The 10 best episodes of Sex and the City

Ever heard of this show?

Is it tone-deaf to talk about SATC this week, in light of a certain article that has people pissed about influencers infiltrating the beloved West Village? No doubt they were at least partly inspired by Sex and the City. If I’m being honest, Sex and the City isn’t not the reason I moved here nearly 12 years ago. Even if that’s embarrassing, it’s a testament to the show, whether its depiction of NYC is real or fantasy.

My relationship with SATC began in middle school. Whenever my dad went out of town, my mom (Happy Mother’s Day!) would take me to Mammoth Video to rent SATC DVDs and binge all weekend. RIP video stores. This continued throughout my adolescence and was a confusing contrast to the abstinence my parents encouraged.

I don’t need to get into why the show is great and why I still watch it regularly. Okay fine: female friendship, clever writing, the fashion, a revolving door of men, oh and New York. If you’ve seen it, you know.

SATC is on my Mount Rushmore of HBO shows alongside The Sopranos, The Wire, and Girls. Succession is fighting for a spot but idk how Mount Rushmore works. If it were that easy to expand, Trump would’ve done it already.

I don’t consider myself “the best” at anything but I might be unbeatable at knowing every line of SATC. I can quote even the most mundane dialogue (cool!!). I remember seeing misattributed SATC quotes on Xanga (remember Xanga?) and being like, mmm Samantha never said that. My mom and I won the Sex and the City bus tour trivia on a trip to NYC when I was 19, beating out all the other super fans.

The show has its issues, representing a very narrow, very white, very wealthy version of the city. That criticism is fair and well-documented. But pls don’t say, “It’s so unrealistic, how does Carrie afford her lifestyle?” That’s boring. It’s a show! Just buy in like Carrie bought 100+ pairs of Manolos.

There are very few weak episodes of SATC, but I still have my favorites. If you haven’t seen it OMG start watching immediately. You’re in for a treat. If you’re a SATC lover, lmk if you agree with these.

Spoilers for Sex and the City, believe it or not.

My top 10 Sex and the City episodes

#10 - “The Agony and the 'Ex'-tacy” (season 4, episode 1)

This episode is known for:

• No one showing up to Carrie’s 35th birthday party

This one’s a little melancholy, with three of our four ladies grappling with their single status while Samantha tries to fuck a priest. Happy new Pope week, btw.

I have to include it because I get emotional every time Charlotte says, “Maybe we can be each other's soulmates. And then we could just let men be these great, nice guys to have fun with.” Also I crack up when Carrie drops her birthday cake in the street while construction workers scream at her.

#9 - “Anchors Away” (season 5, episode 1)

This episode is known for:

• Fleet Week!

Certainly the low point of this ep is Carrie debuting that new hairstyle (sorry!!), but I love New York and love when other people love New York and it’s fun to watch Carrie date her city. This was the first SATC ep filmed after 9/11 btw.

We get a couple top-tier Samantha moments: Throwing a drink in Richard’s face, plastering his face on flyers around the city, and telling a female cop, "This man told me he loved me and then I caught him eating another woman's pussy." The cop's response? "Carry on, ma'am."

How about that ending, with Carrie walking through Times Square while Otis Redding plays. Doesn’t get better than that.

#8 - “Hot Child in The City” (season 3, episode 15)

This episode is known for:

• Carrie dating the comic book guy who lives with his parents

A lot of my favorite eps are more emotional, this is a fun one. It’s summer in the city! Charlotte names her vagina Rebecca, Trey names his penis Schooner. Miranda gets braces, while Samantha handles PR for Kat Dennings’ bat mitzvah. There’s an overhead shot of Carrie on a scooter in Times Square that’s so unlike how the show is usually filmed, I love it. Jane Sterling from Mad Men makes an appearance.

The best part is the end. Carrie is high, eating KFC, and gets caught by the guy’s mom (who forbade him from bringing marijuana into their home). Carrie takes the blame and takes the weed home, which she smokes with Miranda and Samantha. I love how they knew to exclude Charlotte.

#7 - “The Good Fight” (season 4, episode 13)

This episode is known for:

• Carrie and Aidan’s move-in fight

Even though Mr. Big is a better fit for Carrie, I can’t help it, I’m an Aidan girl. Their fight about the excessive boxes in Carrie’s apartment is one of my favorite scenes in the show. “You can stay here with your boxes of shit and your shoe-eating dog, and knock yourself out putting on the Rogaine and the Speed Stick!”

As for Miranda, she’s pregnant with Steve’s baby but dating Bart Bass. Charlotte and Trey are in a standoff over having kids. Samantha and Richard are falling in love and dancing to Sade. Carrie wears a very cool aqua eyeliner. It’s just an enjoyable ep.

#6 - “One” (season 6, episode 12)

This episode is known for:

• Charlotte’s miscarriage / Miranda and Steve getting together for real / Carrie meeting the Russian / Samantha’s gray pube

This show’s storylines really run the gamut, from pregnancy loss to pubic hair ^. Charlotte showing up at Miranda’s son’s first birthday party even though she just miscarried moves me to tears. I love seeing Steve and Miranda finally decide to be together, even though I feel bad for her bf Blair Underwood (the perfect man).

This is also when Carrie meets Russian artist Aleksandr Petrovsky, who I am attracted to. Sexually. Even though he is emotionally unavailable. Luckily I am married to an emotionally available artist.

#5 - “My Motherboard, My Self” (season 3, episode 8)

This episode is known for:

• Miranda’s mom dying

The scenes of Carrie screeching about her broken laptop aren’t great, but I love how the women show up for Miranda when her mom passes away. The scene of her in the fitting room is one of the show's best. Though, isn’t it wild the bra saleswoman barges in without permission??

Did you notice that Miranda’s sister is played by Hannah Horvath’s mom? HBO really does keep people in the family.

#4 - “Ex and the City” (season 2, episode 18)

This episode is known for:

• Carrie showing up at Big’s engagement party

I’m a The Way We Were stan so of course this episode hits (“No I love, love, love that movie.”).

Steve showing up at Miranda’s door after she runs away from him on the street is so good. “I held your head while you were sleeping.” Effective argument, I’d feel bad too. Unfortunately Charlotte has her weakest storyline of the entire series — facing her fear of riding a horse. Sure, whatever.

This episode also has:

• Back-to-back incredible Carrie outfits: a white cami + pink sequin skirt followed by the most perfect simple pink dress and my dream hair (below)

• Samantha finally meeting a dick that’s too big for her

• An iconic final scene! It’s insane that she shows up at their engagement party to quote Barbra Streisand. Carrie, pull yourself together.

#3 - “Where There’s Smoke…” (season 3, episode 1)

This episode is known for:

• A jaunt to Staten Island and John Slattery

Toot toot beep beep. Who doesn’t love this one!! There’s so much:

• The girls riding the Staten Island Ferry

• Charlotte drunk af, dancing to “Doctor’s Orders”! People don’t give Kristin Davis (the only one of the four to never win an Emmy) credit for being such an effective comedienne.

• The start of Carrie’s two-episode arc dating John Slattery. He has chemistry with everyone. If I were her, I’d totally pee on him like he wants. I wonder if anyone from my job reads this.

• Charlotte with the iconic “I've been dating since I was fifteen! I'm exhausted! Where is he?”

• Samantha’s firehouse sexcapade

• Miranda getting LASIK (“no rescue”)

• We learn Carrie has never voted in New York City, smh. She’s no better than the West Village influencers.

#2 - “An American Girl in Paris: Part Une” and “Part Deux” (season 6, episodes 19–20)

This episode is known for:

• Being the last one

I’m cheating and combining two. Most series finales are disappointing. This one is not.

I remember the morning after this aired (my parents watched it live in the basement, I was not invited). My mom told me scene by scene everything that happened. I was riveted. My dad did the same with The Sopranos finale. Big HBO house.

In the end, we get Carrie back together with Big, living in New York (thank god). Miranda is settled in Brooklyn, Charlotte and Harry finally get a baby through adoption, and Samantha’s thriving despite breast cancer, having lots of (monogamous) sex. From Miranda telling Big to “go get our girl” to the reveal of his real name, and all the Paris stuff in between, SATC’s finale is a feast.

My only issue: that contrived slap. And basically all SATC-universe content that has come after.

#1 - “The Real Me” (season 4, episode 2)

This episode is known for:

• Carrie falling on the catwalk

This is the iconic episode of SATC. It almost feels like a bottle episode, right down to how the credits — instead of playing over a black screen — appear over a scene of Carrie in her closet. All four women have fun storylines (ehh, well Charlotte has a depressed vagina) and we get cameos from Margaret Cho, Heidi Klum, and Alan Cumming (“Trot back!”). I cry every time Carrie gets back up on the runway!!

Honorable mentions

• “The Ick Factor” for Miranda and Steve’s wedding, and Samantha’s cancer diagnosis

• “A Woman's Right to Shoes” for focusing on something we don’t talk about enough

• "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for Carrie and Aidan’s first breakup and Charlotte’s wedding (“Trey can’t get it up” she reveals one minute before she walks down the aisle to marry him)

Besides watching SATC, this week I:

• Saw The Last Five Years on Broadway with Nick Jonas, who has been the subject of some discourse and yeah, it was underwhelming. His co-star Adrienne Warren is fantastic but I wouldn’t pay more than the lottery price for this show.

• Watched Sunset Blvd’s Tiny Desk and obv I loved it!!

• Also watched Rotting in the Sun and while I have notes (unsatisfying ending), I keep thinking about it. Perfect use of Jordan Firstman.

• Listened to the new Kali Uchis album. I’ve never heard a bad song by her and this album is lovely. My faves are “For: You” and “All I Can Say.”

• Read You Didn’t Hear This From Me by the host of Normal Gossip, a podcast I’ve only listened to a couple times, despite loving gossip. The book is fine. Some chapters were great, some a little tedious.

• Ate this grilled cheese and tomato soup on a rainy day. I’m such a party girl.