January 4, 2005
tHe mEn.....

….on MR. BIG…
Mr. Big. The name says it all. From the moment he came onto the scene, he was larger than life, dashingly handsome, and oh-so unattainable. Like a gentleman, he helped Carrie pick up the spilled contents of her purse when they collided, but he kept no secrets about what was going on in his head when he handed the condoms back to her. For four seasons now, we've kept him in our sights and sighs. For years he has been in and out of Carrie's life. But what does she really know about Mr. Big? This man of mystery has tried to keep us at arm's length, but we've managed to figure out a few things.
Let's start with his undeniably positive traits. Big is the quintessential New Yorker, the man about town. He loves jazz music - it embodies the cool, suave attitude that he exudes. His irresistible smile and teasing eyebrows are appealing to be sure, but when he drives up on the most disappointing of birthdays with chilled champagne and a big bunch of balloons you can't help but fall for him all over again. In fact, his unpredictable behavior and passion constantly stirs the drama-seeking soul of our Carrie.
And of his "other" traits, the ones that make him harder to define? We know he's extremely successful (witness the chauffeur Raoul, the exquisite apartment, the Armani suits, and vintage Jag). What specifically is his lucrative profession? Something in finance, we presume. Moving on. He has an affinity for gorgeous women, models and actresses alike. His ex-wife Natasha the "stick figure with no soul," "Silent Y", starlet Willow, the list goes on. Ironically, it is meeting his first wife which gives us hope that he will come out of the modelizer trance that he's under and settle down with a real, flesh and blood woman. We know he goes to church with his mother on Sundays like a dutiful son. What girl wouldn't love that? Probably a girl whom he refuses to introduce to his mother.
With Big, though, it's the traits that frustrate us most that we are most drawn to. He does care, and he does love. We even think that deep down, he knows that Carrie is the one for him. At one point during their affair, he tells Carrie he will end things with Natasha so that they can be together, but Carrie knows it will never be that simple.
There is an elusiveness to Big that most women have encountered at some point in time. And just like the real-life Mr. Bigs, he makes Carrie believe she is the one who can get into his heart. She will be the one to break through, and capture his affection for eternity. But she never quite gets through. The potential for commitment is enough to sustain her for a while, but Carrie can only endure so much ambivalence and heartbreak.
Still, Carrie can't separate herself completely from Big. Big becomes a special friend and in spite of (or maybe because of) their complicated past, he manages to ground her when she's feeling scared or alone. When he tells Carrie he's moving to California, Carrie compares his leaving NY to the Chrysler building leaving NY. That's how big a part of Carrie's life Big has been. Since leaving the City, Big and Carrie have continued to talk on the phone, and have managed to cross paths a couple of times. An angioplasty caused Big to momentarily open his heart to Carrie, expressing his true feelings, but Carrie had already learned that waiting for Big to come around for good could be an impossible task.

….on AIDAN SHAW…
The man who manages to stake a more than temporary claim on Carrie's heart would have to be really something. We've seen a parade of paramours - from a pee-happy politician to a jittery jazz guy. Aidan is irresistibly charming, with laid-back sex appeal - witness the slow smile, the twinkle in his eyes, the sweet sayings - that slays Carrie. There are actually two Aidans: the before Carrie had the affair Aidan and the after they got back together for the second time Aidan. And many audience members are specifically in one camp or the other. The before Aidan was a little more grungy and a little softer - the slightly scruffy shaggy hair, the funky shirts, the leather thong around his neck, the backward baseball cap.
Then there was the after Aidan - the new, slick look: a short haircut, a sleek dark jacket over a crisp white shirt, the buffed-up body. Those who like the new Aidan say he used to have a belly and those who like the old Aidan say heartbreak made him tougher. Both sides will agree that he definitely looks good now. Aidan Shaw - furniture designer, dog owner, guy with a country cabin - he's the perfect opposite to the commitment-phobic, hard to pin down Mr. Big. Aidan is so warm and accessible and THERE for Carrie. He even refinishes her floors and makes her a home-cooked meal.
They met when his furniture designs were featured in a newspaper article. Best guy pal Stanford dragged Carrie down to Aidan's shop. After a slight contretemps between Aidan's dog and Carrie's thigh, the woodworking hunk soon had her eating out of his hand - or at least plunking down her credit card to acquire one of his sensuous seating designs. "This leather is over 100 years old," he says. "Feel it." Who could resist? If Aidan tells a girl to feel something, she will. And how. Several thousand dollars later, Carrie's almost hooked.
Aidan has the courage of his convictions. Carrie finds out on their first date that, to him, smoking is a no-no. He's even willing to risk losing the girl. But never fear, the course of true love will be helped along by the nicotine patch.
And then there are the nicknames: Puddin' and Ladybird (Where is he from?). Who wouldn't love a guy who says: "I have a life, I'm just making room for you in it," or "You make me happy," or even "Let's get you a donut." There seems to be nothing wrong with him - not a flaw. He goes to help Miranda (sprawled naked on her bathroom rug) when her back goes out. And he doesn't even sneak a peek. Not Aidan.
His downside may just be those darn convictions. His inability to bend his slightly rigid moral code. When Carrie reveals her secret steamy affair with Big, Aidan's out. Carrie's thrown back on the Manhattan singles merry-go-round for a while. And Aidan nurses his broken heart off screen. But one look at the improved, spiffed-up Aidan at the opening of his and Steve's new bar, and Carrie's a goner - she just has to convince him. Aidan needs serious convincing - he's been burned. Once Aidan realizes that Carrie is serious, he manages to get past their past.
When he gets down on his knees in the middle of a moonlit street and proposes, we all sigh and join Carrie in saying, "Yes". For a while, Carrie is swept along by Aidan's excitement, but as the reality of marriage sinks in, Carrie is increasingly fearful. As Aidan tries to tie her down more and more, Carrie realizes that, unlike Aidan, she needs to be out in the world of Manhattan. And then there is the realization for Carrie that Aidan does not really trust her. With unbelievable sadness but with great respect for each other, Carrie and Aidan call it quits for the second time. Although, this time, it appears there's no going back.

….on JACK BERGER…
On the surface, Jack Berger seemed like the perfect match for Carrie Bradshaw. Like Carrie, Berger was a professional writer that always had the perfect one-liner for any situation.
Carrie's first time out with Berger was actually a "non-date" since he was already involved with somebody else. Luckily, Berger dropped the other woman (and picked up a motorcycle), opening the door for Carrie to step in. When the pair met up at Bobby and Bitsy's wedding, there was definite "zsa-zsa-zsu" in the air, and the future looked bright for the two authors.
Unfortunately, the magic didn't last. Berger's writing career stalled out just as Carrie's was heating up, something that he had a very hard time coming to terms with. Dates became sniping matches between the two, with every meeting ending up with hurt feelings. Berger eventually appeared to come around, but wound up sneaking out of Carrie's apartment in the dead of night, breaking the relationship off via a Post-it note. Carrie held onto the Post-it for posterity, but it seems as if Berger will wind up as nothing more than a bad memory for Ms. Bradshaw.

….on ALEKSANDR PETROVSKY…
When Carrie and Charlotte make a visit to an art gallery, the pair run into famed Russian artist Aleksandr Petrovsky. While Charlotte is thrilled to meet one of her favorite artists, Aleksandr clearly pays more attention to Carrie. Later in the week, he calls her up to ask her on a date, which Carrie accepts.
Carrie eventually meets up with Aleksandr at Russian Samavor for a late dinner, followed by another trip to the gallery in which they first met. Although the evening has a few awkward moments, Carrie eventually surrenders to his charm, with the couple sharing a passionate kiss.
Posted by norah_mae on January 4, 2005 at 01:02 AM as a stickied post | sIlEnCiO....






