When it comes to Sex and the City, the four main ladies are obviously the best characters in the series. What sometimes ends up happening is that people want to be the Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) of their squad thanks to her extensive shoe collection and because of the fact she’s really the star of the show. Then there are those who want to be Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) for her success in *all* aspects of her life and honesty. Then there are those who want to be Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) for her good, sensible approach – and her slightly hopeless romantic tendencies. That often leaves poor Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) out of the mix. If she is remembered, people usually compare their friends to her — and the recipients can end up taking it as an insult. It’s not right.
We think that Miranda is vastly underappreciated. And it’s time she gets the appreciation that she deserves. Miranda was an incredible character when Sex and the City premiered back in 1998. To this day, she remains as relevant, real and inspirational as ever. Here are 18 reasons why Miranda was actually the best character from Sex and the City.
1. She was real AF.
Even if you were a big Carrie fan, you have to admit that she sometimes lived in a fantasy. On the other hand, Miranda was very real. She was frank and honest about everything including love, men, friendships, work, strangers and New York. She was able to articulate things that we would sometimes think, but not be able to say.
2. She knew when she needed to be honest.
Samantha was definitely honest, but Miranda’s honest approach was delivered in a different way. Samantha’s was sometimes just for shock and laughs. Miranda was honest when she knew she needed to be. She was honest with her friends even when it was hard on her, she was honest in her relationships and she wasn’t afraid to be honest with herself. The last one is something that we can all sometimes struggle with.
3. She actually had some great points about relationships.
There was obviously a lot of talk about relationships on Sex and the City. Miranda’s points about them were actually pretty accurate and remain so to this day. We could count on Samantha for sex advice and Carrie and Charlotte saw things with rose-tinted glasses, but it was Miranda who got to the core of some big issues. She also seemed to learn from past relationships, unlike some other characters. Even if it wasn’t good stuff she learned, she still carried it with her.
4. She had endlessly quotable lines.
There are so many memes and GIFs with Miranda for a reason. The combination of her wit, honesty, and sarcasm made her very quotable. It’s not just the funny stuff that we quote. We bet you think about her relationship quotes when you’re considering your own situation.
5. She and Steve were way better than Big and Carrie.
Carrie and Big (Chris Noth) might have been the couple that the show centered around, but it was Steve Brady (Dave Eigenberg) who gave us all the feels. Their relationship went through a lot, but we kept rooting for them. If we’re being honest, Steve was actually a good guy who we could see benefited Miranda whereas Big was kind of a jerk.
6. She knew exactly what she wanted.
One of Miranda’s admiral qualities was that she knew what she wanted — and she wasn’t afraid to go and get it. What’s more, she wasn’t afraid to spell out exactly what she was after. If you’re someone who keeps their dreams and desires secret because you’re worried about getting rejected, you probably appreciated Miranda’s forwardness and wished you could have a bit of it.
7. No one can do sarcasm like her.
This is part of the reason we quote Miranda so much. She manages to be hilariously sarcastic without coming across as mean to her friends or others. It was particularly great when the sarcasm was used to comment about herself or about the ridiculousness of dating men in New York City. She was able to touch on some sensitive topics through it and make valid points.
8. Her wardrobe was vastly under appreciated.
Yeah, Carrie will forever be known as the fashionista in Sex and the City, but let’s give Miranda some credit because she’s no slacker in the style department. Sure, she did wear some questionable things, especially in the first season, but all of the characters had their wardrobe mishaps. That goes with the territory of being interested in fashion.
9. Her comments made us look at ourselves.
Perhaps one of the reasons that people struggle with Miranda sometimes is that she brings up points which make us look at ourselves. She might be talking about herself or one of her friend’s relationships, but what she said can be so relevant to our own situations. Those who are unprepared for some introspection or tough love can understandably get freaked out by it. But if we’re open, we can hopefully learn things from Miranda.
10. She didn’t care what anyone else thought of her.
Another quality of Miranda’s that we wish we could have is how she gives zero F’s about what other people think of her. And if someone is trying to judge her, best believe that she isn’t going to take it lightly. Miranda is who she is and isn’t going to apologize for it. She’s not ashamed of any aspect of her life which is very commendable.
11. She was genuinely a great friend.
You could call Miranda a rock because she was always there when the girls needed her, especially Carrie. She also knew when she needed to dish up some very honest advice, even if she knew that the other person might be upset. She did it with a good heart because she had an understanding that something needed to be said. It’s a tough position to be in, but Miranda never backed away from it when she knew it would help someone out.
12. She wasn’t embarrassed about sex or women’s bodies.
Samantha definitely wasn’t embarrassed about women’s bodies. In fact, she was the polar opposite of that. Let’s not forget about Miranda because she wasn’t shy about female sexuality. She was open about what she wanted regarding relationships and sex. She also got very real about trying different things and ~experimenting~. In a world where some people cannot even say “vagina,” it’s great to see and hear Miranda.
13. She was real about dating and men.
We wish that we had a friend like Miranda who could share her thoughts on dating life. Even if she struggled with dating at times, she still had a wise perspective on relationships and men. She also wasn’t afraid to share her feelings with friends, even when they sometimes weren’t ready to hear it. (Again, a few of her friends kept their rose-tinted glasses on 24/7.) Miranda, on the other hand, knew that giving ’em a dose of realism would hopefully benefit them in the end.
14. She was ambitious.
Miranda had goals — and they weren’t just to find a husband and have a fairy tale life. She had other ambitions regarding work, friends and more. It was a relief because even though Sex and the City was very much about dating, the characters needed to have other wants and desires otherwise they would have just been super one-dimensional. And Miranda was anything but one-dimensional.
15. Her opinions and thoughts are just as relevant today.
Sometimes when we watch an older TV show, we wonder why we ever liked it. Or, we laugh at how ridiculous and dated it is now. We might chuckle at some of the older fashion and the early 2000s dating game (no Tinder), but what hasn’t dated is Miranda’s outlook and opinions. Some might say that her strong, successful woman character is even more relevant today than when the show was first released.
16. She was a woman with different layers.
What really makes Miranda so great is that she’s human. She can be the tough, ambitious, successful, sarcastic lady, but she has other sides. Just like real people, she had times where she questioned all of her big life decisions, and she worried that she would never be happy. Seeing the contrast and all of her different emotions made her even more relatable.
17. She worked hard.
Miranda didn’t get where she was today because of her looks, her background or a man. She got where she was because she worked hard for it and she knew it. It might not seem like much, but it was. She was a strong female character, and we will never get tired of seeing those on TV, especially ones like Miranda who aren’t afraid of their success.
18. She loved her food.
There were no bizarre cleanses with Miranda or if there ever were, they was short-lived. The woman actually enjoyed food and wasn’t afraid of pizza, cupcakes or devouring an entire Betty Crocker cake. Given that TV frequently showcase women as being obsessed with dieting and not eating, it was so refreshing to see a character who wasn’t afraid to tuck in.