Sex And The City was a show that celebrated the modern woman of its time, but the series finale didn't ultimately uphold that purpose. Sex And The City followed the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda as they juggled work, personal lives, and romantic connections they made in New York. These themes were always at the center of Sex And The City, but season 6 shifted these focuses, making for an unfitting ending to an otherwise iconic show. Though season 6 was disappointing in some ways, Sex And The City had a chance to end more fittingly during an earlier season.

Although season 6's finale was more conventionally perfect, if Sex And The City had ended earlier, it would have been a more realistic ending for the show, making it the true perfect finish. Sex And The City season 6 may have been the end of the series, but the franchise carried on for two feature films — getting it even further away from that perfect ending.

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Sex & The City Should Have Ended With Season 4

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Although plenty of iconic storylines came after Sex And The City season 4, the season brought many of the storylines that were developing throughout the show to a close. For example, season 4 saw the end of the love triangle between Carrie, Big, and Aidan once and for all, Charlotte married and got separated from "the one," Samantha entered and ended an exclusive relationship, and Miranda had her baby, thus concluding big storylines for all four characters. Because all these storylines finished in season 4 and didn't leave any loose ends for any of the characters, it could have been a logical conclusion for Sex And The City.

The season 4 ending of Sex And The City also demonstrated the characters' growth, making it a fitting conclusion for the show. During the last episode of season 4, Carrie found out that Big was moving, and rather than reignite their toxic relationship, they parted as friends. Miranda having her baby symbolized her investing in her personal rather than professional life. Charlotte and Samantha also relearned the importance of standing on their own feet rather than relying on dysfunctional relationships with men. This might not be the most glamorous ending, but it would be realistic for the main characters.

Most significantly, Sex And The City season 4 felt like an ending. At the end of season 4, Carrie gives a monologue in which she discussed the changing of seasons and the beginning of a new one. The monologue could also refer to the ending of the "Sex And The City" era for the four characters after their storylines ended. They grew past previously character-defining arcs in the show. Carrie's voiceover offered reassurance to the audience that although an era was coming to a close, life would go on, and everything would be okay, making it both a fitting and satisfying ending for Sex And The City.

Season 6's Ending Doesn't Fit Sex & The City

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During season 6, Sex And The City made several choices surrounding the characters' stories that felt out of place compared to the rest of the show. Between the treatment of Miranda and Samantha and Carrie abruptly moving to Paris only to be rescued by Big, season 6 introduced several storylines that not only felt weird for its characters but weird for the show itself. This is something the show attempted to rectify in the finale, which ends up being a conventionally "perfect" ending, but Sex And The City's ending demonstrates that "perfect" isn't right for every show.

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Season 6 might have given the main characters a happy ending, but it wasn't one befitting of Sex And The City. At its heart, Sex And The City was about four modern women (by Y2K standards) who explored sexuality and leaned on their friendships. However, season 6 of Sex And The City upheld a more traditional idea of femininity by placing all the main characters in long-term relationships with men. Even though this appeared to be a fairytale ending, it contradicted the thesis of Sex And The City, making it an imperfect "perfect" ending to the otherwise iconic Sex And The City.

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