Just as we were moving past cosmos and couture, another season of the Sex and the City reboot titled And Just Like That has made its way back to our screens.
In many ways, seeing New York City from the eyes of the narrator (Carrie Bradshaw), made us romanticise it even more.
Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) was a pop culture phenomenon. Some might say she still is. But with each passing year, and one more re-run of the series, every next fan is starkly reminded of why she gained the title of a red flag.
Sex and the City was about four, extremely diverse female friends. Gallivanting their way through chaotic dating lives, sometimes stable and mostly unsure careers and the New York nightlife to erase away the stressful remnants of the day gone by.
Finally locking in to watch every season of SATC #NW : SEX AND THE CITY pic.twitter.com/LJ6NowQlFB
— Ara (@lefilmara) May 28, 2025
But none of the other three central characters - namely, the sexually liberated Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), the sweet and deeply traditional art dealer Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and the helplessly cynical lawyer Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), were discussed as much as Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw.
Why, though?
We take you through some of Carrie's most toxic traits, arguable plotlines, and Reddit conversations, where the Internet will make one re-think how they view the series from Bradshaw's POV, quite literally.
Relationships Never Really Mattered, Neither Friendship Nor Romantic
Carrie has been repeatedly called out for being someone who never really cared for her friends because they would always care for her.
For instance, when Miranda lies naked on her bathroom floor, unable to move because of a slip disc. Bradshaw believes a bag full of bagels would make up for not being able to come to help her friend. Instead, she sends her then-boyfriend Aidan, who scoops up Miranda and puts her to bed.
Charlotte York was probably the most homely character of the show. She yearned for a family and kids and often found herself apologising for it. Particularly to Bradshaw, who couldn't fathom her friend's priorities that were so vastly opposite to hers.
Carrie Bradshaw
— ᴛᴀʏ (@moodsofaquarius) April 19, 2022
(Sex and The City)
*cheater
*awful friend to all of her friends
*self-centered and selfish
*did Aidan dirty
*stalked Natasha
*delusional asf pic.twitter.com/QpwCQgLuGR
In Sex and the City, for a major part of the season, viewers see Charlotte grappling with wanting to get pregnant and failing every time. Not once does anything stop Bradshaw from speaking about the moment she had to have an abortion, as she makes relentless insensitive statements in front of York.
As for Samantha, who was bold about her sex life, Carrie seems to be particularly judgmental about her choices throughout. Passing low-ranking remarks and raising an eyebrow at her multiple sexual partners and erratic dating life.
The most pertinent plotline is in the latter half of the final season of Sex and the City, where Jones is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes chemotherapy. Carrie is, however, preoccupied throughout this phase as she finds herself lost in yet another toxic relationship with Russian artist Aleksandr Petrovsky.
Carrie's Ultimate Red Flag Move As She Runs Away From A Green Flag
There are hardly enough words to contain the fury that consumes fans of the show every time they think about how Carrie dumped Aidan for Mr Big.
Consistently, repeatedly.
For once, Aidan Shaw, a thorough green flag who kept expressing his love and care for Carrie, was never enough for her. Not only did she abuse his love, she also stopped him every step of the way from finding the love he deserved.
carrie and aidan x the smallest man who ever lived carrie bradshaw aidan shaw sex and the city satc edit pic.twitter.com/PpkmdmWiE4
— 📁 (@normalpeorple) April 7, 2025
The worst phase was in Season 6 Episode 9 of the series when Carrie cheats on Aidan with Mr Big.
While Mr Big spends the entirety of the six seasons evading Carrie's clinginess and obsession with him, Carrie continues to fall right back in his arms.
Big was well off, kind of boring, corny in the way older men often are and wasn't ugly. He was perfect svgar daddy material. Carrie was just trying to turn a ho into a househusband pic.twitter.com/p7r098JMMo
— 𝒦. (@silknymphe) April 24, 2024
As for Aidan, in Season 4 Episode 7, Carrie manipulates him to forgive her for the "Big" affair. In the episode titled Time and Punishment, she eventually succeeds as Aidan forgives her betrayal and accepts her back.
When the "Adult" Is Missing In "Adulting"
For someone who was a columnist of a sex column, living in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, the audience was always in awe of how Carrie could afford it.
Drowning herself in boxes of Manolo Blahniks, and prancing around in her dazzling attires from Dolce & Gabbana to Prada and Chanel, to name a few. Every night in a new cocktail bar, a new party to attend, a new potential suitor to bat eyelashes at.
Carrie Bradshaw wearing a silk Prada “Naked Lady” print dress while finding a pair of her dream heels in the Vogue shoe closet (season 4, episode 17) pic.twitter.com/lyan3zQHR0
— hannah (@dumbandfunn) October 8, 2024
One classic example of the same is in Season 4, when she breaks off her engagement with Aidan, spends all her money on expensive footwear, and then scrambles to make a down payment for an apartment she was to share with her fiance.
If that wasn't enough, she then turns to her friend Charlotte and asks for $30,000. It's impressive to witness how Charlotte, who usually had a tough time saying no to anyone, puts her foot down.
Eventually, Carrie wins again when she convinces Charlotte to give her over two-carat Tiffany ring, which would significantly sort out Carrie's financial woes.
Every time, fashion seems to be the answer to all of Bradshaw's problems. And every time, she finds an alternative to growing up.
The Reddit Show
Believe it or not, Reddit has a lot to discuss about Carrie's many life-altering decisions, missteps, and self-indulgent moves.
To begin with, the most-talked-about episode of an Aidan and Carrie showdown titled Time and Punishment. Fans discuss at length the mess that Carrie created by getting involved with Big, while she was dating Aidan and Big was with Natasha.
Have a look at how Redditors reacted:
S4E7 Time and Punishment - was Aidan unreasonable?
byu/PrincessPeach1229 insexandthecity
Another gang of people find moments of hope amid Carrie's faltering friendship morals.
Have a look here:
I recently watched SATC, and I feel Carrie is a really toxic friend and girlfriend. The more I watched it the more dislike I had for her. Did anyone feel the same?
byu/aasane insexandthecity
The most trending take, however, remains, "The biggest red flag I have seen in all the seasons."
Have a look:
The biggest red flag I've seen in all the seasons
byu/ga-ma-ro insexandthecity
Older, And Hopefully Wiser
And just like changing seasons, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte have entered a new phase in their lives.
Now in their 50s, the reboot of Sex and the City titled And Just Like That is packed with the same nostalgia in a modern world. Here, sex columns are exchanged with sex podcasts. Newer friends join the inner circle, while old confidantes like Samantha Jones bid us farewell.
The very first episode of Season 1 begins with memories and ends in a spiralling twist with Mr Big dying, catapulting the entirety of Carrie's dating history to a dot.
Fans say Carrie has dialled down on being impulsive, emotionally immature, and her actions seem to be more thoughtful.
But just as old habits die hard, Carrie's new friend Seema Patel, a real estate broker, might ignite her underlying characteristics. For instance, Seema is the one in the friendship who is always addressing problematic issues in their friendship.
So, has Carrie Bradshaw evolved? Only time will tell.
And Just Like That...it is time to find out, as Season 3 of the reboot series is officially streaming.
