‘Sex and the City’ Writers Missed an Opportunity to Inject More Drama Into Carrie and Mr. Big’s Relationship
Few Sex and the City fans would accuse the writers of not making Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big’s relationship dramatic enough. The couple’s on-again-off-again romance and the drama it brought propelled the series forward for six full seasons. Still, an abandoned storyline from season 1 feels a bit like a missed opportunity to inject a different dynamic into the relationship. What if Mr. Big’s mother made more than just one appearance?
Mr. Big’s mother appeared just once in Sex and the City then was never mentioned again
In the season 1 finale, Carrie grappled with issues she was having with Mr. Big. Her biggest problem was the fact that he refused to introduce her to his mother. Big revealed that he had introduced his mother to several girlfriends over the years and had no interest in doing it again. The statement wounded Carrie. She suddenly realized Big didn’t see a future with her.
The admission led to the couple’s very first breakup. While Carrie and Mr. Big went on to get back together, break up again, have an affair, form a friendship and, eventually get married, no one mentioned Mr. Big’s mother ever again. Presumably, she was still alive because Big nor Carrie ever acknowledged her death. Yet, Carrie seemingly never met her, and her exclusion from the rest of the series may have been a big mistake.
Mr. Big’s mother could have brought a new dimension to Carrie and Mr. Big’s relationship
Mr. Big’s mother vanished from Sex and the City just as quickly as she arrived. Instead of dealing with Big’s mother and Carrie’s feelings about not meeting the family, writers redirected her angst. Instead, she focused on how Mr. Big wouldn’t give her a key to his apartment or let her keep her stuff at his place. She focused on how he waltzed in and out of her life on a whim. Carrie even railed against Big for failing to consider her in his day-to-day existence. In the end, his lack of interest in Carrie meeting his mother was probably the biggest indication that he didn’t see Carrie, at that point, as a long-term partner.
If writers had forced the issue, Mr. Big’s mom could have brought an entirely new dynamic and brand new drama to the couple’s relationship. What if Mrs. Preston hated Carrie? Would Big have been drawn close to Carrie or forced to cast her aside? What if Mrs. Preston loved Carrie? Would the commitment-phobic Big run, or would he quickly commit to keep his mom happy? It’s hard to say because the writers never explored the concept. They likely won’t be exploring it now in And Just Like That, either. Fans aren’t even sure if Mr. Big will appear in the series.
What would have happened if Mr. Big’s mother approved of Natasha but not Carrie?
Fans can assume that Mr. Big’s mother met his second wife, Natasha. Carrie considered herself to be the opposite of Natasha, and both women appeared to be threatened by one another. Natasha, portrayed by Bridget Moynahan was supposed to be the type of woman Mr. Big was supposed to marry. She was proper, from a wealthy family, and, surprisingly, rather vanilla. Natasha was likely the exact type of woman that Mr. Big’s mother would have approved of.
On the other hand, Carrie was likely the opposite of what Big’s mother would have envisioned for him. Her job alone probably would have been problematic. Could you imagine how that type of dynamic could have changed everything about Sex and the City? Fans never got to see it because the writers made it a habit to avoid talk of families. Still, it’s an interesting concept.
