‘Sex and the City’: Fans Point Out That Steve Brady Might Not Have Been That Nice of a Guy
Before Charlotte York met Harry Goldenblatt, and before Carrie Bradshaw hooked up with Aidan Shaw, Steve Brady was Sex and the City’s resident “nice guy.” Fans of the series rooted for Steve to capture the heart of the cynical Miranda Hobbes from his first appearance on the show in season 2. After a lot of false starts, the couple finally tied the knot in season 6 and lived, mostly happily-ever-after. If you look at it from a different angle, though, Steve may not have been that nice of a guy.
Miranda was an underrated character
Sex and the City fans have spent years debating the merits of each character. Samantha’s sexually liberated persona has won her plenty of fans, while Charlotte’s desire to live in a romantic comedy endeared her to viewers. Carrie resonated with the 20-somethings who crowded around the TV when Sex and the City originally aired, too. Miranda, however, was pegged as the uptight and opinionated one. Her fashion choices weren’t nearly as forward as her friends, and her high-powered career made her seem a little boring.
Miranda, however, was incredibly underrated. Her success as a lawyer was often looked at with disdain, and Miranda often lamented that men penalized her for her success. Fans largely believed she had gotten a happy ending with Steve, and usually credit Steve with helping Miranda relax. Steve, however, wasn’t that great a guy. As for Miranda, well, why did she have to change, anyway?
Steve was so self-conscious that he couldn’t deal with dating a successful woman
Reddit fans point out that Steve was pushy from the start, but he was an absolute jerk when he broke up with Miranda the first time around. Steve and Miranda started dating after a one-night stand, and things were going well, even though Miranda was far more successful. When Miranda asked Steve to accompany her to a company dinner, she took him to purchase a new suit. Steve couldn’t afford the purchase, and he refused to let Miranda pay for it.
Just before the event, Steve turned up at Miranda’s door to end their relationship because he didn’t feel “good about himself.” Not only did Steve admit that Miranda’s success threatened his masculinity, but he broke up with her at the worst possible moment. Turning up minutes before Miranda had to be at a work event to break up with her for being too successful was pretty childish.
Steve refused to respect Miranda’s boundaries
While fans of Steve insist he was good for Miranda and helped her lighten up, that might not have been the case. Throughout the show’s six seasons, it became increasingly clear that Steve was someone who refused to respect Miranda’s boundaries. Plus, Steve wasn’t nearly as easy-going as most fans perceived him. Steve was just as rigid as Miranda; he just approached things in a more lighthearted way.
When Steve wanted to move in with Miranda, he pouted until she let him live with her. Later, when she tried to put off the idea of having kids, he was passive-aggressive. When Miranda broke up with him after they moved in together, he gave a new girl Miranda’s phone number so he could set up a date. When Miranda made it clear she didn’t want to move out of Manhattan, Steve pushed the idea of Brooklyn until Miranda acquiesced and bought a home in the outer Burrough. Where some of those decisions good for Miranda? Probably, but Steve didn’t always approach things well.
