Is Carrie Aidan's Mr. Big in 'And Just Like That'? (original) (raw)
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Published Aug 12, 2023, 12:45 PM EDT
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Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for And Just Like That Season 2
Summary
- The relationships between Carrie and both Mr. Big and Aidan caused a lot of drama and heartache for all parties involved in Sex and the City.
- While Aidan's pain tends to be overlooked, his recent appearances in And Just Like That... Season 2 highlight the deep scars he carries from his relationship with Carrie.
- Aidan's love for Carrie is similar to Carrie's love for Big, as they both continue to go back to their respective partners despite being hurt, suggesting that Aidan is Carrie's "big love."
When it comes to Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) relationships, you’re either Team Big (Chris Noth) or Team Aidan (John Corbett). The sequel series, And Just Like That…,brought both men back, with Mr. Big meeting a shocking and tragic fate on his Peloton bike, and Aidan later coming back to rekindle his flame with Carrie Season 2. No matter what team you’re on, though, there’s no denying that both relationships caused a ton of drama and heartache for all parties involved. But while Carrie was notably torn up about Mr. Big throughout Sex and the City, a lot of Aidan’s pain tends to be overlooked. However, with his most recent appearances, I couldn’t help but wonder: is Carrie Aidan’s Mr. Big?
All signs point to yes, as Carrie still stands as the massive love of Aidan's life; in many ways, she was the one that got away—twice. For Carrie, Big was that great love that overtook all the others throughout Sex and the City and its sequel movies. He was the one that got away, though she finally managed to nail him down in the first film. Up until his death in the first episode of And Just Like That..., things were working out in a Happily Ever After sort of way for Carrie, but now that her slate has been wiped clean, it's opened up the chance for her to see if things can really work out with Aidan—for good.
And Just Like That...
Release Date
2021 - 2025-00-00
The series follows Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Cast
Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Mario Cantone, Sarita Choudhury, Evan Handler, Nicole Ari Parker, Sara Ramirez, Niall Cunningham, Cathy Ang, Bridget Moynahan, Jay Hunter, Lou Martini Jr., Rosie O'Donnell, Cheryl Stern, Shirley Roeca, Jonathan Groff, Katerina Tannenbaum, Tony Crane, Eliazar Jimenez, David Eigenberg, Christopher Jackson, Alexa Swinton, Karen Pittman, Chris Noth
Main Genre
Comedy
Seasons
3
Carrie and Aidan's History of Heartache in 'Sex and the City'
Mr. Big came along in the original series premiere all the way back in 1998; he and Carrie were instantly infatuated with each other, and thus a relationship was born. Only, Big proves to be a big jerk and is emotionally unavailable, leading Carrie to break things off. He eventually marries Natasha (Bridget Moynahan) in Season 2, which guts Carrie but finally allows her to move on. Come Season 3, she meets Aidan Shaw, a charming furniture maker who is the complete opposite of Big. He’s a perfect match for her and proves to genuinely care for her and their relationship, taking things extra slow in the beginning so as not to rush their connection.
Carrie and Aidan seem solid, that is, until she bumps into Big and Natasha at, ironically, one of Aidan’s furniture shows. Big eventually ends up telling Carrie that he’s not happy with Natasha and that he wants out, and the pair strike up an affair, despite both having faithful partners. It’s a shocking and frankly disappointing turn for both characters, but especially for Carrie. Big has always been a bit morally ambiguous, so it wasn’t surprising to see him step out on Natasha (as much as we felt bad for her), but it was shocking to see Carrie cheat on Aidan. Aidan was genuinely good to her, was great with her friends, and immediately proved to her that he was serious about their relationship, which is something Big never did.
Carrie’s guilty conscience eventually overtakes her, and she spills the beans about her and Big’s affair to Aidan right before Charlotte’s (Kristin Davis) wedding. His pain is palpable, and he ends things with her regretfully and tearfully. It’s a tough moment to watch, and even though they do eventually give things another try in Season 4, Aidan is understandably cautious to trust Carrie after everything that happened—and things don't end up working out in the end. Despite a run-in later on in the series, and again in Sex and the City 2, Carrie and Aidan never come back to their romance, well, at least not until And Just Like That…
'And Just Like That...' Confirms That Carrie Is Aidan’s Big
Aidan’s addition to the reboot's second season was much anticipated, and he certainly didn’t disappoint when he arrived (although his outfit did leave some room for question). Despite some miscommunication over what restaurant they’re meeting at, it’s as if no time at all has passed between the former lovers. But upon arriving back at Carrie’s apartment to continue their catching up, Aidan clams up. He didn’t realize that she still lived in her old apartment, the place that saw the demise of their relationship. He’s unable to go inside, even after all these years, showing just how deep his scars from their relationship go. Not willing to let this go a third time, they opt to take up residence in a hotel instead.
While Aidan and Carrie seem to be stable and happy now, the show glossed over Aidan’s initial hesitation far too quickly. As much as I want to see the pair work this time—I am Team Aidan, after all—some roadblocks from their past have simply been swerved around instead of properly dealt with. Aidan never really got much closure; instead, he was always second best to Big. Carrie married Big, proving he was always the one her heart really belonged to. Despite Aidan marrying and having children of his own, it’s clear he always carried a torch for his former lover. Sound familiar?
Related
It all echoes Carrie and Big’s relationship. The way Carrie consistently went back to Big despite the way she had been hurt by him every time, and the way she never truly fell out of love with him—Aidan is the same way as her. He gave her another chance despite her cheating, and he proposed in an attempt to keep her loyal to him, reminiscent of when Carrie forced Big’s mother into meeting her. Just as Carrie should have cut Big off after the first couple of heartbreaks, Aidan should have cut Carrie off after his own. Instead, he comes back to her because she is his big love.
If Carrie Is Aidan's Big, Will It Ever Work Out Between Them?
Now, I do believe that Carrie loved Aidan without a doubt, but Big was her “big love.” She did say in the original run that she doesn’t believe that there is one singular soulmate for everyone—she likes to believe that there are multiple—but it’s clear that Big was her one true love. No matter how much she loves Aidan, Big will always come out on top (even though she did make an offhand comment in And Just Like That... about not choosing the right man). As for Aidan, Carrie was his big love, and there's no doubt about it. He wanted so badly for things to work out the second time around and tried to ensure that it would via getting engaged.
Aidan brought out the better parts of Carrie, whereas she was never quite the character we knew she could be when she was with Big, which made fans crave Aidan all the more. Perhaps the third time really is the charm? Big might not be in Aidan's way anymore, but now it's his family that's getting in the way of things between him and Carrie. By the end of Season 2 of And Just Like That...,things were solid between the pair, but Aidan had to put a pin in things and head home to be with his son—for at least five years.But will Carrie actually be able to hold out for five years just to be with Aidan? And will Aidan still feel the same way about Carrie?
And Just Like That... is available to stream on Max in the U.S.