It's 'Fleet Week' in New York City and Carrie, Samantha and Charlotte are only just beginning to adjust to Miranda's new life with baby Brady. Samantha is finding it particularly hard to adjust to "cleaning up her act" in front of baby Brady, especially because she's still furious over Richard Wright's infidelity. Charlotte, now over Trey, is ready to find her next great love, whereas Carrie wonders if she's all out of great loves, now that Big and Aidan are gone. Carrie turns to Manhattan for romance and discovers that the only company that she can find is a fellow single woman...one who likes to mix her prescription drugs with her ice cream! She jumps at the opportunity when a sailor invites her to the Fleet Week party. At the end of the night though, she realises that until she can let go of her past two relationships, she cannot date anymore and goes home alone... Meanwhile, Samantha is on a mission to get back at Richard. First she throws a Martini in his face and then puts posters all around his neighbourhood calling him a "cheater" and "liar"! Charlotte also flirts with an officer who isn't quite a gentleman. Richard, unfazed by Samantha's poster campaign, persists in apologizing to her and declaring his love for her. Meanwhile, Miranda works on the art of breastfeeding!

Samantha announces that she's back with Richard, who buys her an outrageously big diamond ring as a proof of his sorrow and commitment. Still, Samantha has doubts about his regeneration and can't seem to get over the image of him being intimate with another woman. Meanwhile, Carrie avoids her editor by all means thinking she's going to get fired, but turns out he just wanted to tell her she's been offered a book deal. Hesitant, Carrie is asked to write an introduction and answer the question: "is there hope for single women?". To help her figure out the answer, Charlotte takes her to a positivism course, where she learns that although seemingly a positivist, Charlotte is a big negativist. More than that, she's got a broken heart. And Miranda has to handle a request she can't deny: Steve asks Brady to be baptized. He even brings in his mother for the ceremony, and Miranda asks Carrie to be the baby's godmother.

It's Charlotte's 36th Birthday but she doesn't really want to celebrate. Carrie, however, celebrates the "faux" birthday, by accompanying Miranda and Charlotte to join Samantha on her latest private jet trip with Richard to Atlantic City. Miranda wants to catch up on her sleep and read The New Yorker, and Samantha is busy keeping an eye on Richard's every move. Meanwhile, Charlotte is increasingly fearful that she's become an 'old maid'. To combat this rather frightning thought, she stuns the girls with her new racy, red lipstick look - a result of an Atlantic City style makeover. Carrie realizes people go to casinos for the same reason they go on blind dates - hoping to hit the jackpot, but wonders: If we know the house always wins, why gamble? Samantha's suspicions become unbearable as she watches the busty casino ladies show off their 'assets' to Richard - She tells Richard that she loves him but she loves herself more. She leaves behind the mega diamond ring and the pearl thong he just gave her and walks out the door. Sitting on the boardwalk and watching a happy couple taking in the sunset, Carrie realizes that she's hiding in her friends and that perhaps there are things worth gambling on.

Carrie wrestles with ideas for her book's cover; Samantha wonders if she's outgrown her lifestyle; Charlotte secretly turns to self-help books for advice.

Carrie's single status speaks volumes at her book-release party; Miranda approaches the dating scene as a single mother; Charlotte has an unexpected visitor.

Carrie prepares for her book's review and obsesses after running into a woman Aidan dated after their breakup. Charlotte and Bunny battle over the MacDougal apartment. Miranda is at her wits end with Brady, and Samantha learns to be supportive.

Carrie reunites with Big (Chris Noth) when she travels to the West Coast in the seventh of eight new episodes airing this summer. At the end of last season, Big moved to California, and Carrie's final rendezvous with her on-again, off-again beau was canceled when Miranda went into labor. On tonight's episode, Carrie's book tour takes her to San Francisco, which isn't far from Big's new digs in Napa Valley. When they meet, Carrie is surprised at how much her former lover has changed. Joining Carrie on the press junket is her man-hungry publicist Samantha, who, surprisingly, has grown disillusioned with New York men.

On a night out at a Manhattan club, Carrie is amazed to learn that her old friend Bobby Fine, a flamboyant singer, is finally getting married - and that his intended is a woman. While the initial shock never quite wears off, it does give Carrie and her friends the chance to visit the Hamptons. Once there, Samantha takes over Richard's mansion and throws a party; Charlotte's new boyfriend makes his society debut; and Carrie runs into writer Jack Berger.