I’m an avid TV watcher…as if you didn’t know. As a big time viewer, I’ve been known to talk about a variety of TV shows as if they’re my favorite. Yeah, it’s true I do love most of the shows I’ve watched, but only a few have my heart like Sex and The City (SATC). The tale of four women living and loving in NYC is, to me, as hilarious and heartwarming now as it was when I first watched it. Every now and then, usually spurred on by a mini-marathon on E!, I pop in my DVDs (yes, I own the entire series), grab a drink, and settle in for a few hours with my girls. For those of you who don’t know what SATC is about, here’s a quick overview:

• Carrie Bradshaw is known for her sex column and her love of fashion. Her closet is full of designer labels, her bookshelves full of copies of vintage Vogue, and her life full of questionable romantic decisions.
• Samantha Jones is a public relations juggernaut, sought out by the wealthy and well-known in the city. She owns her own business and her sexuality.
• Miranda Hobbes is a cynical attorney, who treats her relationships like business deals. She believes in love, as long as it doesn’t interfere with everything else she has to do.
• Charlotte York-(McDougall) Goldenblatt is a romantic dreamer, who’s goal is to find her true love, get married, and have a family. She’s softhearted, but tough when she needs to be.

To paint a better picture of the show, I’ve put together a list of my favorite episodes. Okay, real talk: it was hard for me to whittle this list down to five. It would be easier for me to list my least favorite episodes, but here goes.

My Motherboard, My Self (Season 4, Episode 8)

Miranda’s mother passes without warning, the same time Carrie’s computer dies, taking all her past work to the grave with it. Though the ladies band together to support Miranda, they deal with their own issues. Aidan buys Carrie a new computer, so she pushes him away to maintain her independence. Samantha loses her orgasm, only to realize all she needed was to allow herself to feel grief for Miranda’s loss. Charlotte finds strength in taking charge of their flowers for the altar. In a surprise move, Aidan and Steve show up to the funeral to show their support, too.

Great friend moment: Carrie walks Miranda down the church aisle, behind her mother’s casket.

My favorite line:  “Well I’m not gonna find my orgasm in this town.” ~Samantha

What I love about this episode: This episode is touching; Carrie, Charlotte, and Samantha come together to support Miranda and Aidan and Steve show up, too. Miranda has a great scene with a saleslady when looking for a new bra, where she’s able to get out her feelings about her mother dying.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda (Season 4, Episode 11) 

Miranda finds out she’s pregnant—despite the odds of it happening—and decides to have an abortion. Charlotte finds out she’s not pregnant, after five months of trying, and later learns her body is rejecting Trey’s sperm. Afraid of judgement from Aidan, Carrie lies to him about having had an abortion. Samantha vies for the chance to represent Lucy Liu, and uses her name to get a Birkin bag—neither one of those things go the way she planned.

My favorite line: ”He only has one ball and I have a lazy ovary. In what twisted world does that make a baby?” ~ Miranda

Great friend moment: Charlotte runs into Miranda on the street right after finding out she can’t get pregnant. Even though she flips out on her, Miranda follows as she walks home in case she wants to talk.

What I love about this episode: This is another touching episode. The conversations about abortion and Charlotte’s trouble conceiving are heartwarming. The scene with the four of them at the end makes me tear up everytime.

Cover Girl (Season 5, Episode 4) 

Carrie turns down the proposed cover of her book; being naked on the cover is not her thing. Samantha offers to take charge of Carrie’s photo shoot and her styling. Carrie walks in on Samantha in flagrante delicto with the World Wide Express guy, and her hasty exit creates tension. Miranda joins Weight Watchers and begins dating a man who overeats when criticized. Charlotte looks for self-help books to get past her failed marriage. Things come to a head with Carrie and Samantha, until the tables are turned on Samantha and she catches Stanford and his beau in the act.

My favorite line: “Miranda went out with an overeater and he over-ate her.” ~ Carrie

Great friend moment: Seeing Carrie struggle over how she wants the cover of her book to be, Samantha offers her PR expertise in exchange for a couple drinks and lunch.

What I love about this episode: We see Carrie has grown up; she admits that she’s not the person she used to be and for the first time, I really noticed it. Also, the dynamic between Carrie and Samantha was always good so I liked seeing them have trouble with each other.

Critical Condition (Season 5, Episode 6) 

While nervously awaiting the NYT review of her book, Carrie gets an unexpected review from “the girl with the face”, who dated Aidan after she did. Charlotte meets with a divorce lawyer to fight her former mother-in-law’s move to take the apartment her ex left her in their divorce. Miranda struggles with being a new mother and judgement from her neighbors. Samantha struggles with a broken vibrator and accepting the fact that Miranda’s life is different. Stanford has a new boyfriend and seeks Carrie’s approval.

My favorite line: “Babies are not my scene. From what I heard, this one’s an asshole.” ~Samantha

Best friend moment: Samantha watches Brady so Miranda can have a break and get her hair done.

What I love about this episode: Miranda, Samantha, and Stanford all call Carrie out on her selfishness. It happens a couple other times over the course of the series, but this was a rare occasion when they pretty much all called her out on her shit.

The Post-it Always Sticks Twice (Season 6A, Episode 7) 

Getting dumped via post-it, brings out the crazy in Carrie, but she’s still happy for Charlotte, who just got engaged to Harry. For his MTV debut, Samantha urges Smith to not claim her as a girlfriend, but when he does, she doesn’t feel good about it. To take her mind off Berger, Carrie suggests a ladies night, which gives Miranda an opportunity to wear her skinny jeans.

Great friend moment: Carrie convinces Charlotte that celebrating her second engagement in marriage is not a bad thing, and tells her she should feel free to be excited and happy.

My favorite line: “If that place was called “Bed”, this one should be called “Smell”. ~Charlotte

What I love about this episode: Another great example of the ladies supporting each other. Carrie could have easily used her breakup as a reason to downplay Charlotte’s engagement, but she put it aside and was happy for her. The scene with the joint and the aftermath is one of my favorites.

I consider SATC my favorite show not only because I’ve seen every episode about a million times, but also because there’s no other that I know which episode (and what season) it is from a single scene. What I love most about SATC is that it’s a six-part love letter to women and friendship. Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte are not perfect people, and at times they sure as hell aren’t perfect friends. But seeing women (who are not related to each other) love and support each other is not the norm—even in a fictional world. That’s drove me to the show—their friendship. Everything else was just a sugar rim on my Cosmo.

Honorable Mention (aka my other favorites): An American Girl in Paris Parts Une and Deux (Season 6B, Episodes 19 & 20), The Ick Factor (Season 6B, Episode 2), The Catch (Season 6A, Episode 8), Hop, Skip, and a Week (Season 6A, Episode 6)