material. I'm sure that the fashion aspect is among the show's big selling points for many viewers, and I'm guessing that for them, The Real Me is a top 3 episode.
Even I really liked the NY fashion show episode, no matter how out of my depth I am when it comes to understanding that world. The vibes are immaculate, the episode stands out in a mostly formulaic series due to its specific setting, and the guest performances by Alan Cumming and Margaret Cho are pure gold. There are also some great moments with Stanford (Willie Garson), one of the many amazing supporting characters in the show's tapestry.
14. Critical Condition (Season 5 Episode 6)
Unlike many of my favorite shows, Sex and the City never did any gimmick-y concept episode, huge plot twists or massively deep tear-jerkers - therefore, most of the show's best episodes are very typical ones, but ones where everyone just has an exceptionally interesting storyline.
Such is the case here! Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has some brilliant character growth, as she initially doesn't get (or care) Miranda's (Cynthia Nixon) need for help from her friends with her newborn kid, but eventually comes around and shows up like a true friend. Meanwhile, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) faces the consequences of her actions as she has to reckon with how she hurt Aidan (John Corbett). And, best of all, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) meets one Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler) for the first time, setting the stage for the show's greatest love story!
13. Unoriginal Sin (Season 5 Episode 2)
This episode is a pretty standard one otherwise, but Carrie and Charlotte's storyline, and particularly its conclusion, is absolute perfection. The ending, where Carrie decides to dedicate her book to all single women, but particularly her friend Charlotte, "the eternal optimist", really got to me and is honestly one of the most moving moments in the entire series. I'm a sucker for sweet displays of true friendship!
12. I Heart NY (Season 4 Episode 18)
The season 4 finale, released not long after 9/11, contains some beautiful New York imagery and ends with a dedication to "Our city of New York...then, now, and forever". I Heart NY does its job as a season finale, but is especially memorable due to this tasteful tribute to the city that truly is the show's fifth main character.
11. The Agony and the Ex-tacy (Season 4 Episode 1)
The first episode of season 4, right in the midst of the show's prime, is undoubtedly the best season premiere that Sex and the City ever did. The opening montage is wonderfully atmospheric, the bulk of the episode is classic SATC material, and the episode ends on a beautiful note - Charlotte comforting herself and her friends by asking "What if we're each others' soulmates?".
As someone who often found the male love interests in the show to be overrated, and the show's portrayals of friendship between the main women to be the most engaging relationship storytelling, this line hit hard.
10. Ex and the City (Season 2 Episode 18)
First of all, if I were to rank the show's episodes purely based on the episode title, this season finale would be in the very highest tier and possibly be beaten out only by A Woman's Right to Shoes. But the episode's brilliance goes far beyond its title - the tone is just more-dramatic-than-usual for it to feel like a proper season finale, while still keeping within the fluffy-comfort parameters as to not feel too overdone. All of the main characters run into figures from their past, leading to all sorts of reflection, and the balance of comedy and drama is as eloquent as ever.
9. The Cheating Curve (Season 2 Episode 6)
As one can surmise from the title, this episode tackles the phenomenon of cheating and its many forms, from many different perspectives. It's classic SATC, with the magnificent dynamic of the main quartet on full display and the dialogue as entertaining as ever. Miranda calling Samantha's sexy gym instructor a "very personal trainer" is maybe my favorite line from the entire series.
8. The Big Journey (Season 5 Episode 7)
The penultimate episode of season 5 is a fun one - and a lot of that has to do with the show's most infamous male character, Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Say what you will about his likability - one cannot deny that he's a deeply entertaining character, and one that you can't imagine the show without. Every time that things are in the slightest danger of becoming boring and/or complacent, this f**king guy shows up to stir the pot in Carrie's storyline. Towards the tail end of the series, the writers had really learned to make the most out of the character by treating him like the larger-than-life concept that he is, and out of his many dramatic return-entrances across the series, this episode has my favorite.
From thereon out, it's fantastic stuff - you see, this is the episode where Carrie's book has just come out, Big has read it, and he's legitimately realizing what an absolute tool he had been in the show's first seasons. Only, the thing is - at this exact point in the show's trajectory, it's Carrie who's not looking for anything deeper for once, and just wanted a night of carefree fun with her star-crossed jackass. Based on this episode, I definitely want to see more of the "unfortunately timed character growth" trope in TV, because very few things are as hilarious as Big finally growing a heart and trying not to hurt Carrie when she just wants a plain-and-simple hook-up.
Also, Charlotte's storyline in this episode continues her love story with the then-new love interest Harry, and their romance continues to dazzle with electric chemistry and a magical feel. Love it!
7. Frenemies (Season 3 Episode 16)
I absolutely love the main storyline in this episode - Samantha and Charlotte have somewhat of a falling-out, after both have been themselves a bit too extremely, so they take some time off the main group as Charlotte hangs with an old friend group while Samantha goes to town with a new acquaintance.
Hanging with her old friends, Charlotte realizes that they are such next-level prudes that she is "the Samantha" of that group, which helps her understand her friend a bit better - and the same happens on the other side, as Samantha's new friend is so sex-crazed that she feels like "the Charlotte" compared to her. It's a funny and cleverly written storyline, but also quite deep in how it deals with empathy, reflection, and the relativity of any given personality trait.
6. My Motherboard, My Self (Season 4 Episode 8)
One of the very few episodes in the show's run to be legitimately different from the usual formula, this one focuses on Miranda after her mother has passed away, and she leaves town to attend her funeral. It's an emotional episode, particularly in showing how the main friend group do a brilliant job emotionally supporting their friend and being there for her when it matters the most. This episode fleshes Miranda's character out, while strengthening the show's emotional core in an impressive manner.
5. Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women (Season 2 Episode 17)
There is so much to love here - the quirky and conceptual opening scene giving a backstory to the beach house in the Hamptons, the guest performance by a young Anson Mount, the beach setting making the episode stand out while the cliffhangers make it work as the season's penultimate episode, and all the drama and entertainment value with Big's return and other hijinks being afoot! No notes.
4. Don't Ask, Don't Tell (Season 3 Episode 12)
When it comes to Charlotte's long-term love interests, even the most diehard Kyle MacLachlan fan (and I should know, as he is me) must admit that her romance with Harry was a thousand times better than the one with Trey. That being said, there is one thing where Trey takes the win for better or for worse - out of Charlotte's two wedding episodes in the show's run, her wedding with Trey definitely made for even better television!
First of all, it's not just about the main storyline - Carrie has interesting drama going on with Aidan, Miranda's 'lawyer vs. stewardess' social experiment makes for a fascinating and well-aged feminist take, and Samantha is pure Samantha as she hooks up with Trey's cousin and hijinks ensue. But the wedding at the center of it all is the main point of interest, in both the good and the bad - there are sweet and romantic moments, but also some absolutely fascinating drama with the pre-wedding reveal of a sexual issue that would go on to color a large chunk of Charlotte and Trey's marriage.
3. An American Girl in Paris (Season 6 Episodes 19-20)
The series finale hits pretty much all the right notes, with my main takeaway being "wow, for a show that was supposed to be relatively mindless entertainment, it ended up being much deeper than I anticipated".
The trajectory of Carrie's love life remains suspenseful until the very end, as can be expected - and while her ultimate choice to get back with Big was a bit hard for me to swallow, it did ultimately make sense as he had grown and she genuinely loved her after all the years of drama and heartbreak. But my favorite thing in the culmination of her storyline wasn't the direction of her love life, or even the Big name reveal (although that was a delicious bit of fan service) - it was that final narration, about a person's most important relationship being the one they have with themselves. This is a valuable lesson, both for Carrie within the fiction (thank God she finally figured it out), and for many viewers as well.
Everyone else has their storyline neatly tied up as well, ending things on just the right note - Miranda is happy with Steve (David Eigenberg) and their baby, Samantha has beaten breast cancer and is living the high life with Smith (Jason Lewis), and best of all, Charlotte and Harry finally catch a break in their quest for a baby as they get a letter of approval for adoption. All in all, it's a beautiful ending that feels just final enough while still leaving room for a whole bunch of unserious sequel material!
2. Easy Come, Easy Go (Season 3 Episode 9)
The very best SATC episodes aren't like the very best episodes of most shows - they won't blow your mind with insane plot twists, make you a blubbering mess of tears with heavy emotions, or make you laugh your ass off with impeccably written comedy. Mind you, the show has its strong moments of compelling plotlines, emotional moments and delightful hilarity, but the very strongest episodes are simply the typical SATC episodes that convey the show's essence in the most perfect manner. And Easy Come, Easy Go, right from the middle of the show's best season, is the perfect archetypical Sex and the City episode.
Carrie has some true vintage drama with both Big and Aidan! Charlotte's storyline explores the potential of a blossoming romance as she and Trey get engaged, while Miranda's storyline explores the bitterness of a romance's end when she and Steve break up in a realistic and logical yet gripping fashion! And, as is often the case, Samanta's storyline brings the humor and entertainment value (as well as the rambunctious sex-positivity)! The legendary "funkiest tasting spunk" line, coupled with Charlotte's reaction, is the hands-down funniest moment in the show's entire run.
1. Are We Sluts? (Season 3 Episode 6)
And here, in yet another season 3 banger, we have the show's formula in its full potential! This isn't even a case of every character having an individually fascinating storyline, as it was in my #2 pick - this is even more in the veins of the show's premise, as the episode explores an overarching topic in a fascinating manner and everyone's storyline ties into it neatly. The topic in quesion is, well, what you can expect from the episode's title, and the social conversation around the topic.
For a series that didn't always age well (the bisexuality episode told me that I'm somehow unfairly greedy, simply confused, in denial on the way to full gayness, and having a weird phase all at once), Sex and the City managed to be way ahead of its time on many occasions, and this episode is chief among them - after tackling the "slut" conversation from many angles, from "how many is too many" to "old-fashioned romance vs. modern hookup culture", the episode finds a strong and conclusive takeaway: slutshaming is both dumb and morally wrong. I especially appreciate how it tackled the ridiculous double standards that were especially prevalent then but can be still seen in our media today: the man who has sex with many women is a glorified stud, while the woman who has sex with many men is all sorts of nasty words that I don't even feel like typing here. A thoroughly entertaining and compelling episode, ending on a strong feminist note!
And just like that, the post is over. Tune in next week for a list where I celebrate Eurovision week by recommending 10 TV shows to watch instead of that bullshit!
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