Five 'Sex And The City' Episodes To Watch Before 'Carrie Diaries' Debuts

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Five 'Sex And The City' Episodes To Watch Before 'Carrie Diaries' Debuts

Before the Upper East Side apartment, before the sex column, before Mr. Big (or Aidan, or Berger, for that matter), Carrie Bradshaw was just another wide-eyed innocent yearning for... more. She found it in Manhattan—a tale familiar to fans of the much-loved HBO series "Sex and the City." But it's those integral early moments—the writer's origin story—that inform The CW's new series "The Carrie Diaries."

Based on the book series by Candace Bushnell, "The Carrie Diaries" follows 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw in the aftermath of her mother's death as she embarks upon an internship in the gritty concrete jungle of New York City. It's a side of the writer rarely revealed during "SATC"'s six-season run, though there were clues. As we look toward "The Carrie Diaries" premiere on Monday, we've rounded up the five must-watch episodes of "Sex and the City" that shed the faintest light on young Miss Bradshaw.

"Hot Child in the City" (Season 3, Episode 15)

Our first glimpse at what a high-school version of our heroine might have looked like, Carrie dates a comic-book store owner nursing a serious case of arrested development. Pot smoking and fried chicken noshing (and tossing) ensue—before the couple is busted by mom.

"A Vogue Idea" (Season 4, Episode 17)

"The Carrie Diaries" may be "Sex and the City"'s naive little sister, but she's wise enough to pave her own path. Case in point: In "A Vogue Idea," Carrie reveals that her dad took off when she was five years old. Yet, in The CW series, it is her father who raises her and sister Dorrit after their mother's death. Continuity, shmontinuity.

"Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" (Season 5, Episode 11)

One of the diarist's earliest New York recollections: a 22-year-old Carrie gets pregnant after a drunken night with a Saloon waiter and has an abortion. Years later, she's hesitant to reveal the truth to current boyfriend Aidan.

"Boy, Interrupted" (Season 6, Episode 10)

Carrie's high-school past comes back to haunt her (in the best way possible) when former flame Jeremy (played by David Duchovny) comes for a visit. Too bad he's currently holed up in a mental institution.

"Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little" (Season 6, Episode 4)

This episode is iconic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the introduction of the phrase, "he's just not that into you." But it earned a spot on our list because it is "Carrie Diaries" starlet AnnaSophia Robb's favorite episode. And we won't argue for fear of getting Carried away...

What "Sex and the City" episodes will you be watching before "The Carrie Diaries" premiere? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!

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