Sex and the City

New York is in the middle of a cold snap, but Carrie and Petrovsky's relationship continues to sizzle. The pair cuddle up in the Russian's apartment for several days, causing Carrie to somewhat isolate herself from her friends. During this period, Carrie starts to wonder if she and Petrovsky have anything in common. They never talk about work, even though Petrovsky has a huge exhibition looming in Paris. When Carrie finally does come home from Petrovsky's, she's got a week's worth of messages waiting for her... all from Big. She erases the messages, and gets a sense of satisfaction from doing so.

Samantha (along with her fabulous collection of wigs) is non-plussed to hear growing rumors that Smith is actually gay. However, after a carefully cropped image of Smith, Stanford and Marcus sees print, the talk intensifies, and Sam is stuck with the label of "fag hag." To combat the rumors, Sam breaks out a video camera, and films a raunchy sex scene between her and Smith. The tape "leaks" to the press, and Smith's (and Sam's) sexual preferences are firmly established once and for all.

Charlotte decides to take Elizabeth Taylor back into competition, entering the King Charles Spaniel in a dog show. The event doesn't go smoothly, as Elizabeth goes into heat right before the judging. Despite leaving a trail of blood droplets in the ring, Elizabeth takes first prize, largely due to the judge being sweet on Charlotte. Harry and Charlotte take Elizabeth to the park to celebrate, but the spaniel ends up mounted by numerous other pooches, much to the dismay of the Goldenblatts.

The general disarray of the Hobbes/Brady house in Brooklyn is starting to get to Miranda. Even though Steve is constantly tinkering with the property, she finds every chance to flee back to Manhattan. After a difficult night out with the girls, she returns home to discover that Steve has finally installed her DSL line, making Brooklyn feel a bit more like home to her.

Carrie gets Petrovsky to agree to meet with all of the girls for a drink, but he ends up no-showing the get-together due to his workload. Carrie brings the girls up to the Russian's studio to introduce everybody, but he winds up shooing them all alway so he can continue to work. After the girls leave, Carrie approaches Petrovsky, only to discover that he's in the midst of an anxiety attack about his upcoming exhibition in Paris. He finally is willing to discuss his work with her, and the couple spends the rest of the night talking.

Carrie finally manages to bring her new and old friends together as Petrovsky hosts a dinner party for Ms. Bradshaw's inner circle. The evening is pleasant enough, but it's clear that there's some tension in the air. An off-handed comment from Samantha (regarding her vibrator) illicts a particularly uncomfortable reaction from The Russian. Petrovsky then totally throws the party into a spin when he announces that Carrie will be moving to Paris to live with him. Although his announcement is a bit premature (he had only made the offer to Carrie shortly before the party began), it's clear that Carrie is indeed considering the intercontinental journey. It's also clear that Miranda isn't totally thrilled with this possibility.

A decision about Paris will have to wait as Carrie and Petrovsky attend a party thrown by Enid Frick, Carrie's editor from Vogue. Enid asks Carrie to set her up with one of Petrovsky's friends, but when she produces food critic Martin Grable at the party, Enid's reaction is tepid. Instead, Enid tries to put the moves on Petrovsky, a tack that is quickly headed off by Carrie.

Also at the party is former "it girl" Lexi Featherston, an old running partner of Carrie. Unfortunately, Lexi is a 25-year-old party girl in a 40-year-old body, and she quickly wears out her welcome at the event. Coked up and craving a cigarette, Lexi denounces all of the people at the party, utters the immortal words "I'm so bored I could die," then trips over her Manolos and falls out of a window to her death.

Lexi's death causes Carrie to pause and consider her own life. All of her friends have been moving on with their lives - Miranda has married and gone to Brooklyn, Charlotte has married and is now taking care of a litter of puppies, and Samantha is finally in a stable relationship. Carrie wonders if it's time to try some change in her life as well. She accepts Petrovsky's offer.

At Lexi's funeral, Carrie drops this bombshell on her three best friends. Samantha and Charlotte are supportive, but Miranda is hesitant. The old friends take a walk, and Miranda admits that she doesn't like Petrovsky at all. Carrie is hurt by this, and walks away from Miranda, getting ready for her new start at life.

Before leaving for Paris, Carrie runs into Big outside of her apartment, but she makes it clear to him that she wants him totally out of her life. Ms. Bradshaw then has one last dinner with Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, and it's clear that the four women know that Carrie's absence will have a major impact on all of their lives.

It's then time for Carrie's Parisian adventure to begin, and she soon manages to take in several of the city's breathtaking sights. She is also introduced to Petrovsky's daughter, who clearly isn't taken with Carrie's charms. In her travels, she sees four women having a meal together, which combined with the frustration of losing her signature "Carrie" necklace in a spill at Dior, makes her think about her usual dining companions who are now an ocean away. She makes a phone call to Miranda to try and get some comfort, but the call is cut off before resolution is achieved.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Samantha is chosen to speak at a benefit for breast cancer research. Her speech starts out stiffly, but she soon loosens up, and wins over the audience with her usual blunt manner. Charlotte and Harry continue their quest to adopt a child, with the newlyweds knowing that the process is going to be long and difficult.

When Charlotte visits Carrie's apartment to pick up an adoption recommendation, she intercepts a phone call from Big, intended to try and bring Carrie back into his life. She sets up a meeting with herself, Big, Miranda and Samantha to discuss the situation. Ultimately, the three women agree that Big should go and try and find Carrie in Paris.

Petrovsky surprises Carrie by replacing her missing nameplate with a stunning diamond necklace. She's stunned by the piece, but it seems as if she's beginning to realize that Paris may not be where her true destiny lies.

Carrie has a meal with Petrovsky's ex-wife, but the encounter is slightly awkward since Aleksandr is too busy to show up. Carrie learns that Juliette and Petrovsky split because she was tired of always coming in second place to his art. After Petrovsky leaves Carrie behind for a second time in Paris, she begins to wonder if she's doomed to follow in Juliette's footsteps. While wandering Paris, she meets some of her fans, who quickly decide to throw a party in her honor. She agrees to come, and Petrovsky is happy to hear this, even though the affair takes place on the same night that he is scheduled to unveil his exhibit to the curator of the museum and his colleagues. 

Back in New York, Samantha's chemo treatments are killing her sex drive (something she's never had to deal with previously), and she tries to push Smith away in an attempt to cope with it. He tries to explain to her that he can wait for her to come around, but he eventually has to go on a movie shoot, leaving the issue unresolved. Smith knows that his feelings for Samantha are strong, so he leaves the set to fly to the city and tell her that he loves her. Sam's strong front fades, and she opens up to him again. 

Hoping to adopt a baby, Charlotte and Harry host an expectant couple from North Carolina, with the intent of acquiring their unborn child. Unfortunately, the Goldenblatts feel more depressed than ever when the parents change their mind. Just as the situation is at its worst, their fortunes change when Harry and Charlotte receive notice that they'll be able to adopt a child from China in six months. 

Miranda and Steve have their hands full, as his mom, Mary, has suffered a small stroke. Her memory is impaired, and after a quick visit to her apartment, it's clear that she can't take proper care of herself. At Miranda's suggestion, she and Steve decide to bring Mary into their home. Her condition is difficult, and she wanders off one day, causing Miranda to chase after her in a panic. She finally finds Mary eating a slice of pizza out of a garbage can, and brings her home and gives her a bath to clean her up. It's clear the situation will be difficult for everybody, but it's one that will must be dealt with, and love will get them through it. 

On the night of his big unveiling, Petrovsky has an anxiety attack, and he begs Carrie to skip her party, and to come with him for support. However, when they get to gallery, he quickly leaves her on her own. She's despondent until finding her missing "Carrie" necklace in the lining of her purse. Carrie realizes that she doesn't belong there, and she dashes out and tries to meet up with her fans, Unfortunately, it turns out that she's missed the party, and when she later tries to explain her frustrations to Petrovsky, he just doesn't understand. The couple argue, and Aleksandr accidentally winds up slapping Carrie. She leaves and tries to book her own room, but when she's in the lobby struggling with the language, she runs into Big who has finally tracked her down. When Big hears about the slap, he rushes upstairs to avenge Carrie, but winds up getting tripped up on the way. Big and Carrie then walk through the streets of Paris, both realizing that they are meant to be together. Carrie then returns to New York, ready to start the next phase of her life.