The show Sex and the City was all about romance in the Big Apple. As Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha attempted to find true love among the denizens of New York City, fans became increasingly invested in the partners that became more permanent.
Inevitably, some pairings didn't work out the way fans wanted, and some didn't happen at all despite how much they fervently hoped. Over six seasons, they secretly wondered about some of these alternate couples that might have been given a shot if fate didn't intervene for the Fab Four.
Big & Samantha
It was Samantha who first struck up a conversation with Mr. Big in the first season of the series, trying to get his attention by suggestively smoking a cigar. Her forward approach may not have grabbed his attention like Carrie spilling her purse in front of him on the street, but the two alphas interaction has ignited fan discussion about why Big didn't end up going for Sam first.
If Samantha could date a hotel mogul like Richard Wright, she could certainly date a Wall Street hotshot like Big, who like her knew what he wanted and how to get it. No doubt some of the same insecurities that surfaced with Richard would have been present with an emotionally unavailable guy like Big, but their relationship wouldn't have been nearly as complicated as his was with Carrie because Samantha was much too candid and straightforward.
Charlotte & Aleksandr Petrosvky
When compared to Carrie, who actually ended up dating Aleksandr Petrovsky, Charlotte was the one person who might have been able to not only understand the artist's eccentric work process and his dedication to the art world but be happy to work with him in his area of expertise rather than feel suffocated by it.
Charlotte was the one who introduced Petrovsky to Carrie, and positively squealed with delight when she told him that her first important gallery sale when she moved to New York was his Abstract Number 1. Some fans believed she would have been a much more complimentary choice for him than Carrie.
Steve & Aidan
Furniture designer Aidan and bartender Steve had an easy friendship that developed organically when Carrie and Miranda started to date them around the same time. Steve was there for Aidan when Carrie broke his heart, and while Steve remained an impartial party in the middle of the drama, he protected Aidan from getting hurt further. When Miranda and Steve were going through their own difficulties, Aidan was there for his pal through the ups and downs.
While both of the men were known for being genuine, salt-of-the-Earth guys, they weren't afraid to express their feelings, even accessing the vulnerable sides of their personalities despite discomfort. When they opened a bar together, it could have been the start of a beautiful romantic relationship as well as a business relationship.
Miranda & Harry
Every that Miranda found endearing about Steve was present in Harry, except that Harry had lawyer hours and could understand Miranda's demanding schedule and lifestyle.
Miranda loved that Steve was down to Earth and authentic in comparison to the business professionals she normally dated, but his insecurities around his employment and their different financial status were an almost insurmountable problem in their relationship. Harry was just as accessible, friendly, and loving as Steve, but he was also much more settled. And fans couldn't help but notice that along with Miranda, Harry also disapproved of Carrie moving to Paris!
Carrie & Miranda
While a large portion of the series was devoted to Carrie's search for love, she received quite a bit of it from her best friends, and one, in particular, demonstrated her devotion time and again; Miranda. Though she could be harsh with Carrie, and the pair was capable of some huge fights, they were always able to work through their differences because they cared so much about one another.
Carrie and Miranda had a relationship built on being able to be brutally honest, so while Miranda made her opinion of Big loudly known, she also was the one who told him to go rescue her best friend from Paris. So it was no wonder that Carrie spent one of the most romantic nights of the year, New Year's Eve with Miranda, knowing there was no one she'd rather catch midnight magic with. Fans would have loved to see this true love bloom into something more.
Charlotte & Robert Leeds
Charlotte had her eyes on Trey because he fit into the cookie-cutter life she envisioned for herself, but Trey only amplified her superficial sides and wasn't emotionally mature enough to acknowledge his own. He was a cardiologist who didn't have the medical wherewithal to study and comprehend his own shortcomings and blamed Charlotte for the erosion of intimacy in their marriage.
Had Charlotte been with someone like Dr. Leeds, an expert in sports medicine who thought nothing of raising another man's child, and who proved to be a warm, loving partner to Miranda, she could have changed her narrow worldview in a lot of ways.
Samantha & Jeff Fenton
So he shopped in the Boys' section at Bloomingdales? There was literally nothing wrong with Jeff Fenton except that he was incredibly short. Handsome, charming, and a successful hedge fund manager, Jeff was everything Sam could have ever wanted in a man.
They dated for two weeks after Jeff cheekily made a at her, and what glimpses fans got of the pair included some of the wittiest repartees that the series had. Jeff could dish it out as well as he could take it, and if Sam hadn't dismissed him for superficial reasons, they could have made an incredible power couple.
Charlotte & Aidan
Of all of her friends, Charlotte was definitely the most traditional and conventional when it came to relationships, preferring her men to be like her clothes; sensible. While initially, she had a concept of what a fairytale romance was supposed to look like her Prince Charming, she soon learned to adapt that view to fit with her reality.
Aidan also coveted a traditional relationship, and while he was much more white picket fence than Park Ave, he was a reliable and earnest partner who would love someone unconditionally. Many fans felt that Carrie didn't fully appreciate the sterling qualities Aidan had to offer, wondering if perhaps he'd met someone like Charlotte if they couldn't have built a much more loving life together. And Charlotte would never lose his dog!
Enid & Aleksandr Petrosvky
In a perfect world, classy, refined, witty Vogue editor Enid Frick wouldn't have any trouble getting a guy, but after so memorably asking for Carrie's help scaring up a date in "Splat!," it's clear that she was just another accomplished woman in New York City competing for all the available men.
Carrie helped her friend by asking her then-beau Aleksandr Petrovsky to set Enid up with someone (which he did), but it was clear that Enid wished Petrovsky had gone after her instead. Fans couldn't help but wonder - if Petrovsky weren't so interested in arm candy, and could handle a woman his own age, would he be the perfect partner for someone like Enid?
Charlotte & Smith Jerrod
There was a time when Charlotte wasn't too classy to sloppily swap spit with Wylie Ford, Sex and the City's answer to Ryan Gosling who mistook a fire hydrant for a work of art at her gallery. Since she was willing to throw her velvet headband to the wind and spend an afternoon cavorting with his entourage, fans wondered if she wouldn't have had a better shot with waiter-turned-actor Smith Jerrod?
When he was dating Samantha, he proved to be kind, comionate, and not exactly into hooking up with one of his groupies. If he could help Sam through cancer, he would have stuck by Charlotte's side through her own journey with becoming a mother. While he might not have been quite as traditional as Charlotte, they would have made a sweet, wholesome couple.