“The Domino Effect”

Sex and the City season 6, episode 11
Original air date: September 07, 2003

Question of the Week: Just how dangerous is an open heart?

And scene:
Carrie and the girls navigate both mental and physical anguish as each of them encounters the medical community this week. Carrie kicks it off when she goes to pieces each time she thinks about the fact that Big is in town. But not because she's nervous about seeing him or what it means for their relationship: he's in town for open-heart surgery. He claims it's nothing serious, but Carrie can't help bursting into tears every time she talks about it.

Miranda's doing more than just brushing up against Dr. Leeds these days. After Robert convinces her to take a day off to spend in bed with him, Steve walks in on them having sex and slams his face against the doorjamb in an attempt to run out. He breaks his nose, which Robert tends, and the whole situation leads to a nice pissing contest between Steve and Miranda over which of their new loves — Debbie or Robert — is the better catch.

Samantha needs medical attention after falling down a stairwell. Smith keeps reaching for her hand, trying to physically and emotionally draw her in to a closer relationship. In one of her attempts to avoid him, though, she falls into an open stairwell where a grocer is loading produce. She has to hobble around the city in a boot, and Smith eventually prevails, telling her to grow up and just hold his damn hand.

Charlotte actually goes in search of a medical miracle when she learns about the fabulous Dr. Mao, a fertility specialist who uses acupuncture to work wonders. Charlotte's unable to concentrate during her sessions at Dr. Mao's office, though, what with street protests outside the window. The most valuable lesson Dr. Mao teaches her is to tune out the noise around her. Charlotte's never gotten such helpful advice, as she finds herself now able to ignore the chatter of the frou-frou ladies dithering over her childless condition.

Carrie, meanwhile, is nursing Big back to health in his room at the Four Seasons when he develops an alarming fever. She plays dominoes with him, repeatedly takes his temperature, and bathes his forehead with cool water until at last, he turns to her and asks why they shouldn't just be together. Carrie's stunned that Big seems to be opening his heart to her, and tentatively returns his affection. Then again, when he wakes up in the morning, his fever has broken, and he brusquely flicks Carrie's hand aside when she tries to check his temperature again.