Top 20 Best Sex and the City Episodes
We heart these "Sex and the City" episodes. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most iconic, significant, and memorable episodes from the original HBO rom-com drama.
Transcript
00:00 "See, your post-it was your get out of jail free card, so if you never met Burger then you wouldn't--"
00:05 "Stop, you're killing my buzz."
00:07 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 Sex and the City episodes.
00:13 "Out of all the synagogues in all the cities, you had to walk into mine."
00:17 "Harry."
00:19 For this list, we're looking at the most iconic,
00:22 significant, and memorable episodes from the original HBO rom-com drama.
00:27 Naturally, plot points will be discussed, and just like that, here's your spoiler warning.
00:32 Would you leave us a comment telling us your favorite Sex and the City episode?
00:35 Number 20. They shoot single people, don't they?
00:40 After a night of dancing and drinking, Carrie shows up at a photo shoot, not looking her best.
00:45 The results leave her mortified, but the single person
00:48 shaming sentiment of the attached article is even worse.
00:51 "No, I'm a cautionary tale, shoot me."
00:53 "Filling their lives with an endless parade of decoys and
00:56 distractions to avoid the painful fact that they're completely alone."
01:00 "How is that helping?"
01:01 And although they all try to shrug it off,
01:04 Miranda, Charlotte, and even Samantha quickly enter relationships,
01:08 suggesting they're more affected by it than they're willing to let on.
01:11 Sure, we can't all relate to having our singledom splashed on the front page,
01:15 but many of us have felt judged for being unattached.
01:18 "Somehow the question mark had leapt off my cover and onto each of them."
01:22 By the end of the episode,
01:23 the women learn that it's better to hold out for the real deal than just fake it.
01:27 "As Samantha looked into his sweet and hopeful eyes, she realized something.
01:31 No matter how much it hurts, sometimes it's better to be alone than fake it."
01:37 And yes, that is Bradley Cooper.
01:39 Number 19. Hot child in the city.
01:42 In this season three gem, Miranda gets new braces while Charlotte
01:46 tries to work on her intimacy issues with Trey.
01:49 "We love each other and we're married now.
01:52 Rebecca and Schooner belong together. They need each other, please."
01:58 Carrie revisits youth while dating Wade, a comic book store owner who still lives
02:02 with his parents. Not that she would have batted an eyelid if the storyline took place today.
02:07 Samantha, meanwhile, meets her match in the bratty,
02:09 self-entitled Jenny Briar, played by Kat Dennings.
02:13 "My father has invited over 300 of his most powerful friends to this event.
02:17 They're not all coming. The Clintons can't make it, of course. But like I told daddy,
02:21 we'll be lucky if we can swing this far under a mill. But what do I know? I'm just a kid."
02:26 The women consider what it means to grow up and their respective relationships
02:30 with their inner children. The episode brilliantly captures what we miss about
02:34 our younger, freer days, and the struggles of letting that go.
02:38 "Sometimes it's important to have a 13-year-old moment, to remember a simpler time when the
02:42 best thing in life was just hanging out, listening to records, and having fun with your friends."
02:48 Plus, watching the ladies enjoy a little, ahem, recreation is always amusing.
02:53 Number 18. The Drought. Despite its title, this episode puts the sex in Sex and the City.
03:00 Miranda finds herself in a dry spell, while Samantha learns abstinence can be very powerful.
03:05 "Until your entire being is humming with that electric sexual energy."
03:11 "My apartment's just around the corner."
03:13 "The only thing hotter than sex is not having sex."
03:17 Charlotte meets a guy whose medication affects his libido. Meanwhile,
03:22 Carrie and Big are comfortably settled into their relationship. Only,
03:25 Carrie starts to spiral after a small emission on her part leaves her believing she's killed
03:30 the romance. "That was the first night we slept together and didn't make love.
03:34 By the middle of the next week, it was three times in a row, and I was beginning to worry."
03:40 "Three times? Try three months." "No."
03:43 "Yes." As with most episodes, the ladies' personal lives address issues that tend to go undiscussed,
03:49 typically due to embarrassment or fear of judgment.
03:52 "Do you think you'll ever...
03:52 Never mind." "What, think I'll ever go off it?"
03:58 "Yeah." "Nope."
03:59 "Not even for me?" "Nope."
04:04 But episodes like this prove that the tribulations of life and love are often universal.
04:09 Number 17. Luck be an old lady.
04:12 Carrie is determined to get the girls together to celebrate Charlotte's 30-fo birthday.
04:17 "Are you telling me the four of us can't get together to celebrate Charlotte's 30-fo birthday?"
04:21 But like any adult trying to balance personal obligations and friends, this is no easy task.
04:27 They end up going to Atlantic City, but no one's heart is fully in the celebrations.
04:32 "In five minutes, Charlotte turns 35 again! Goodnight!"
04:38 "Charlotte went to sleep that night with a thousand dollar chip on her shoulder."
04:42 Charlotte frets getting older, new mom Miranda feels body conscious,
04:46 and Samantha suspects Richard of infidelity.
04:49 This prompts several intertwining stories about how society idolizes youth and certain body standards.
04:54 "Guys, let's go. It's okay." "No! It is most certainly not okay!"
05:00 "Listen, you big jerk! Her ass isn't normally this big!"
05:04 It might not have been the girls' trip of Carrie's dreams, but their ride home is pretty heartwarming.
05:09 Plus, in this episode, Samantha delivers one of the most iconic lines of the series
05:15 and teaches us all a valuable lesson in self-love.
05:18 "I love you." "I love you too, Richard. But I love me more."
05:24 Number 16. The ick factor.
05:26 This episode hits us in so many fields that we're already tearing up just at the title.
05:31 Carrie's beau, Alexander Petrovsky, hits her with more romance than she can handle.
05:36 "It's too much. I'm an American. You gotta take it down a notch."
05:43 On the other hand, Charlotte and Harry enjoy each other's company,
05:46 although their digestive systems might feel differently.
05:49 "Surviving a night of food poisoning together wasn't the stuff of great romance,
05:53 but it was the stuff of lasting love."
05:56 Samantha considers breast augmentation only to receive some life-altering news.
06:01 However, the episode builds up to Miranda and Steve's nonconformist wedding.
06:06 "I, Miranda Hobbs, take you, Steve Brady, take you, Steve Brady, to be my husband.
06:13 To be my husband. For better or worse. For better or worse."
06:17 As they exchange vows, we can't help but get all choked up.
06:21 Although, not half as much as when Miranda shows that for better or worse,
06:25 in sickness or in health, nothing, not even her wedding day, is more important than her friends.
06:31 "You are my people and we'll talk about it now. Now start at the beginning.
06:36 You are the bossiest bride in the world."
06:40 "Yes I am and you have to do everything I say."
06:42 We start with Samantha urging her friends to embrace the kinkier side of intimacy.
06:50 Miranda and Charlotte both meet guys with interesting fixations.
06:53 "If someone might come by, we could get caught."
06:56 "I know."
06:59 Given Charlotte's more conservative nature,
07:01 it's entertaining to watch her turmoil as she steps into someone else's fantasy.
07:05 Of course, the pivotal moment is when Big tells Carrie about his plans to move to Paris for
07:09 several months. "How long have you known about this?" "It's been in the works for a while.
07:14 I'll know more details after this trip." "Well, when did you plan on telling me?"
07:19 "When I knew more."
07:21 This was a much-needed wake-up call for our protagonist. She can do everything under the
07:26 sun to make this relationship work, but Big hasn't made any space for her in his life just yet.
07:32 "Why is it so hard for you to factor me into your life in any real way?"
07:40 It's painful to watch, but we reckon she made the right choice by walking away.
07:44 How do you know when you've overstayed at a party? Is it when your boyfriend struggles
07:50 to fit in with your friends, making them question your suitability?
07:54 "Just say it! You don't like him." "Fine, I don't like him!"
07:57 "Then don't you go to Paris with him." "You're living in a fantasy!"
08:04 Or perhaps it's when ageism rears its ugly head in the ever-shrinking dating pool.
08:08 Carrie's boss seems to think the latter.
08:10 "If you're a successful 50-something woman, there's a very small pool. It's very small.
08:20 It's a wading pool, really. So why are you swimming in my wading pool?"
08:26 However, an infamous party girl from Carrie's past, Lexi Featherston,
08:30 played by Kristen Johnston, thinks it's when the city has given up on you.
08:34 She says as much in a bitter rant ending with a way-on-the-nose statement before
08:38 making her last tragic exit. "Over. No one's fun anymore!
08:43 Whatever happened to fun? God, I'm so bored I could die."
08:49 It's one of the series' darkest moments and understandably leaves everyone shaken.
08:53 The tragedy prompts Carrie to start experiencing love rather than just writing about it.
08:58 Number 13. Cock-a-doodle-doo.
09:01 While there are lots of great funny moments on this show that perfectly combined comedy and drama,
09:06 sometimes it's the serious ones that are the most memorable.
09:09 "Could we have lunch sometime? Well, I really need to talk to you. Please."
09:18 In this season three episode, Carrie is considering meeting up with Big again
09:22 despite everything they just went through during their affair.
09:25 Miranda is vehemently opposed to this reunion and doesn't hide her feelings from Carrie,
09:30 resulting in a blowout fight. "Perfect, that's just perfect. Walk away!
09:34 It's all my fault." Of course, this episode isn't without its issues.
09:40 We certainly do not condone Sam's highly offensive and majorly problematic turf war storyline.
09:46 "She had a date with destiny. Chyna and Joe. No E."
09:50 "Take this, ladies!"
09:51 Taken all together, it's a narratively important episode with lots of replay value.
09:59 Number 12. The Real Me.
10:02 This episode is probably best remembered for the brutal moment Heidi Klum
10:06 steps over Carrie after she becomes fashion roadkill.
10:09 "Oh my god, she's fashion roadkill!"
10:14 However, it also offers some relatable commentary on physical insecurities with
10:18 plenty of poignancy and humor. Miranda grapples with self-doubt when a guy at the gym finds her
10:24 attractive. "Smart, yes. Sometimes cute, but never sexy. Sexy is the thing I try to get them to see
10:30 me as after I win them over with my personality." A health problem forces Charlotte to become more
10:35 acquainted with her anatomy. And Samantha is the body positive icon we all need in our lives.
10:41 "Look, I like my body. I'm getting these pictures taken. What's the big problem?"
10:46 "No problem. You're my hero. I think it's fantastic that you can just put it out there."
10:50 Carrie reluctantly agrees to participate in a charity catwalk and looks fabulous until...
10:56 Still, it's a great lesson that when life knocks you down,
10:59 the best thing you can do is jump back up and keep strutting forward.
11:03 "Because when real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep on walking."
11:10 "I'm not here to stop."
11:13 Number 11. The Post-It Always Sticks Twice. This episode and the one before it is why
11:19 Sex and the City fans cannot look at a Post-It note without cringing just a little.
11:24 "On a Post-It?" "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yep. Read it and weep, my friends."
11:30 "I'm sorry I can't. Don't hate me."
11:34 Come on, who breaks up with someone on a sticky bit of yellow paper?
11:38 Carrie is determined to change her misfortune and drags all the ladies along.
11:42 "If I have to, I will play the Post-It card. Just explain to me why I have to leave my house to go
11:48 to bed. Because this can't be the day that I was broken up with by a Post-It. This has to be the
11:53 day that something else happened." Meanwhile, Charlotte flaunts her
11:58 engagement ring, Miranda feels hot in an old pair of skinny jeans, and Samantha confronts
12:02 some surprising feelings. But back to Carrie. The outrage of her unfortunate breakup is lessened
12:08 when she's busted by a cop who sympathizes with her situation.
12:12 "Tell you what, I'll write you up for smoking in a bar."
12:15 "Oh, come on. Can't you just let her off?" "I'm sorry. I can't. Don't hate me."
12:21 And there's nothing funnier than watching her giggle over a sundae with her friends.
12:26 Now that's how you handle a breakup.
12:28 Number 10. Running with scissors. This episode is the one where it all falls apart for Carrie and Big.
12:35 "Carrie? Oh my God, what are you doing in this neighborhood?"
12:38 They've been sneaking around together for a while, but this is when Carrie is finally caught in Big's
12:43 apartment by his wife, Natasha. As Carrie tries to flee, Natasha chases her down the stairs and
12:49 seriously injures herself in the process. "Stop! I'm talking to you!"
12:53 It's a painful but poignant moment when Carrie has to help Natasha get to the hospital,
12:57 despite what's just occurred between them. Many people truly hated the whole affair storyline,
13:02 so this episode gets bonus points for having not only brought it to an end,
13:06 but a surprisingly satisfying one too. "Thanks for being here.
13:10 I'll call you." "For what? We're so over. We need a new word for over."
13:25 Number 9. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. In season 4, Charlotte has been struggling with her fertility,
13:30 so when Miranda finds out that she has unintentionally become pregnant,
13:34 she's understandably terrified to tell her friend. "I cannot think of a worse time to tell you this."
13:39 "What the F is going on?" "I'm pregnant."
13:44 And when she finally does, and announces that she plans to end the pregnancy,
13:49 Charlotte cannot forgive her. "What are you gonna do?"
13:52 "You're not even going to consider having it? This is not in my plans right now,
13:59 and I really feel awful talking about this in front of you."
14:02 This episode touches on an issue that is not often covered in mainstream television,
14:07 someone deciding whether or not to have an abortion. In the end, Miranda's decision to
14:12 keep her baby feels just as empowering, and her reconciliation with Charlotte is sure to warm
14:17 your heart every time you re-watch it. "But I'm just gonna walk a little way behind you
14:22 in case you change your mind and wanna talk." "No, I'm okay."
14:25 "Charlotte walked all the way home, and even though she never turned back,
14:34 she knew Miranda was behind her."
14:38 Number 8. One. There is so much going on in this episode, we hardly know where to start.
14:44 There's Charlotte's devastating miscarriage, and her subsequent surge of inspiration from Elizabeth Taylor.
14:49 There's Carrie's first date with Alexander Petrovsky the Russian.
14:59 "Of all my odd dates, this was number one."
15:03 There's Miranda finally admitting her true feelings and telling Steve she's in love with him at Brady's
15:08 first birthday party, despite the fact that both of their partners are pregnant.
15:12 "I love you. I love you, Steve."
15:17 And, of course, unforgettably, there's Bozo the Bush.
15:21 What more could you want out of a half hour of television?
15:23 "I'm Bozo the Bush!"
15:24 "Turns out, there is something scarier than a clown."
15:30 Number 7. The agony and the ecstasy. This episode is known as one of the saddest in the series run,
15:36 but it's undoubtedly one of the most memorable. It's Carrie's 35th birthday,
15:40 and she plans to have a celebratory dinner with her friends.
15:43 When she arrives, though, she is the only one there, and even as time passes, none of her guests show up.
16:07 She ends up leaving, dejected, alone, and forced to reflect on not only the idea of getting older,
16:13 but also aging without a man in her life.
16:15 "I am 35 and alone."
16:17 "You are not alone."
16:19 "No, I know I have you guys, but...
16:20 I really, I hate myself a little for saying this, but...
16:25 It felt really sad...
16:30 not to have a man in my life who cares about me."
16:34 In a heartwarming moment, however, the girls reunite and redefine the term "soulmate."
16:39 "Maybe we could be each other's soulmates."
16:41 Of course, having Big show up at the end to make Carrie feel special doesn't hurt either.
16:47 "As Big's car drove away, I realized having three soulmates already nailed down
16:52 made it a lot easier to spot those great nice guys to have fun with."
17:01 We can't talk about this two-part finale without mentioning Samantha's empowering speech from part
17:06 1, but whether you wanted Carrie to end up with Mr. Big or not, the series finale of "Sex and the
17:11 City" is one of the sweetest and easiest episodes to love. Carrie comes back from Paris, thank
17:17 goodness, and is reunited with her girls. Everyone's storylines are nicely tied up,
17:22 with Samantha being back in good health, Charlotte getting a first glimpse of her daughter,
17:26 and Miranda settling in to Brooklyn. Debate in the comments if you like,
17:30 but we'd argue that this ending is far superior to either of the alternatives the two movies left
17:35 us with. "And if you find someone to love the you, you love me." "Hi." "What's shaking, baby?"
17:40 "How's Samantha?" "The house is on the market. Look out, New York. I'm a-coming." "Well,
17:45 that's just fabulous."
17:48 There is nothing funnier or more relatable than the fight that takes place between Carrie and
17:56 Aiden in this classic episode. They're arguing about space in Carrie's small apartment, but as
18:05 often happens in real-life disagreements, the conversation branches out, pulling in other
18:10 problems as it balloons. We will never stop laughing about Aiden's multiple speed stick
18:25 deodorants, or feeling bad for Carrie when Pete chews on her prized shoes. No matter how many
18:30 times you've seen it, any fan is sure to get a kick out of this, one viewing after another.
18:34 Carrie's in a pity spiral after her laptop crashes. However, she's soon brought back down
18:53 to earth when Miranda calls her with devastating news. "And we all went home, and then they called
19:00 and said she was crashing. And by the time we got back, she had died. Oh, Miranda, I'm so sorry."
19:07 The episode excellently shows how there's no one right way to grieve. Charlotte is very practical,
19:13 whereas Samantha learns dissociating from your emotions can take a physical toll.
19:18 "Finally, Samantha found the release she really needed. She cried for everything she couldn't say.
19:23 And for things she didn't even know she felt." The episode also highlights the importance of
19:28 having a strong support network, whether that's your blood relatives or your chosen family.
19:32 Miranda's family is concerned about her singleness at the funeral, but when she needs someone the
19:37 most, Carrie is right there at her side. With every re-watch, our tears flow just as hard.
19:44 "There's the kind of support you ask for, and the kind of support you don't ask for.
19:51 And then there's the kind that just shows up."
19:53 In this season six episode, Carrie is invited to a party at a friend's house where the host
20:01 makes everyone remove their shoes before crossing the threshold. At the end of the night, however,
20:06 Carrie's beloved Manolo Blahniks are missing. "Well, actually, they weren't sandals,
20:10 they were Manolos." Her friend doesn't seem too concerned, but eventually offers to replace them
20:15 until balking at the price. What ensues is a story about single people versus married people,
20:21 in which Carrie questions the respect and recognition that she's given as an unmarried
20:25 woman without children. "No offense, Carrie, but I really don't think we should have to pay for
20:29 your extravagant lifestyle. I mean, it was your choice to buy shoes that expensive." In true
20:34 Sex and the City fashion, it takes an isolated incident and uses it as the foundation to ask
20:40 much bigger questions to remarkable effect. "I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married
20:47 to myself. Oh, and I'm registered at Manolo Blahnik. So, thanks. Bye."
20:53 In a twist of fate, the writers of Sex and the City penned this episode before the September
21:01 11th attacks, though it only aired the following February. "There is a time of year in New York
21:06 when even before the first leaf falls, you can feel the seasons click." The episode acts as a
21:12 love letter to New York, with Carrie making an impassioned speech to Bigg, begging him to stay
21:17 when he announces he's moving to California. "Well, if you're tired, you take a nappa. You don't move
21:23 to Napa." The episode has a melancholic tone to it, with Carrie and Bigg trying to savor their
21:28 last moments in the city together when Miranda goes into labor. "Miranda?" "Hi, I'm in labor."
21:34 It's a plot that's fraught with emotion, and an episode that, considering its timing, has become
21:39 an understandable fan favorite. "Oh my God, there he is!" "And he's perfect." Before we unveil our top
21:48 pick, here are some honorable mentions. Time and punishment. The Bigg-Carrie-Aidan love triangle
21:55 intensifies, Samantha's delivered a low blow, and Charlotte chooses her choice. "I am behind my
22:00 choice. I choose my choice. Charlotte, I don't have time for this. I have to go to work. Some of us
22:06 still have to go to work. I choose my choice! I choose my choice!" The baby shower. The ladies
22:11 head out to Connecticut for a baby shower and reflect on the prospects of motherhood. "As I
22:16 watched Lainey tear open a terrycloth baby bib with the same enthusiasm she once reserved for
22:21 tearing off rock stars' pants, I couldn't help but wonder, was I next?" The turtle and the hare.
22:29 This episode is probably best remembered for teaching us that a rabbit can be a woman's best
22:33 friend. "Well it's weird because with the rabbit, it's like every time, boom!" Hop skip in a week.
22:39 Everyone makes strides in their personal relationships,
22:42 but we're still bawling at Charlotte and Harry's reunion. "Charlotte York,
22:46 will you marry me?" "Yes, yes I'll marry you." What goes around comes around. Sam Jones meets
23:01 Sam Jones. Miranda struggles with body insecurities, Charlotte and Trey separate,
23:05 and Carrie ponders her karma. "I don't understand this. I get mugged and you get him.
23:11 Oh, I guess that's my karma." Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the
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23:22 videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch
23:27 on notifications. If there's one episode that encompasses everything sex in the city is all
23:35 about, it's this one. It puts a focus on female friendship while touching on the difficulty of
23:41 romantic relationships, not to mention featuring some wild sex. "Samantha suddenly understood what
23:46 made Mr. Cocky so cocky." Carrie finds out that Big and Natasha are engaged and is devastated by
23:52 the news. She has a revelation though when the girls realize that her situation is just like
23:57 the plot of the film "The Way We Were". "You know, I think I can actually feel them over there eating
24:03 shrimp. It's just, why her? I mean, really." This helps Carrie accept what's happening and give Big
24:13 a memorable goodbye that only she understands. However, even though we know now, it's not
24:19 goodbye forever. "Your girl is lovely, Heather." "I don't get it." "And you never did."
24:29 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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24:38 [Music]