Hop, Skip and a Week

Carrie gets tapped for jury duty, and she finds herself unable to talk her way out of performing her civic obligation. Sadly, this is the least of her problems, as her relationship with Berger is becoming more and more forced by the moment. The once easy banter is being gradually replaced with bickering, and the couple decide to take a week-long break after a particularly difficult date.

Carrie and Berger aren't the only people undergoing relationship issues. Equally imperiled is the bond between Miranda and baby Brady. Miranda's career puts more and more demands on her time, and Brady begins to see Magda as his mother figure since his real mother is never home. This all proves too much for Miranda, so she tells her office that she's going to be cutting back her hours... to only 50 per week, 55, tops. The office isn't happy with this decision, but the rift between mother and child is healed.

Charlotte's major problem is that she has too many dates. Now that she's become active in her synagogue, she finds herself as the target of several matchmakers, all of whom set her up on painfully bad outings. Even when a final setup is with a "perfect" guy, Charlotte rejects him, since he still can't measure up to her Harry. Just when things look their bleakest, Charlotte sees Harry at a mixer, begging his forgiveness, and receiving it, along with a quickly accepted wedding proposal.

Samantha, as usual, doesn't seem to be having any problems at all. Her guidance of Smith's career is going swimmingly. She manages to get him a gig as the "Absolut Hunk", which brings with it a several story tall billboard in Times Square. Smith is initially unhappy with the ad campaign, since it leads to him getting attention without getting any real work. Samantha tells him to relax, and is proven right when Smith gets cast in a Gus Van Sant film.

Carrie tries to figure out exactly what's going on with Berger. Big offers advice via a transcontinental phone call, while Miranda weighs in from her apartment. Ultimately, it looks as if Carrie and Berger will need to separate... but the pair decide to give it one more shot. Unfortunately, Berger's heart just isn't in it, and while she sleeps, Berger leaves Carrie in the dead of night, breaking it off via a solitary Post-it note stuck to her computer screen.