Love Expert Examines Carrie Bradshaw’s Love Life: Was Mr. Big a ‘Big Mistake’?
In season 2 of And Just Like That… Carrie Bradshaw questioned if marrying Mr. Big had been a “big mistake.” The query outraged Sex and the City fans. While most fans agree that Mr. Big, whose real name was John James Preston, was emotionally unavailable for much of his relationship with Carrie, their love affair defined the series. Hearing Carrie attempt to rewrite the fictional couple’s history was painful. Still, it is an interesting question. Recently, a love expert weighed in on the right fit for Carrie Bradshaw. Maybe we can finally figure out if Mr. Big was, in fact, a big mistake.
Who was the right man for Carrie Bradshaw?
Carrie Bradshaw may have dated a lot of guys during Sex and the City, but she frequently ran back to the same two men. Mr. Big, introduced in the original series’ first season, was one of her two great loves. Aidan Shaw, a furniture designer introduced in season 3, was the other. Both men have fans. Despite Carrie marrying Mr. Big, viewers are still divided regarding who was right for Carrie.
Dr. Zhana Vrangalova, a love and relationship expert, linked up with Swooon and broke down both relationships’ good and bad elements. Dr. Zhana argues that Mr. Big’s behavior during the early years of his relationship with Carrie wasn’t great. Despite their deep connection, she notes that Mr. Big spent most of the courtship emotionally unavailable. Carrie, in response, was prone to emotional outbursts. Aidan, while more emotionally available, didn’t bring the excitement Carrie sought. He also entered her life when she wasn’t yet “over” Mr. Big and betrayed his marriage to Natasha.
So was Mr. Big a big mistake?
While Dr. Zhana points out the negative traits that fed the on-again-off-again nature of Carrie and Mr. Big’s relationship, they stop short of suggesting the romance was a mistake. In fact, Dr. Zhana suggests that neither Carrie’s marriage to Mr. Big nor her current connection with Aidan Shaw is a misstep.
The relationship expert correctly argues both Mr. Big and Aidan were right for Carrie; they were just right for her at different times in her life. Mr. Big’s mysterious nature and penchant for withholding fit in with Carrie’s unsettled life as a young single in Manhattan. Aidan’s reemergence later in Carrie’s life feeds perfectly into her desire to feel settled and comfortable following the death of Mr. Big.
As for why she questioned the validity of her marriage to Mr. Big, Dr. Zhana doesn’t have an answer, but there’s room for speculation. It’s entirely possible that Carrie felt a bit guilty about reconnecting with Aidan, considering their shared history. The statement could have been an attempt to assuage her guilt. It’s possible she believed that if Aidan was the “right” one, she wasn’t in the wrong for rekindling her romance with him following her husband’s death.
While season 2 of And Just Like That… ended on a cliffhanger, Aidan will be back for season 3 of the reboot. It doesn’t look like the relationship will float along placidly, though. Based on photos from the set, seems Carrie and Aidan will have some drama. Max has not announced season 3’s official release date yet. Still, the season is expected to drop in the coming months.
