The following story contains spoilers for “And Just Like That” season two.
“And Just Like That” just wrapped up its second season on Aug. 24, and one of its buzziest storylines was the highly anticipated return of John Corbett as Aidan Shaw.
In the original “Sex and the City,” Aidan was one of Carrie’s primary love interests, but the pair never could make it work long-term. Fans wondered if this would finally be their chance, or if Aidan’s appearance would just end in more heartbreak for Carrie. Ahead, we’re revisiting their long, complicated relationship history, and what went down in season two.
In What Episode Did Carrie and Aidan Meet?
Aidan is first introduced in the season three episode “No Ifs, Ands, or Butts.” Carrie is relatively fresh off her most recent breakup with Big, who is now married to Natasha. As she tries to put herself back out there, Carrie meets Aidan, a charming and handsome furniture designer. Their meet-cute seems rom-com ready — it even involves a dog, as Aidan agrees to go out with Carrie because his dog likes her and is apparently a good judge of character.
Carrie and Aidan’s Relationship in “Sex and the City” Season 3
For a little while, all is well, and the pair embark on an actual relationship. When Aidan reveals that he has a rule against dating smokers, Carrie even quits smoking (with some bumps along the way, of course). They take their time with the physical side of their relationship, which surprises and, eventually, charms Carrie. She works to overcome some of her self-sabotaging tendencies, although she struggles with big milestones, like when Aidan wants her to meet his parents.
As any “Sex and the City” viewer knows, though, Carrie may be able to quit smoking, but she can’t seem to quit Big. When he returns to her life and tells her how unhappy he and Natasha are, the exes soon begin an affair. Carrie ultimately admits the truth to Aidan, and they break up.
Carrie and Aidan’s Relationship in “Sex and the City” Season 4
In the fourth season, Aidan reappears in Carrie’s life when he opens a bar with Steve, Miranda’s on-and-off boyfriend. There’s some awkward tension at first, but they soon realize that neither of them is really over the other. It’s a rocky start, especially as Aidan becomes emotionally distant when he learns that Carrie and Big are still in touch. Eventually, though, Carrie and Aidan agree to try to move on from the bad things in their past and truly commit to giving their romance another go.
Their relationship keeps getting more serious, and Aidan eventually proposes and moves in with Carrie. Knowing how much she loves her apartment, he even buys it for them, so that they can stay there and expand it for their new life together. As wedding and apartment plans build up, however, Carrie begins feeling intense anxiety and pressure. She wants to take it more slowly, which Aidan initially agrees to. After a black-tie event, Aidan asks Carrie to just ditch the wedding planning and elope. Carrie realizes that part of the reason Aidan is so eager to formally get married is that he still has trust issues over her cheating, and they break up again.
Carrie and Aidan Cross Paths Through the Years
In the original “Sex and the City” series, Carrie and Aidan only cross paths again once more in season six. While avoiding a bad date, Carrie bumps into Aidan. She finds out that he’s married now, to a fellow furniture designer named Kathy, and they have a son, Tate.
Carrie also bumps into Aidan in the “Sex and the City 2” movie, during a period when she and Big are struggling in their marriage. She runs into Aidan at a market in Abu Dhabi, and when he invites her to have dinner, she accepts. They reminisce about old times, she learns that he has since had two more sons, and they even share an impulsive kiss. Carrie runs away immediately and later tells Big about it. She and Big reconcile, and they remain together until his death at the beginning of “And Just Like That.”
Carrie and Aidan’s Relationship in “And Just Like That” Season 2
We learn that Carrie has kept tabs on Aidan and knows that he lives in Virginia, has been divorced for five years, and sold his furniture company to West Elm. After talking about him with some friends, she sends him an email to test the waters. And in episode seven of “And Just Like That” season two, Aidan makes his onscreen return. He just happens to have a work meeting in New York on Valentine’s Day, and they agree to meet up then. They’re both single, and they’re both interested in each other, but when Aidan learns that she still lives in the same apartment — the one where she broke his heart — he can’t agree to go back there. But they agree to start dating anyway.
Carrie decides to rent out Che’s Airbnb when he’s in town to get around Aidan’s disdain for her apartment. In episode eight, she even wonders if Big was a mistake and Aidan was the true love of her life. Carrie visits Aidan’s family in Virginia and meets his sons — though his youngest, Wyatt, 14, is not happy about his new girlfriend. Meanwhile, Carrie and Aidan get kicked out of their illegal Airbnb, and Carrie decides to finally get rid of her apartment and get a new place. It’ll have enough room for Aidan and his sons when they visit. Aidan’s ex-wife warns Carrie not to break his heart again, but she’s all-in on the romance.
However, just when Aidan and Carrie are getting ready for this big move, Aidan’s son Wyatt causes major issues. After a fight with his mom, he gets drunk, crashes Aidan’s truck, and breaks multiple bones. Aidan is bereft that he wasn’t there for his son and heads back to Virginia.
Which leads us to the season finale. Aidan returns to New York early to surprise Carrie, but drops some major bombshells. He thinks he needs to stay in Virginia long-term to be there for all three of his sons but especially Wyatt. He tells Carrie he won’t be with her fully until Wyatt is no longer a teenager, and since his birthday is the next week, that means five years. Carrie is obviously upset, but she basically agrees to wait for him. But as he returns to Virginia, she tells him no matter what, being with him and giving up her apartment will never be mistakes. Aidan assures her it’s all going to work out, but she’s clearly less sure.
We’ll have to wait for season three to see where they go from here for Carrie and Aidan, but we predict it’s not going to be a smooth five years.