Even the most popular TV shows that fans talk about years after the final episode can have some weak storylines, weak characters, and even some weak seasons. In the case of Sex and the City, which aired from 1998 until 2004, not every season was absolutely amazing. Of course, this is something that TV fans are used to, as it’s rare that every episode is going to be incredibly strong.
Sometimes it’s with some careful thought, consideration, and hindsight that we realize that one of our favorite TV shows had a few bad episodes or seasons. When it comes to a groundbreaking show like SATC, we can probably all agree that the first time that we watched it, we enjoyed it so much and didn’t view it with such a critical eye. But today, we can admit that some seasons were much better than others.
Here is every season of Sex and the City, ranked.
6. Season Five
Season five is the weakest season of Sex and the City, which is why it’s ranked the lowest on the list.
Honestly, it just didn’t feel like the young and fun show that it once was, probably because characters like Miranda were kind of settling down. It was strange to see her with a kid, and it was kind of boring to watch Carrie adapt her writing for a book. Fans love the beginning of the series: watching Carrie write from her cool apartment, grab drinks with her girlfriends and discuss how much dating sucked, and being out and about in New York City meeting different people. We like to see Carrie working on her columns since that’s what we’re used to.
In fact, this season had eight episodes, which is definitely not enough, and that was due to Sarah Jessica Parker being pregnant.
5. Season Four
Season four is slightly better than season five, which is why it’s ranked one higher, but it’s not good enough to be any higher up on the list.
The biggest thing that happens this season is Carrie and Aiden (John Corbett) deciding to get married. Fans have mixed feelings about Aiden as some love him and others think that she has to be with Big and anyone else would be ridiculous. Anyone who wants Big and Carrie to end up together will undoubtedly think that this isn’t a very strong season since they’re just waiting for those two to find one another (or for Big to realize that they’re meant to be, which is more accurate). Another big moment is when Charlotte and Trey (Kyle McLaughlan) start planning for a family, but watching them can be a bit frustrating, so this isn’t the best season.
4. Season Three
Generally speaking, a show’s first season is the best and the final season is the opposite of that. And the middle season is in the, well, middle.
That’s true of Sex and the City: the third season is ranked number four out of six on this list because it’s a bit forgettable. The major drama is that Carrie dates Aidan and Big isn’t having the best marriage ever. Oh, and Miranda and Steve choose to cohabitate… but as we could have guessed long before that happened, it wasn’t the greatest, either.
While some fans are on Team Aiden, others are definitely on Team Big, so if you prefer Carrie to be pining after Big (or dating him and going through tons of ups and downs), then this season wasn’t your cup of tea.
3. Season Two
Season two has some really good moments, which makes it number three on this list ranking the seasons of Sex and the City.
There are several episodes here that are total standouts and that fans will always reference when chatting about the show. There’s “Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women” when they go to the Hamptons, which is always a fun setting for a TV show or movie. The finale, “Ex and the City,” can’t be forgotten, either, since this is when Carrie finds out that – oops – Big is getting married.
Fans of SATC relate to Carrie and her pals and especially appreciate how the show deals with single women who are dating and attempting to find love but aren’t giving up who they are. The season two finale is a particularly important episode since Carrie realizes that finding love with Big probably isn’t in the cards.
2. Season Six
While the final season of a TV series, whether a drama, fantasy, or sitcom, is usually pretty weak – the characters have grown stale, the storylines don’t have any pep left in them, and fans are waiting to say goodbye – that wasn’t the case with Sex and the City.
In fact, the final season, season six, is actually really strong. Many memorable things happened in these 20 episodes. For one thing, Samantha dates Jerry “Smith” Jerrod, and their relationship is so adorable (and is even reprised in the movie). For another, Samantha finds out that she has breast cancer, and it’s very emotional and moving.
This season is also special because it finally ends the question of Mr. Big and whether he and Carrie will end up happily ever after. While we don’t see them getting engaged or married, we do get to see him following her to Paris and telling her that she’s the only one for him.
1. Season One
The best season of Sex and the City is, of course, the very first one. This was when we were introduced to the four women and we learned more about their dynamic and what they wanted out of life. This was when we learned how much we loved hearing Carrie Bradshaw muse, “I couldn’t help but wonder…” We always want to know what she’s wondering and we think that she has such a great mind.
The pilot is a solid outing, which isn’t always the case as sometimes a show needs four or five episodes to find its footing and understand what it’s actually about. We love everything about the first season: Carrie’s voiceovers, her amazing observations about dating and men and women, and her friendship with the other women. We also love her sense of style, of course. The other seasons don’t really live up to the first one, even if there are some romantic and funny moments.
