Carrie Bradshaw is iconic. She's known for her relationship advice, shoe collection, fierce friendships and of course her roller coaster dating life.
Over six seasons Carrie (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) dated nearly 30 men—more like 28...that we can recall—and each one had their pros and cons. 20 years later—yes, it's Sex and the City's 20th anniversary—we're still wondering who the show's leading lady should've actually ended up with.
While it technically could've been any one of the 28 suitors, which included Patrick Casey (Richard Joseph Paul) the recovering alcoholic, or twenty-something Sam (Timothy Olyphant) AKA the good kisser who didn't have coffee filters, there are only four men that really had a chance at Bradshaw's heart. If you loved SATC as much as we did then you know exactly which hunky characters we're talking about.
Outside the main four there was the dreamy Joe Starr (Mark Devine) AKA The Yankee and Bill Kelley (John Slattery) the politician (who had a weird pee obsession) who could've won her over in time and made great partners. There was also Jeremy (David Duchovny) AKA her high school sweetheart (who was a mental hospital patient) and Vaughn Wysel (Justin Theroux) whose family was amazing (even if he had issues in bed). We all know that Carrie dated a lot of men in NYC but only four made a lasting impression.
You know who we're talking about...the fab four! They include Jack Berger (Ron Livingston), Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov), Aidan Shaw (John Corbett) and of course Mr. Big AKA John James Preston (Chris Noth). Of these four shining stars—which were Carrie's longest relationships on the series—who do you think should've ended up with the columnist? Vote for the man you think actually earned Carrie's heart below. Oh, and perhaps binge-watch all your favorite episodes in order to make the right decision!
Jack Berger:
Jack definitely had his pros and cons, but no matter what he did wrong he had those good looks to fall back on...which has to count for something. He was creative and funny—he was a writer like Carrie—so they had a lot in common. The downside was that he was a very insecure writer and Carrie's success was too intimidating. When he was good he was a real winner, but he ended on a sour note…a Post-It note to be exact, and we're not sure he can recover from that breakup faux-pas.
Aleksandr Petrovsky:
Oh, The Russian! Carrie was head over heels for Aleksandr Petrovsky and in many ways, we totally get the obsession. He was an elusive, successful older man who showered her with gifts and culture. Remember when he bought her that gorgeous dress for the opera and then danced with her in McDonald's because she hadn't eaten all day and passed out? That was his shining star moment in our minds. His faults however came with his art. He was consumed by his job, very self-involved, didn't want more children and tore Carrie away from her friends by moving her to Paris only to ignore her. Oh, and he broke her necklace when they were arguing!
Mr. Big AKA John James Preston:
Fans either love him or hate him, which is exactly how Carrie felt about Mr. Big throughout the series. Their romance was wonderful and terrible, amazing and heartbreaking and it pulled at our heartstrings for years. On numerous occasions Mr. Big said the wrong thing or pulled Carrie back in when she deserved happiness with someone else. Even with his faults Carrie loved him. The two were similar in the fact that they were complicated and a little damaged and they knew they were bad for one another, but they just couldn't quit each other. Plus, they loved classy events and extravagant things which made for fancy dates and ensembles. When it came down to it, Mr. Big did love Carrie he just didn't say it when it needed to be said. He did however, sweep her off her feet from time to time and was charming—a bit too charming. The one thing we can't deny is that these two had chemistry, but was that really enough?
Aidan Shaw:
Aidan Shaw was the total package. He really was perfect…well, as perfect as one man can actually be. Aidan was everything that Mr. Big wasn't which is why Carrie had a tough time letting him go. He was strong, rugged, handsome, selfless and crazy about her. Carrie liked a challenge which in the end is probably why they broke up, but he was just so smitten with her. They meshed well together because they were opposites, but that also caused a lot of tension between them. Even though they fought and butted heads from time to time their love was pure. Oh, and who doesn't love a man who can build things? Ah, dreamboat!
The time has come, you must vote for the man who really was Carrie's perfect mate. Let the best man win!