“Sex and the City” follows four women with distinct personalities whose lives are always full of both fun and devastating surprises. No matter who they are dating or breaking up with, the ladies always find themselves at home with one another, sharing their deepest darkest over cosmos (and cigarettes, in Carrie’s case). The opening theme song is familiar with bright, twirly sounds that entice you to join the cast for yet another romantic and comedic life experience.
The show, which ran on HBO from 1998 to 2004, is mostly light-hearted and it’s common to hear the laughs of each of the characters as they reflect on their lives. However, the show also explores darker themes that include affairs, death, personal failures, and miscarriage. For example, in the fifth season, Miranda struggles to balance her work life with her life as a new mother. She faces incessant challenges each day, feeling as if she’s failing in the two most important aspects of her life.
There’s never an absence of love or sex in the show as Carrie works as a columnist who covers sex and dating in New York City. You join her as she “can’t help but wonder” about men, including whether all Manhattan men are freaks, what it costs to not have a boyfriend, and what creates sexual perversions. As the women explore their interests and date around the city, you watch their characters develop. For some fans, the characters get increasingly annoying but for others, they’re even more endearing with flaws and all. No matter how you feel about Carrie by the last season, you can’t help but be impressed with the way she ever-so-gracefully manages to run through the city nearly every episode wearing her favorite pair of ultra-expensive heels. (And speaking of cosmos, here are some facts you should know about the cosmopolitan.)
To determine the best episodes of “Sex and the City,” 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception from IMDb. Episodes were ranked based on average IMDb user rating as of March 2024. In the case of a tie, the episode with the greater number of audience ratings was ranked higher.
50. Critical Condition (Season 5, Episode 6)
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Source: Getty Images / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 611
49. Lights, Camera, Relationship (Season 6, Episode 5)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 629
48. To Market, to Market (Season 6, Episode 1)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 641
47. Boy, Interrupted (Season 6, Episode 10)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 647
46. Belles of the Balls (Season 4, Episode 10)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 648
45. Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman (Season 3, Episode 3)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 667
44. Luck Be an Old Lady (Season 5, Episode 3)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 673
43. Sex and Another City (Season 3, Episode 14)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 679
42. Politically Erect (Season 3, Episode 2)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 689
41. Easy Come, Easy Go (Season 3, Episode 9)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 699
40. The Caste System (Season 2, Episode 10)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 723
39. The Freak Show (Season 2, Episode 3)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 800
38. Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Season 1, Episode 12)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 863
37. Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys (Season 1, Episode 4)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 1,010
36. Out of the Frying Pan (Season 6, Episode 16)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 604
35. The Domino Effect (Season 6, Episode 11)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 607
34. Hop, Skip, and a Week (Season 6, Episode 6)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 627
33. What Goes Around Comes Around (Season 3, Episode 17)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 664
32. Are We Sluts? (Season 3, Episode 6)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 666
31. Was It Good for You? (Season 2, Episode 16)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 685
30. The Agony and the Ex-tacy (Season 4, Episode 1)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 717
29. Shortcomings (Season 2, Episode 15)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 722
28. Where There’s Smoke… (Season 3, Episode 1)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 733
27. They Shoot Single People, Don’t They? (Season 2, Episode 4)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 835
26. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Season 2, Episode 1)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 867
25. The Drought (Season 1, Episode 11)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 874
24. Just Say Yes (Season 4, Episode 12)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 614
23. All That Glitters (Season 4, Episode 14)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 645
22. I Love a Charade (Season 5, Episode 8)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 649
21. The Good Fight (Season 4, Episode 13)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 659
20. Splat! (Season 6, Episode 18)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 672
19. A Woman’s Right to Shoes (Season 6, Episode 9)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 680
18. Cock-a-Doodle-Do (Season 3, Episode 18)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 726
17. The Ick Factor (Season 6, Episode 14)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 628
16. The Catch (Season 6, Episode 8)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 655
15. Running with Scissors (Season 3, Episode 11)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 679
14. La Douleur Exquise! (Season 2, Episode 12)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 785
13. The Man, the Myth, the Viagra (Season 2, Episode 8)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 839
12. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda (Season 4, Episode 11)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 674
11. One (Season 6, Episode 12)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 688
10. The Post-It Always Sticks Twice (Season 6, Episode 7)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 727
9. Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women (Season 2, Episode 17)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 784
8. Hot Child in the City (Season 3, Episode 15)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 849
7. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Season 3, Episode 12)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb user reviews: 704
6. My Motherboard, My Self (Season 4, Episode 8)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb user reviews: 764
5. An American Girl in Paris: Part Une (Season 6, Episode 19)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb user reviews: 794
4. I Heart NY (Season 4, Episode 18)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 799
3. The Real Me (Season 4, Episode 2)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 895
2. Ex and the City (Season 2, Episode 18)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 909
1. An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux (Season 6, Episode 20)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 1,260