Sex and the City: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Steve (& 5 Times We Hated Him)

Of all the men on Sex and the City, affable Steve Brady was often seen as one of the most dependable and relatable. A Brooklyn boy through and through, he was proud of his job as a bartender and wasn’t afraid to aim beyond his estimation when it came to life partners, setting his sights on high-powered lawyer Miranda Hobbes. Steve softened her edges and made her pause her hectic work schedule to appreciate the little moments in life that made all the toil worthwhile.

As amiable as Steve was, he was also flagrantly passive-aggressive and pushy, coercing Miranda into all sorts of choices despite her resistance. For all of Steve’s doting on Miranda, he resented her success and often made her feel poorly about it (despite the fact that she used it to dote on him). Steve proved that no amount of goofy smiles could make up for immaturity or insensitivity, but was it a reason for Miranda to hold him in contempt of court?

10 FELT BAD FOR HIM: WHEN MIRANDA MADE HIM FEEL INFERIOR

From the moment Miranda walked into his bar, she made Steve feel inferior by the way she barked her drink order at him and proceeded to treat him like he was her inferior. This would be a trend throughout their entire relationship, reaching an apex over a new suit.

When Miranda wanted to take Steve as her date to one of her firm’s important social events, she offered to buy him a designer suit, but Steve insisted on footing the bill because he didn’t want Miranda to think he couldn’t afford his own clothing.

9 HATED HIM: WHEN HE FORCED MIRANDA TO DATE HIM

Miranda is very clear from the beginning that Steve is just a one-night stand to her. Not taking the hint, he stalks her and shows up unannounced at her apartment the next day, pretty much forcing her to date him.

Later in the series after they break up, he spies her putting distance between herself and him because she’s not ready to interact with him. He shows up yet again to her front door and shames her for not forcing interaction when she was clearly unprepared.

8 FELT BAD FOR HIM: WHEN MIRANDA PUT HIM DOWN IN FRONT OF THE GIRLS

Steve does an admirable job of trying to get to know Miranda’s friends when he meets them for the first time, despite the fact that Miranda treats him like a surf. He gets all the girls a round, hoping to impress them, but Miranda lets him know his presence is no longer required.

Steve says his goodbyes like a gentleman and still pays for their drinks, only to slink out into a downpour. He’s the picture of pathetic trudging in the rain, until Miranda comes to her senses.

7 HATED HIM: WHEN HE CHEATED ON DEBBIE TO BE WITH MIRANDA

When Steve and Miranda broke up, they each processed the end of their relationship in different ways. Miranda took a little longer to find another boyfriend, whereas Steve was already fielding dates (with their messages being left on Miranda’s answering machine).

When Steve finally settled on a keeper he chose Debbie, who didn’t just complement him – she was the antithesis of Miranda in every way. She enjoyed basketball, a cold beer, and Steve’s sense of humor, but he cheated on her for one more shot with Miranda at his own son’s birthday party.

6 FELT BAD FOR HIM: WHEN HE FOUND OUT HIS MOTHER WAS LIVING IN SQUALOR

When Miranda dated Steve she got a two-for-one package because Steve was nothing if not a doting son to his mother. Miranda couldn’t always tolerate Steve’s “Ma” and her tactless behavior, but she was there for him when she showed signs of dementia.

When they investigated his mother’s apartment, they found she was living in horrible conditions; there was trash everywhere, rats running along the floor, and cockroaches. He couldn’t believe she was no longer able to care for herself, and criticized himself for being negligent.

5 HATED HIM: WHEN HE MADE MIRANDA MOVE TO BROOKLYN

Miranda embodied Manhattan; she was fast paced, aggressive, and wound tight. She viewed it as the nexus of everything important in New York City, and could never imagine herself living anywhere else except at the epicenter of productivity.

Under the guise of child development and his sheepish notion of raising Brady in a more idyllic environment, Steve campaigned dogmatically for Miranda to move to Brooklyn with him despite her feelings.

4 FELT BAD FOR HIM: WHEN HE GOT TESTICULAR CANCER

Of all the men on Sex and the City, Steve was one of the most truly selfless and kind, and listening to him share his feelings about how his cancer made him feel like less of a man was poignant for that reason.

Steve going through treatment for testicular cancer on the series was profoundly emotional because although they were broken up at the time that he told her of his diagnosis, fans watched Miranda become his biggest supporter when he needed it most.

3 HATED HIM: WHEN HE CHEATED ON MIRANDA

The Sex and the City movies weren’t kind to the men from the series. Aidan Shaw, who fans expected would be a sterling husband and father was turned into a cheater, and so was Steve, all because his sex life with Miranda was in a drought.

Fans were shocked to find out that because Miranda and Steve hadn’t been intimate in six months, Steve strayed from their marriage and “broke” them. She miraculously took him back, despite him having a history of cheating (even if it was with her).

2 FELT BAD FOR HIM: WHEN MIRANDA DIDN’T APPRECIATE THE HONEYMOON HE PLANNED

After Steve and Miranda got married in an uncomplicated and simple ceremony among friends, Steve whisked Miranda off for a honeymoon devoid of the distractions of city life. He was adamant that for the few days they would be alone together they focus on each other.

Miranda wasn’t able to give this to Steve, vociferously declaring that she couldn’t function without a television, radio, or her cell phone. She couldn’t even sacrifice a few creature comforts to make a show of respecting his feelings because she felt the action was a personal attack.

1 HATED HIM: WHEN HE MADE MIRANDA FEEL GUILTY FOR HER SUCCESS

It was no secret that Steve was resentful of Miranda’s successful career and in turn her financially stable lifestyle. He cajoled her for caring more about her work than him, often guilt-tripping her for going into the office rather than watching him practice his free throws or watch cartoons with him on the couch.

When she was worried her career would be impacted by having a baby, he coaxed her into having one with him despite her insistence that it wasn’t the right time because she was trying to make partner at her firm.

About The Author

Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
(1343 Articles Published)

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she’s particularly proud of. When she isn’t writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she’s working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.

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