(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
The woman is finally single. Third time is not the charm for Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Aidan (John Corbett).
Carrie and Aidan are sad about this turn of events. Considering it had gotten to the point where I audibly said “ugh” whenever Aidan appeared in And Just Like That (and celebrated the Aidan-free episodes), I do not share their sorrow. I suspect many others who are still watching the Sex and the City spinoff will experience a similar sense of relief that this long nightmare is finally over.
The “ughs” have only been growing louder as Season 3 has progressed. Not to mention that I still cannot exorcise the image of Aidan’s unnecessary palm-licking in the premiere from my brain. Booing the screen has become second nature; watching AJLT is akin to a sports event.
Nine episodes is how long it took to feel like we won.
This victory came thanks to Aidan’s insurmountable jealousy, which had been plaguing this union for the last 20 years. There was no cheating this time—though Aidan sleeping with his ex-wife is a gray area. Instead, a hot British neighbor, a long notes session, and the smell of pipe smoke pull a thread that was already fraying.
Even though Aidan has never been my preferred Carrie love interest (nor was Big), I was not an overt hater in the SATC days. I certainly wasn’t this giddy in Season 3 when Aidan broke things off outside the church where Charlotte (Kristin Davis) had just married Trey (Kyle MacLachlan), or after Carrie’s marriage doubts put an end to things the following season. The latter conversation had added drama, taking place in front of the Columbus Circle Fountain, where Aidan emphasized that he needed to be married to Carrie so the world would know she is his. Maybe that’s when I started to loathe this character. If there is a recurring theme in this union, it is that jealousy is a poison.
Nostalgia gives the past a glow. It can also reveal the cracks. AJLT’s trip down memory lane has magnified any of the issues I had with Aidan and Carrie as a couple, ensuring that even this week’s perfectly deployed Taylor Swift song doesn’t stir any feelings of heartbreak after all is said and done. Instead, I happily sang along with “How Did It End?”
Earlier, Carrie tells Seema (Sarita Choudhury) she doesn’t want to bring up the past in a scene that doubles as a reminder of Carrie’s SATC transgressions, as if we could’ve forgotten cheating with Big (and with cigarettes). Yes, we all know Carrie bends over backwards because she is still paying for a mistake that occurred two decades ago. Maybe it is time that she didn’t. Thankfully, the AJLT writers agree.
After meeting at “that place we love” (Tartine, if anyone is wondering), Carrie finally grows a backbone. Who knew that Aidan using the word “have” instead of “had” (regarding his trust issues) would lead to the conversation I have been eager to hear all season?
Even with Parker offering hints on Watch What Happens Live that Carrie might move back into her old apartment, it still seemed too good to be true that this would be the episode to add a third breakup to the Carrie-Aidan scrapbook. I learned my lesson when I thought it would be over when Aidan admitted he slept with Kathy (Rosemarie DeWitt) earlier this season. After all, AJLT tends to zig when you expect it to zag.
It has been a frustrating journey, yet this resolution is more than satisfactory. Mostly because I no longer have to yell “just breakup already” at my TV. As with Aidan-Carrie splits one and two, the deciding blow takes place on a New York City street. Now this is a tradition I can get behind.
Rather than let Aidan make her feel like s--- about his insecurities, Carrie gets up and leaves the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. “Can you stop f---ing blaming me” is a solid response to Aidan’s repeated whining.
One viewer recently pointed out that Carrie was more vocal when Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) took her last yogurt than when Aidan admitted to screwing his ex. Her response to Aidan’s indiscretion was low-energy, but she finally finds her voice in “Present Tense” as her integrity and relationship with Duncan (Jonathan Cake) are called into question. It’s about f---ing time.
It is on the West Village sidewalk that they hash it out. Never has a “How dare you!” sounded as good as when Carrie says it twice. Parker makes a delicious meal out of that phrase, as well as the list of things Carrie has done to accommodate Aidan. She sold her apartment because he refused to step inside. Then, she agreed to his timeline, which would mean (in theory) they would have to wait another five years before fully giving this a shot. Of course, all relationships require compromise, but this has been more a case of putting Aidan’s needs first above all else.
Still, it is Carrie’s use of “was” that gets the loudest cheer from me. Aidan clocks the past tense in “I was a hundred percent in” and the rest is history. Both thought this time would stick, but alas. Cue the Tortured Poets Society needledrop, followed by another cliché-ridden section from Carrie’s novel that I am sure will earn raves from Duncan—I refuse to believe it is good.
In the trilogy of Aidan and Carrie coming apart at the seams, the root cause is consistent, which is something the rest of the reboot often lacks. Despite all the AJLT faults and my lack of patience with this coupling, a strong thread of not letting things go connects their first, second, and third attempts at finding happiness together. Given the way their toxic romance keeps repeating also underscores why it is so damn frustrating. There is something a little Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind about Carrie and Aidan. Well, without the whole erasing each other process. If only I could forget.
Unlike bust-up number two, there is no need for Aidan to stop by in the next episode to pick up the last of things. Instead, as Swift’s song continues, Carrie removes the Virginia postcards from her fridge.
Is it too little too late? The last moment makes me hopeful for the final three episodes of the season. Perhaps I am riding the high of no more Aidan, but seeing a dressed-up Carrie doing her signature walk into a fancy restaurant to meet her friends is invigorating.
Now that this relationship is over, I look forward to seeing what the woman does next.
