In Sex and the City, Carrie and her best friends spend much of the series and the movies dating various people and building different relationships. As Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha have very different personalities, what they want from a relationship and what they understand a successful relationship to be varies a lot. While Samantha would consider a perfect relationship to be one with lots of intimacy which does not last for very long, Charlotte would consider the perfect relationship to be a long-lasting one, filled with love and resulting in babies.
Arguably, the most important romantic relationship in Sex and the City, is the long, on-and-off one between Carrie and Big. Although the pair break up a lot before they make their relationship work, they do end up together. As a result, the relationship between Carrie and Big is one of the relationships that fans find most relatable in the show.
They Are Independent
Although Carrie and Big are in a relationship together and are then married to each other, they are both very independent people who care a lot about their work, although there are some things about Carrie's freelance career that make no sense. They have their own friends and interests, and are happy to spend time apart for these.
This makes their relationship very relatable for lots of fans because not all couples like to spend every waking second together. Some couples, like Big and Carrie, prefer to function more independently and then come together and enjoy their time together too.
They Always Care About Each Other
Whether Big and Carrie are in a romantic relationship, whether they are friends or whether they are taking some distance from one another, Carrie and Big always care deeply for one another. When Carrie is in a relationship with Aidan and Big gets his heart broken by a movie star, Big visits Aidan's cabin seeking comfort from Carrie.
Although this is awkward for everyone, Carrie cannot help but comfort Big in his hour of need. Relationships are founded on two people caring and being there for one another, which is why this makes Carrie and Big's relationship one of the most relatable in the series.
They Do Not Always Agree
The series and movies see Carrie and Big disagree countless times. Sometimes not agreeing turns into bickering, and sometimes it turns into a huge fight. In the second movie Big and Carrie argue about whether to have a television in their bedroom. Whereas Big really loves watching television in bed, Carries is concerned that they are getting in a rut.
Although this was a mild disagreement, it is representative of lots of arguments they, and other couples have, when two people spend so much time together.
Long Distance Didn't Work
When Big moves to France for work, him and Carrie initially try to make their relationship work long distance. Carrie even flies out to France to spend time with him. However, unfortunately, the relationship ends, because living so far away from each other transpires to be too difficult for them.
Although there are many terrible reasons why couples break up in Sex and the City, this time Big and Carrie's break up is understandable. Many fans will know how difficult it is to make a long distance relationship work, especially given the difficulties in seeing each other and speaking regularly due to time differences.
They Take Time For Each Other's Interests
Throughout Sex and the City, Carrie and Big can be seen making time for each other's interests and bonding over them. Big and Carrie read poetry together at one point, and Carrie spends time listening to Big's favorite music at another. Although the two characters do have different interests, they do spend a little time getting to know each other's hobbies.
Fans relate to this part of Carrie and Big's relationship, because it is a key part of many relationships. Making an effort to get to know a partner's interests is common in lots of relationships, making Carrie and Big's relationship one of the most relatable in the show.
Getting Together Was Messy
Big and Carrie spent a long time on the series getting together and breaking up, flitting between being in a relationship and having a friendship with one another. They break each other's hearts multiple times and it is not always happily ever after. Big cheats his wife and Carrie cheats on Aidan when they have an affair. Carrie kisses Aidan when she is on holiday with her friends, despite being married to Big. There are even times when Carrie and Big's relationship is toxic.
This is relatable for fans because relationship are not always simple and obvious. Sometimes, like in Big and Carrie's case, it takes a while to work things out and eventually come back to each other.
They Learn How To Be In A Relationship With Each Other
When Carrie and Big first get together, while they are overcome with lust, they have not worked out how to actually make a long-term relationship work between them. Even though they like each other a lot, they are independent people and both have different ideas of what a relationship should look like. The series seems them trying, and trying again (and again!) to actually be with each other.
Sex and the City does an excellent job at conveying the pair learning and keeping trying to learn how to spend so much time together and compromising on what they want individually. Such a learning process in relationships is often missed out in TV series and movies, but is extremely relatable for fans.
They Do Not Have A Perfect Wedding
In the first movie, Carrie and Big decide to get married. Upon being gifted a wedding planner by Charlotte, Carrie goes about planning an enormous and elegant New York wedding. Big is concerned because it is his third wedding and worries about what people will think. The small wedding they initially thought about is thrown aside for a grand ceremony and reception. As fans of the show know, Big panics and tells Carrie he cannot go through with it. Of course, he realizes just a few moments later what a mistake he has made, but it is too late.
Many, many married couples do not have an elaborate and fancy weddings like the one Carrie initially planned. The very small, intimate and casual wedding that Big and Carrie have at the end of the film is much more relatable for the fans watching.
They Put In Effort, After Years Of Being Together
In the second movie, Carrie is concerned that her and Big have got into a rut and want them to make effort to put the spark back into their relationship. Although Carrie initially has trouble communicating this to Big in the right way, and they have a couple of small disagreements, once Big and Carrie have a calm discussion where she communicates the way she is feeling, Big comes and picks her up in a car from her old apartment and calls her from outside to tell her he is there, just like he does so many times throughout the series.
This moment in the movie is filled with romance and nostalgia and it is Big's way of showing Carrie that he is still willing to put in the effort to make their relationship work and ensure she is happy. There are many romantic scenes in Sex And The City, but this one is one of the best.
They Break Up And Get Back Together (A Lot)
Carrie and Big are well know amongst their friends for continually separating and reuniting. Sometimes they are in a serious relationship, sometimes they are casually dating, sometimes they are having an affair and sometimes they are just friends or taking some time apart. It is safe to say the pair do not simply meet and live happily ever after.
This makes their relationship relatable for fans, because lots of relationships take a few tries before making it work. Big and Carrie do indeed attempt their relationship multiple times before it sticks, but when it sticks they do fully commit to each other.