‘Sex and the City’ Creator: Carrie’s Affair Elevated the Show

For Sex and the City creator Darren Star, Carrie Bradshaw’s memorable kiss with Mr. Big in the hotel elevator during season 3 symbolized much more than just a romantic moment between the characters.

In an interview with Vulture on Aug. 14, Star reflected on the iconic series that debuted in 1998. Having previously worked on shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place, Star first connected with Candace Bushnell in the mid-1990s. Bushnell’s column and subsequent book inspired the creation of the series.

Star knew from the outset that the dynamic between Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and John “Mr. Big” Preston (Chris Noth) would be a central and continuous element throughout the show.

“Even sitcoms turn into soaps after so many years because when characters get developed, you want to see them have lives that are continuous,” Star explained. “You don’t want to feel like their lives are resetting every episode. I was very conscious that Carrie and Mr. Big were going to be the spine of the show.”

Their evolving relationship played a crucial role in creating the series’ tension.

E. Alex Jung of Vulture discussed what he perceived as a turning point in season 3, when Carrie engages in an affair with Mr. Big while dating Aidan (John Corbett), who is deeply in love with her.

For Star, this decision was about expanding Carrie’s character on a deeper level.

“It brought the show to another level,” he noted. “I really wanted a character that was going to make mistakes and be an anti-hero, to be able to love and hate her at the same time, see her make mistakes, understand her.”

He added, “It made the character way more complex. It brought up issues with her friends. Then it humanized Natasha because suddenly, she was a character that Carrie was hurting,” referring to Mr. Big’s wife at the time, played by Bridget Moynahan.

Carrie and Big’s romance faced numerous challenges following the affair. Carrie would later reunite with Aidan, turn down his marriage proposal, attempt to remain friends with Mr. Big before ultimately severing ties, and move to Paris with Aleksandr Petrovsky, portrayed by Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The couple reconciled in the series finale but encountered further problems when Big abandoned Carrie at the altar in Sex and the City: The Movie. Eventually, they married by the end of the film and remained together for 11 years until his death in the first episode of the spinoff And Just Like That…, paving the way for Aidan’s return.