HBO's Sex and the City was both critically acclaimed and extremely popular during its original run. And with news of a revival entitled And Just Like That... coming soon to HBO Max, discussion of the show's influence, humor, and creativity is at an all-time high.
But even the best shows miss the mark sometimes, and SATC is no exception. For every episode that has stood the test of time and continues to influence contemporary culture, there are others that flub explorations of hot-button topics or fail to reflect the truth of modern relationships. While legions of viewers still tune in to the classic dramedy series, even the biggest fan wouldn't deny some episodes simply don't measure up.
"Old Dogs, New D*cks" (7.3)
This second-season episode does have some things going for it. For one, it chronicles the early days of Miranda and Steve's relationship, as the pair attempts to adjust to completely opposed schedules.
But its other plotlines fall short, with Carrie begging Big to stop checking out other women and Charlotte's boyfriend deciding to get circumcised, only to dump her in order to explore his renewed sense of sexuality. Sex and the City is known for outlandish premises, but these ones manage to be banal on the one hand and unlikely and bizarre on the other. Although not a bad episode, it's not one of SATC's greatest, either.
"The F*ck Buddy" (7.3)
One of Sex and the City's biggest draws is its sense of escapism, as fans are transported into a fast-paced and exciting world of seemingly limitless finances and equally plentiful bachelors. So it's all the more disappointing when Carrie's dating life is portrayed as depressingly as it is in "The F*ck Buddy," in which she attempts to substitute Big with an old friend she only ever used for sex.
But try as she might, the pair has zero chemistry outside of the bedroom, leading to one of the more disappointing episode conclusions in Sex and the City's run.
"Baby, Talk Is Cheap" (7.3)
Any Sex and the City fan knows Carrie and Aidan getting back together after Carrie's third-season affair with Big isn't exactly a great idea. Nonetheless, this episode in Season 4 finds Carrie desperate to win her ex's favor despite their somewhat incompatible personalities. She memorably ropes Miranda and Steve, who are also broken up at this time, into a tremendously awkward double-date.
Although Aidan ends up agreeing to get back together by the episode's end, many fans feel that this go at a relationship is as doomed as the last one. To make matters even more cringe-worthy, Samantha is dating a baby-talker.
"Sex And The Country" (7.3)
This Season 4 episode turns the whole premise of Sex and the City — the glamor of dating in the big city — on its head, and did so to mixed results. Carrie is dating Aidan again after their breakup in the previous season, and he wants to bring her to his beloved cabin in "sufferin'" Suffern, New York. The fish-out-of-water storyline is meant to highlight the vast differences in values and lifestyle that make Carrie and her beau incompatible, but Carrie's displeasure with the vacation quickly turns to petulance.
On the plus side, the vignette of Samantha having to milk a cow to bag the neighboring farmer is undeniably hilarious.
"Four Women and a Funeral" (7.2)
This second-season episode, which unusually explores scary subjects like mortality and death, strikes an odd tone halfway between macabre and darkly funny. The episode begins with a successful young designer's funeral and the plotlines that follow prove truly haunting. While Samantha experiences the death of her social life due to flirting with an influential socialite's husband, Charlotte pursues a widower who is way too popular and Carrie conducts a post-mortem of her relationship with Big.
But the episode's most jarring moment comes when Miranda almost dies from choking on her takeout. Thankfully, the ladies only have to attend one funeral.
"Let There Be Light" (7.2)
This sixth-season episode will be a particularly sad watch for fans of Samantha and her boyfriend Smith Jerrod. When she starts to feel the age gap in her relationship, Samantha begins longing for the comforts of her two-timing ex-lover Richard Wright. She tags along with Smith to a party at Richard's hotel and shockingly betrays Smith right then and leaves with Richard.
While Samantha makes an outlandish (and thankfully temporary) choice, Carrie is wooed by Petrovsky. It's not the show's worst episode, but it's certainly not the best.
"What's Sex Got To Do With It?" (7.2)
Unusually for Sex and the City, this Season 4 episode finds one of the show's most eccentric love interests sticking around for a second appearance. That man is Ray King, the jazz musician who Carrie meets in "Defining Moments" and whom she learns more about in this chaotic episode.
Carrie can't wrap her head around Ray's favorite genre, and can't get a handle on him, either. Meanwhile, the ever-dysfunctional Charlotte and Trey re-ignite their troubled relationship, surely to the chagrin of many Charlotte fans. Although the episode has something to say about ways one's sex life can take thoroughly unexpected turns, it lands with a bit of a thud.
"The Cold War" (7.2)
While this late-series episode isn't exactly terrible, its conflictual theme makes it a less-than-pleasant viewing experience. While Carrie is falling deeper in love with Aleksandr Petrovsky, she's also learning more about his tendencies to be chilly, pretentious, and even off-putting.
Charlotte's dog show plotline and Miranda moving to Brooklyn are both duller plotlines for the usually spunky show, and the episode ends on a decidedly sour note as Carrie brings her friends to Petrovsky's apartment and the serious artist rebuffs them.
"Defining Moments" (7.1)
"Carrie's dating a jazz man."
Those words, uttered countless times in a creepy hushed voice by Mr. Big, pretty much sum up this clunker from Season 4. Even after their two attempts at a relationship and their affair in the previous season, Carrie and Big are trying to make it work as friends. But when their platonic date at a jazz club is interrupted by Carrie's flirtation with one of the players, the situation turns extremely awkward for all parties.
The silver lining of the episode is Samantha meeting Maria, a fan-favorite character who is definitely gone too soon.
"Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl..." (7.1)
Many episodes of Sex and the City explore a specific theme, and this third-season one tackles the slippery concept of gender: bending it, upholding it, and using it as a means to understand conflict. Ultimately though, with storylines including Charlotte moonlighting as a drag king, Samantha balancing her feelings of lust and irritation towards a bratty male employee, and Carrie infamously struggling to date a bisexual man, the messages are mixed, to say the least.
But even SATC's worst episodes are often iconic, and Charlotte's storyline, in particular, takes the cake as one of the show's most memorable.