10 Scrapped Sex and the City & And Just Like That Storylines (& Where They Were Headed)

#10: Bigs Moms Small Role

Remember when Carrie made such a big deal about meeting Bigs mom that she literally followed them to church and caused a whole scene? Big finally introduces her as his friend. Maybe she was too embarrassed to bring it up again after that, or maybe she finally decided to respect someone elses boundaries for once, but we never met Bigs mom again. That moment said so much about where Carrie and Big kept going wrong. We wonder how things couldve played out if his mom had actually had a bigger role. Maybe shed tell Carrie the truth Big never could. Or maybe shed tell her son to stop being an idiot and just commit already.

#9: Carries Financial Fiasco

It took Carrie four seasons to cotton onto what the rest of us already knew she was living way beyond her means. Somehow, this season four episode is the first time she truly reckons with it, and of course, she does it in the most Carrie way possible. Yes, she mentions a Vogue column and later lands a book deal, but we never really find out if she claws her way out of the financial hole. After that dramatic meltdown, complete with shoe math and Charlotte offering her engagement ring, youd think thered be follow-through. This couldve been a long-term arc, making Carrie more grounded and, honestly, far more relatable.

#8: Miranda Has Her Cake

And eats it too. This ones a little different because, technically, the storyline did play out, just not how they originally planned. In the episode, Miranda turns to cake during a bit of a dry spell. Honestly, it might be one of the most relatable things shes ever done. But that scene was actually a reshoot. Cynthia Nixon once said the original version looked like something out of Psycho, with jump cuts as Miranda spirals. In the end, they felt it was too much of a tonal shift. But maybe thats exactly what it needed. Weve all had those moments where we totally unraveled, and this couldve captured that in a very powerful way.

#7: Why Did They Skip Out on Skipper?

Remember Skipper? Carries friend and Mirandas season one fling? He was a sweet, younger guy who adored her until she stomped on his heart, and he vanished. Actor Ben Weber, who played him, has no idea why Skipper got the boot but suspects he was collateral damage once the show found its tone. Still, we can imagine an alternate timeline where Skipper stuck around. Maybe not as Mirandas endgame, but as a recurring counterweight to her cynicism. Or even as a platonic foil for Carrie, who too often surrounded herself with emotionally messy men. He wouldnt have changed much, but his honesty couldve brought a softer contrast to all the noise.

#6: Samanthas Sexuality

For a show that could be pretty progressive at times, it often dropped the ball when it came to exploring sexuality. Just look at Samantha and Maria. The problem wasnt that Samantha, whod never shown interest in women, was suddenly dating one. Its that once they broke up, the show never brought it up again. For a self-professed try-sexual, its a shame she wasnt able to explore her sexuality with the same care and complexity given to the series heteronormative relationships. Samantha was already an icon for her open-mindedness, so imagine what it couldve meant to see her continue that journey. Especially back then, when it was still rare to see queer storylines like that in mainstream media.

#5: Miranda Doesnt Go to L.A.

Miranda and Ches relationship was one of AJLTs most divisive arcs. Once fiercely independent, with strong opinions on pretty much everything, Miranda suddenly seemed to vanish into this new romance. In the season one finale, she ditches a prestigious internship to follow Che to L.A. but that wasnt always the plan. Originally, Che was supposed to stop by Rocks They-mitzvah for a heart-to-heart, where Miranda would choose to stay in New York. But at the table read, it felt off. The writers scrapped it, opting instead for what they felt was the more unexpected outcome. They then added that bathroom scene with Carrie to help Miranda explain her decision.

#4: The Return of Trey MacDougal

Charlotte always had this picture-perfect fantasy of how her life would turn out, but life isnt a fairytale. Its actually during her divorce that she meets the man she was truly meant to be with, and hes certainly not the Prince Charming shed imagined. Interestingly the one and only time we see Trey and Harry meet is in a deleted scene. Charlotte runs into her ex-husband at a pool party and immediately worries about keeping up appearances. Harrys such a mensch here, and honestly, Charlotte needed this reality check. Unfortunately, this storyline likely wont get a second life since Kyle MacLachlan declined to return for the revival. But hey, nothings set in stone, right?

#3: The Alternate Endings

If you ask us, Sex and the City wrapped things up pretty neatly. But that wasnt the only ending the writers had in mind. Reportedly, they toyed with four different options to keep everyone on their toes but each still ended with Carrie returning to New York. The main difference was whether shed come back with Big, Petrovsky, or on her own. In one draft, Big flies to Paris but gets cold feet at the last minute. Another had Carrie returning engaged...to Petrovsky. And a third was a longer take on the final version, where Carrie explains how Big finally committed to her. So, did they pick the right ending? That really depends on who you think was Carries true soulmate.

#2: Sex and the City 3

By now, weve all heard about the potential third movie and the disagreements that reportedly led to it getting scrapped. One storyline, Bigs passing, was repurposed in AJLT as the catalyst for Carrie to start a new chapter, just as she would have in the movie. However, there was also allegedly a storyline between Samantha, Brady, and the camera function on his cell phone. Yes, it is what youre thinking, and yes, it gives us every level of the ick. Apparently, this may be one of the reasons Kim Cattrall passed on the movie. Honestly, this one doesnt deserve to be on the cutting room floor; it just needs to be obliterated from existence.

#1: Carries Dad

If we ignore The Carrie Diaries which basically retcons the one thing we know about Carries family, how much do we really know about the Bradshaws? Apparently, that was by design. The creators purposely avoided digging too deeply into the ladies backstories. Still, there was reportedly a deleted scene where Carrie finds a photo of her father in a desk drawer. The idea was abandoned to avoid complicating the narrative and stop viewers from tying certain behaviors back to her childhood. Were not saying the show needed a full cast of family members, but we couldnt help but wonder what light it mightve shed on Carrie if her past popped up now and then.

Which Sex and the City storyline would you have wanted to see on the show? Let us know in the comments