“Men cheat for the same reason that dogs lick their balls – because they can. It’s part of their biology” – Samantha

IT’S been a long time coming, but in this episode it finally dawns on Carrie that adopting a classic “dicks before chicks” approach by sneaking off from her pals to see Big is really not on.

Was reviving the relationship a stupid idea? Yes, and she knows it. Are her friends entitled to be infuriated? Yes – both because they don’t want to see her hurt and because they know that brunch is going to be hijacked for months by Carrie going over the same old ground.

It would have been nice to see some more reflection on why she has succumbed to Big’s dubious charms at this point – she admits “Sure, I knew it was wrong, seeing an emotionally unavailable man I had sworn off months earlier” – given that basically nothing has changed since the first time around.

Instead we have the meaty matter of cheating to discuss – sort of. Charlotte’s dismayed when she catches the man she’s seeing kissing another woman *while he’s on a date with Charlotte*, Miranda’s having to compete for  her boyfriend’s attention with the porn films he insists on watching in bed, and Samantha dates a personal trainer who trims her lady garden – and a few other ladies’ gardens – into a lightning bolt.

The approach to these three hot topics – exclusivity, porn addition and pubic styling – is decidedly quaint, given the episode was made pre-Tinder, when regular Brazilians were not the norm (even for women like Samantha, who observes “it’s a very neglected area”), and when porn collections were stored on VHS videos. It’s worth noting the cultural shift between this episode and the first Sex and the City film, in which Miranda’s neglect of her area inspires some downright nasty ridicule from her wax-happy peers.

Scunnered with men, Charlotte is delighted to be welcomed into a lesbian social circle –only to be turfed out when she admits she isn’t gay. It seems the misunderstanding can be traced back to her wearing a distinctly unflattering pair of Prada loafers. I’m not sure what any of this has to do with cheating.

Carrie’s column: In a gravity-free world of anything goes, what constitutes cheating?

Fashion: I was distracted by the reflective glare on the fashionable eyewear sported by Charlotte’s new friends. Clearly there are no branches of Specsavers in Manhattan. Mr Big looks ridiculous in a black turtleneck while boaking at Carrie’s fondue.

Puns: None. I feel cheated.