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Sex and the City ending: Creator Darren Star says fairytale finale ‘ultimately betrayed’ point of the show

'Unless you’re there to write every episode, you’re not going to get the ending you want'

Jack Shepherd
Sunday 17 January 2016 06:47 EST
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Sex and the City - Final scene from the TV series

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If you were disappointed when Sex and the City finished with a fairy-tale ending, you’re not alone.

Show creator Darren Star has revealed he too was frustrated by Carrie ending up with her on/off partner Mr Big, saying that it ‘ultimately betrayed’ what the show was about.

“I didn’t break those last episodes,” he told Deadline. “If you’re empowering other people to write and produce your show… at a certain point, you’ve got to let them follow their vision.

“But I think the show ultimately betrayed what it was about, which was that women don’t ultimately find happiness from marriage. Not that they can’t. But the show initially was going off script from the romantic comedies that had come before it. That’s what had made women so attached.”

Cast members from HBO television series 'Sex and the City'
Cast members from HBO television series 'Sex and the City' (Getty Images/Handout)

While the writer/producer did not reveal what his preferred ending would be, Carrie actress Sarah Jessica Parker previously revealed two alternative endings had been filmed: one in which Petrovsky goes home after Carrie, and one where the character returns to New York alone.

“At the end, it became a conventional romantic comedy,” Star continued. “But unless you’re there to write every episode, you’re not going to get the ending you want.”

Of course, later on their relationship would go through a few changes in the films – both of which most people would rather forget about.

In the same interview, Star revealed that Lisa Edelstein, who played Lisa Cuddy in House, was next in line to play Carrie if Parker wasn’t available.

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