Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Carrie starts the season single; after its opening episodes, she meets furniture designer Aidan. She quits smoking when he says he will not date a smoker, and they build a warm partnership. Big, now married to Natasha, returns to New York and re-enters Carrie’s life. Carrie starts an affair with him while still with Aidan; when Natasha finds her in the apartment, she runs after Carrie, falls on the stairs and breaks a tooth. Natasha leaves Big and files for divorce, while Carrie’s secret becomes impossible to keep.
Carrie confesses to Aidan just before Charlotte’s wedding. He ends their relationship at the church, leaving Carrie to face the consequences of the affair without him. Later, Carrie apologizes to Natasha, who makes clear that the harm cannot be undone. Big’s marriage ends, and he calls Carrie again, but her friends remind her how quickly renewed contact can pull her back into the same uncertainty. Their final meeting ends with both falling into the water outside the Boathouse; they agree to try friendship after admitting they have both been difficult partners.
Charlotte’s determination to marry brings her and Trey MacDougal to the altar, but their honeymoon and early married life are troubled by his inability to have sex with her. She becomes attracted to the family gardener, and the marriage reaches a breaking point; after moving out, she and Trey talk honestly about his reluctance to marry. By the finale, he visits and they sleep together, but the season leaves their marriage unresolved. Miranda’s reunion with Steve falters when he asks to have a baby; he then proposes a puppy as a trial, and Miranda agrees. The puppy’s first night sparks a fight, and Miranda ends the relationship. Samantha deals with loud neighbors around her loft.