Sex and the City is based on Candace Bushnell's provocative bestselling book. Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw, a self-described "sexual anthropologist," who writes "Sex and the City," a newspaper column that ... more »chronicles the state of sexual affairs of Manhattanites in this "age of un-innocence." Her "posse," including nice girl Charlotte (Kristin Davis), hard-edged Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and party girl Samantha (Kim Cattrall)--not to mention her own tumultuous love life--gives Carrie plenty of column fodder. Over the course of the first season's 12 episodes, the most prominent dramatic arc concerns Carrie, who goes from turning the tables on "toxic bachelors" by having "sex like a man" to wanting to join the ranks of "the monogamists" with the elusive Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Meanwhile, Miranda, Cynthia, and Samantha have their own dating woes. The second season builds on the foundation of the first season with plot arcs that are both hilarious and heartfelt, taking the show from breakout hit to true pop-culture phenomenon. Relationship epiphanies coexist happily alongside farcical plots and zingy one-liners, resulting in emotionally satisfying episodes that feature the sharp kind of character-defining dialogue that seems to have disappeared from the rest of TV long ago. When last we left the NYC gals, Carrie had just broken up with a commitment-phobic Mr. Big (Chris Noth), but fans of Noth's seductive-yet-distant rake didn't have to wait long until he was back in the picture, as he and Carrie tried to make another go of it. Their relationship evolution, from reunion to second breakup, provides the core of the second season. Among other adventures, Charlotte puzzles over whether one of her beaus was "gay-straight" or "straight-gay"; Miranda tries to date a guy who insists on having sex only in places where they might get caught; and Samantha copes with dates who range from, um, not big enough to far too big--with numerous stops in between. The third season was the charm, as the series earned its first Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series to go along with its Golden Globes for Best Comedy Series and Best Actress (Parker). One of this season's two principal story arcs concerned hapless-in-love Charlotte and her pursuit of a husband; enter (if only...) Kyle McLachlan as the unfortunately impotent Trey. Meanwhile, Carrie has a brief but memorable fling with a politician who's golden, but not in the way she anticipated. She then sabotages her too-good-to-be-true relationship with furniture designer Aidan (John Corbett) by having an affair with Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who himself has gotten married. Like I Love Lucy, the series benefited from a brief change of scenery with a three-episode jaunt to Los Angeles, where Carrie and company encountered, among others, Matthew McConaughey, Vince Vaughn, Hugh Hefner, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The fourth season is just as smart and sexy as ever, mixing caustic adult wit and sharply observed situation comedy on the mean streets of Manhattan, though this time the quartet of singleton city girls must endure even tougher combat in the unending war of love, sex, and shopping. Carrie finally seems to have found her ideal life partner when she is reunited with handsome craftsman Aidan. But can their relationship survive trial by cohabitation? Meanwhile Charlotte seems to have both her dream Park Avenue apartment and a solution to her marital problems with Trey. But when the subject of babies comes up, everything starts to unravel for her, too. It's not just Charlotte who has baby issues either: after what seems like an eternity of enforced sexual abstinence Miranda is horrified to discover she's pregnant. And as for the sultry Samantha, she's on a quest for monogamy, first with an exotic lesbian artist, then with a philandering businessman, with whom to her utter dismay she just might have fallen in love. It was a short but sweet fifth season, as HBO's resident comediennes found themselves affected by forces beyond their control--the pregnancies of both Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon. A truncated shooting schedule to accommodate the actresses forced this season to be reduced to a mere eight episodes, but they and creators forged ahead, creating a handful of episodes that if short in content were long on emotion and laughs. Carrie and Miranda wrestled with their solitary lifestyles, albeit with new attachments--Miranda had new baby Brady and single motherhood, while Carrie found herself in the world of publishing as the author of a real-life book of her columns. Charlotte wondered if she'd ever find another man, while Samantha finally got rid of the one that had been vexing her far too much. If the season as a whole felt less than the sum of its parts, those parts were some of the best comedy in the show's history. The season's climactic episode, "I Love a Charade," was one of the series' best episodes ever, equally touching and funny, and grounded the show in an emotional maturity that announced that after all their wild travails, these women had truly grown up.« less
"I should start by confessing that I came to watch SATC very late in the game - not until the start of the 6th Season. After watching the final episode, the decision to buy the complete season DVDs was a no-brainer, and I have not been disappointed. The writing on this show is some of the smartest I've encountered in a long time. It has been interesting and highly entertaining to watch these characters evolve. (The 5th Season may be short, but the writing quality never wavers.) I'll watch one episode thinking I that can really relate to Charlotte, only to relate to Miranda, Carrie or (heaven forbid!) Samantha in the next. And it really isn't just about sex - or the city - but ultimately about the joy and heartbreak in all of life, such as the loss of a parent or dealing with an unexpected pregnancy.Of course, most of the funniest bits deal with the search for "the one" - something everyone can relate to. I think the decision to end after 6 seasons - and on a positive note for all characters - was a smart one. It may have taken Big six seasons to realize Carrie was "the one" but the journey made the result more worthwhile. (Here again, I must confess that prior to seeing the earlier seasons, I was not entirely convinced that Carrie and Big should live happily ever after. Mr. Big now gets my full endorsement!) I highly recommend this boxed set (instead of the watered down syndication version being contemplated on other cable channels), and have already pre-ordred Season Six, Part One. Those concerned with what they perceive to HBO price gouging should consider that an individual season on DVD still costs less than one month of cable service... And if, like me, the only reason you're watching HBO is SATC (and maybe The Sopranos) perhaps it's better just to cancel HBO and get the DVDs instead!"
The only DVD set you'll ever need!
Miss Jane | 07/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD set was one of the best investments i've made. I've watched all 5 seasons at least 4 times already and will continue to watch them for years to come. If you're a Sex and the City fan you've got to get the set."
The Hottest
SexySue | Tacoma, WA | 03/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This show was the hottest thing on Television, and this DVD collection is tied with "New Sex Now" as my hottest purchases from Amazo n and the hottest disks in my dvd collection.Treat yourself to some great sex~!"
Discovered this gem a little late in the game....
E. Dickison | nowhere, Texas | 08/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"but better late than never! Believe it or not, my husband actually got me interested in this spectacular series. I can't remember which episode I watched first but I remember laughing out loud and deciding that I simply had to see every last episode of SATC.
Up to this point, I still haven't seen all the episodes, and I missed most of Seasons 3, 4, 5, & 6. So, despite the price tag, although not really that bad but all at once it's a lot of money for me to part with, I finally ordered all five seasons, and as soon as season 6 pt. 2 comes out, I'll order that season as well.
I love every one of these women and I love watching their adventures over and over, which is why I'm breaking down and buying all the seasons. I've been watching this fabulous show on TBS, and until I get my dvds, I'll have to live with the commercial interupted, racyless version, but I suffer through it because it's still a great show even after it's been butchered.
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Fabulous!!!
E. Dickison | 06/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you haven't seen Sex in the City or even if you have - these episodes are great. They show the life of women with out the male double standard. I found them empowering. They give women the chance to take control over their bodies and their sex life and they demonstrate that women are more than just someone's wife or girlfriend. Women can be single and fulfilled by creating close relationships with their friends. Sex in the City is a Cinderella story without the Prince charming - she makes herself complete. Even with or without all of the men, these women still maintain their relationships with each other."