“A Woman's Right to Shoes”

Sex and the City season 6, episode 9
Original air date: August 17, 2003

(NB: TiVo thought this episode was called "No Shoes, No Service," but on the episode itself, it said "A Woman's Right to Shoes." Who knows where that comes from!)

Question of the Week: When did we stop being free to be you and me?

And scene:
Carrie and Stanford come bearing gifts to their friend Kyra's party celebrating her new baby. Carrie's figured out that she's spent over $2300 on her friendship with Kyra in the form of gifts, attending her wedding, and so forth. Neither Carrie nor Stanford is thrilled, then, when Kyra's sister makes them take their shoes off and leave them in a pile by the front door: Kyra's worried about her kids picking up germs tracked in by strangers' shoes. To add insult to injury, Carrie's $485 Manolo Blahniks are MIA at the end of the party.

Kyra's less than sympathetic about Carrie's shoes being stolen, though, and hands her a ratty pair of sneakers to go home in. Carrie's frustrated not just by the loss of her shoes but by Kyra's callousness. Kyra seems not to care that Carrie's shoes are gone, and moreover, seems incensed that Carrie's making such a big deal out of it.

The other girls convince Carrie that it's worth clearing the air with Kyra, and Miranda goes so far as to point out that, legally, Kyra owes Carrie for the shoes. Carrie confronts Kyra, and Kyra initially offers to pay for them, but when she hears how much they cost, she not only balks at subsidizing Carrie's extravagant lifestyle, but also very snidely points out that she and her husband live in the real world where people can't afford $500 shoes, more than implying that Carrie's world is not real.

This is more than a bit of a shocker to Carrie, who can't get over the fact that her longtime friend has forgotten what it's like to be a single gal. Carrie bemoans the fact that, unless she gets married, no one is ever going to take a day to celebrate her and her lifestyle choices and give her gifts.

Charlotte's having an equally trying time of it, now that Harry's moved in...or should I say, Hairy's moved in. At first it's just his bad habit of leaving tea bags on Charlotte's white tables and countertops where they can leave stains that bothers her. Charlotte discusses his habits with him, encouraging him to be comfortable now that it's "their" home, but just maybe not leave tea bags everywhere. Hairy takes her very literally and begins walking around naked all the time, sitting his hairy ass down on all of Charlotte's white couches and chairs. Quelle horror! Charlotte's even more mortified than before, but happily, she and Harry are able to work it out. Less Hairy = better for Harry.

Steve is beginning to look like a distant memory for Miranda, after her co-op board interviews a new tenant — Dr. Robert Leeds — who bears more than a passing resemblance to Jules of Miranda's favorite (fictional) BBC America show, Jules and Jim. She bumps into him a few times in the halls, and he tends to her chicken pox, which she's caught from Brady. He stops by to watch Jules and Jim with Miranda, awkwardly sitting down for one of the steamiest scenes. Neither of them seems to mind much, though.

Carrie and Kyra trade a few rounds of lifestyle judging back and forth, until Carrie decides that there's only one way to make her point. She calls Kyra to say that she's getting married ... to herself. She lets Kyra know that the only place she's registered is Manolo Blahnik. Kyra checks out Carrie's registry to find that she's only registered for one item — a pair of sparkly silver stiletto mules, $485. Kyra purchases them and has them sent to Carrie with a note from Kyra, her husband, and their three kids, saying that she hopes Carrie will be happy.