Carrie, Carrie, will you ever marry? Will you stay in Paris with your Russian hottie, Petrovsky, or return to New York with Mr. Big?
Or are you destined to strap on your Manolo Blahniks and totter off into the sunset with Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, the friends who may be the true loves of your life?
The suspense ends Sunday night at 8, when HBO airs the final episode of “Sex and the City.” Since its debut in 1998, the groundbreaking series has had a powerful effect on popular culture, turning cast members Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis into a style-setting quartet to rival the Beatles.
What their characters have taught us about life, love and the joys of fashion took years to play out. But there are five essential lessons every “Sex and the City” fan knows.
1. Four hundred bucks isn’t too much to spend on shoes.
Expensive designer clothes weren’t merely an indulgence for Carrie and her pals. They were gorgeous armor to gird them for battle as outspoken, single women.
2. Women’s conversations are sometimes rated NC-17.
Sure, Carrie and crew had plenty of romantic exploits over the seasons. What was revolutionary was their habit of discussing them–without blushes or apologies–during racy gab sessions.
3. A froufrou cocktail can be a celebration of life.
A shot of vodka, a splash of cranberry juice and a few other ingredients became a national craze when “Sex” popularized Cosmopolitans.
4. New Yorkers think Manhattan is the center of the universe.
Sexy singles in Chicago beg to differ.
5. Boyfriends come and go, but girlfriends are forever.
Through all their flings and fairy-tale romances, the one constant in the foursome’s frantically complicated love lives was their loyalty to one another.
