" Running with Scissors ," the 11th episode of Sex and the City 's third season, is widely regarded by critics and fans as a pivotal, tonally "brutal" turning point that deconstructs the romanticized image of an affair. First airing on August 20, 2000, it marks the definitive end of Carrie’s second major arc with Mr. Big in a way that shifts the show from glossy fantasy into "seedy, guilty reality".
The episode's central theme——is explored through both emotional and physical lenses. Sex and the City: Season 3, Episode 11 | Cast and Crew