Sex And The City: Carrie & Aidan’s Relationship Timeline

Carrie Bradshaw and Aidan Shaw’s relationship was a whirlwind on Sex and the City. He was the only love interest that gave Big a run for his money. The two fell for each other quickly and connected on the fact that they barely had anything in common but loved one another.

In fact, it was because they had nothing in common that led to their demise because Carrie never felt like she could be honest with Aidan. From meeting each other at a furniture expo to breaking up in front of a fountain, Carrie and Aidan’s relationship timeline was complex. 

Their First Meeting

When Carrie and Big’s relationship timeline came to a halt, Carrie was open to new people and experiences. The first time Carrie and Aidan meet is in “No Ifs, Ands, Or Butts.”

As a furniture designer, Carrie fell in love with not just his appearance but his designs. The two agreed to go on a date because Aidan realized that his dog Pete liked her and he was a great judge of character. The two ventured out and got to know each other, which went well until Aidan found out Carrie was a smoker…. 

People Knew It Was Serious When Carrie Chose Aidan Over Cigarettes 

At the end of their first date, Aidan told Carrie that he couldn’t date or marry a smoker — it was just a rule he had. Because Carrie liked him so much, she lied and told him she didn’t smoke that often. In reality, it was sad that Carrie wasn’t capable of getting through a date without a smoke break. 

The next day at brunch, Carrie told the girls that she was considering giving up smoking for him. It was then that everyone realized how serious Carrie was about Aidan because she was willing to give up cigarettes. Although it took Carrie time to quit fully, and Aidan did catch her smoking after a date, Carrie eventually became smoke-free for Aidan. 

They Took It Slow

In ‘Are We Sluts?’ Carrie was upset that Aidan was taking their relationship so slow. After their dates, the two would kiss for a while but he never attempted to go any further. Carrie wondered if he viewed her as a friend or if there was something wrong with her. Compared to Carrie’s exes, none respected boundaries more than Aidan.

Aidan eventually revealed that he really liked Carrie and didn’t want to rush the physical side of their relationship without getting to know each other first. It was the first time a man showed that kind of respect for Carrie and the two became closer because of it. 

Perfection And Meeting The Parents 

After years of mind games with Big, Carrie realized that her relationship with Aidan was close to perfect. The two never bickered and they understood each other. However, perfection scared Carrie and she began to miss the days of being unavailable. 

Although Aidan wanted Carrie to meet his parents, she realized she needed him to give her some space so he could miss her. Aidan did just that and didn’t reach out to Carrie when his parents were in town. It was then that Carrie realized she was sabotaging her relationship and gave into her fears of a near-perfect relationship. 

The Disastrous Affair 

In “Easy Come, Easy Go”’ Carrie and Aidan ran into Big and Natasha at a furniture show. Big told Carrie later that his relationship was crumbling and he was getting a divorce. Big’s admission made Carrie uncomfortable since she was in a happy relationship now.

Big soon started calling Carrie, which led to Carrie meeting with him to tell him to stop calling her because she was happy with Aidan. However, Carrie couldn’t help herself around Big and the two started an affair. By the time Charlotte’s wedding rolled around, Carrie knew she couldn’t keep a secret from him any longer. Carrie told Aidan she cheated on him and that was the end of chapter one for Aidan and Carrie. Fans felt horrible for Aidan because he couldn’t look past Carrie’s infidelities.

The Beginning Of Scout

After they broke up, Carrie dated around and felt like herself again. A season later, however, Carrie and Miranda ran into Aidan and Steve. As it turned out, the two exes teamed up and were opening a bar called Scout. 

Carrie went to the bar’s opening to be nice and realized that she never got over Aidan. Fans found a problem with how strong Carrie came on to Aidan, especially knowing he was scarred by her. She realized she was still in love with him and Aidan couldn’t deny the feelings he still had for her either. Chapter two of Carrie and Aidan suddenly began. 

An Issue Of Trust

Carrie and Aidan’s new relationship started exciting. But once he found out that Big’s toxicity was still a part of Carrie’s life and that he called her regularly, Aidan began to pull away. He became cold and distant as a way to unintentionally punish Carrie. 

Carrie had enough of the mind games and told Aidan if he couldn’t forgive her for what she did in the past then they had to break up because this wasn’t what she signed up for. Aidan agreed to put his guard down and the two started anew. 

Aidan’s Possible Future: The Cabin 

Viewers saw Carrie and Aidan’s differences under a spotlight when he introduced his country cabin to Carrie. He had a love of nature and built the cabin by hand. The cabin had no air conditioner, no reception, and was miles away from civilization. Aidan loved every minute of it but Carrie hated the idea of spending her summers there. 

It took some time, but Carrie eventually came clean and told him how much she hated it. This wasn’t a dealbreaker in their relationship but this side of Carrie didn’t necessarily age well because it was the beginning of her and Aidan’s ongoing problems.

The Proposal And An Expansion 

Eventually, Aidan spent so much time at Carrie’s that he was leaving more and more of his things there. With the two spending so much time together, Aidan dropped down to his knee and proposed to Carrie. Carrie accepted his proposal and Aidan moved in. And in a surprising twist, bought her apartment so they could expand it for their new life together.

Shortly after, cracks in their relationship began to show. Carrie hated his things being in her apartment and suddenly felt sick at the thought of getting married. 

The End Of the Aidan Era

Once Aidan started construction on their apartment expansion, Carrie had a meltdown. She told Aidan they were moving too fast and she wasn’t ready to get married. Carrie felt like a bad girlfriend because she wasn’t at the same stage in the relationship as he was. Aidan promised they could take things slowly but that changed in “Change of A dress.”

With both of them wearing black and white from an event, Aidan urged Carrie to elope. She then realized he wanted to marry her quickly because he still didn’t trust her. With Carrie unable to marry him, Aidan broke up with her for good and moved out. What followed was Carrie having to buy her apartment back from Aidan and learning to move on. Years later, Carrie ran into Aidan on the street and found out he was married and had a son. As awkward as it was, she was happy he got what he was looking for and so did she.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1657 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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