Tag: single women

Life doesn’t always wrap up with a “happily ever after.”

I couldn’t help but notice that two of my favourite TV/Movie heroines over the recent years have ended their series with something in common.

I’m talking about Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) from “Sex and The City” (SATC) & the follow up series “And Just Like That” and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) from “Downton Abbey” the series and subsequent movies.

They couldn’t be more different in appearance and circumstance but one thing they did have in common was style, confidence, social standing, strength of character and that most men were attracted to them. But as we know in real life, situations change. 

I unabashedly watched every episode of “SATC” back in the day as well as the movies. I very ashamedly watched the cringe-worthy follow up “And Just Like That” because like most everyone else who watched it too, we wanted to know how these women’s lives turned out.

Same with “Downton Abbey – The Grand Finale” which I just watched on the big screen. It’s as if we cannot get enough of these people.  I watched and loved every episode of “Downton” the TV series, and the movies as well.

Most of us identify (or try to) with Carrie Bradshaw and Lady Mary.  We don’t want to see them end up alone.  The normal happy ending is that they end up with the perfect partner (or, as perfect as possible)!  Why did the writers make the endings…so….solitary?

We’re not used to seeing them that way.  We prefer to think that their situation is only a temporary state between relationships.  But what if it isn’t?

Many women find themselves single not because they planned it, but because life unfolded that way. Yet within that necessity, some discover strength, freedom, and clarity they never expected.  Being alone doesn’t mean being lonely.  Having a partner is nice for sharing the good times and complaining about the bad.  For me, a big part of connection with affection is having someone who has my back and vice versa, with good strength of character.

Men (or partners in general) don’t complete who we are as a whole.   They should “complement” not  only”compliment” us.  The whole point of having or being someone in someone’s life is to supplement, not supplant one’s life. Tom Cruise in “Jerry Macguire” should’ve said “you complement me” instead of “you complete me.”

So the writers have chosen to end the story with the heroines alone to reflect realism and shift away from traditional romantic tropes. The rise of the single woman isn’t just about empowerment or independence; it’s also about navigating the reality of solitude, sometimes chosen, sometimes circumstantial.

It challenges the outdated notion that a woman’s story must culminate in coupledom. Instead, it celebrates autonomy and self-worth.  These endings resonate with audiences who’ve experienced heartbreak, ambiguity, or have chosen solitude themselves or had it thrust upon them.