Whether you like her character or not, Carrie Bradshaw has influenced countless generations. With her ever evolving character, there is a Carrie era for everyone. From Sex And The City to The Carrie Diaries, we have followed the shoe-infatuated sex columnist through nearly every walk of life, and have watched as she’s made (some) questionable choices.
Through the release of The Carrie Diaries in 2013, the younger sister to Sex And The City, we get introduced to a different version of Bradshaw, her high school self. The series not only provided us with a new perspective on her character, it gave us watchers countless plot holes to patch together.
In the preceding spectacle, we are introduced to a bright eyed Carrie who completed her outfits with a thick pair of metaphorical rose-colored glasses. She was overly optimistic, and knew exactly what she wanted out of life. Her days were occupied by eating at the local diner with her highschool comrades, and her nights were spent fleeing New Jersey suburbia to see her fashion editor mentor, Larissa Loughlin in the big apple.
In stark contrast to the teen who had her life figured out, the Carrie we are greeted with in Sex And The City is a debt-ridden, cigarette-addicted, hopelessly single shopaholic who has no idea what she’s doing.
Carrie’s integrity is something that fluctuated throughout both series. Perhaps the striking contrast in optimism was purposeful; showing how young adult life beats you down and tests you. Or maybe the writers had to water down her true character in order to please the audience The Carrie Diaries was geared toward.
Whatever the reason, adulthood changed the extremely determined side of Carrie we were given a glimpse into. Other plot holes include her family life, and how she came to meet Samantha Jones, a fan favorite character.
In The Carrie Diaries, we are introduced to Carrie shortly after her mother dies, where she is left with her father and little sister Dorrit. While in Sex And The City, she only briefly mentions her family, and states that her father left her and her mother when she was five years old, and there is no mention of any siblings.
Part of why Sex In The City fans find such refuge in the series is because of how relatable it is at times. Especially as a woman, being able to witness four fictional women whose lives did not end when they were 20 is refreshing and relieving. None of the characters are perfect, Carrie far from it, but that’s what makes it so addictive.
Carrie might have not always known what she was doing, or where she was going, but she always knew who she was and what shoes to wear.