The Gay Guide to "Sex and the City"

Sean Palmer as "Marcus" (left) with Garson

Finally, in the fifth season, something remarkable happens to Stanford as Carrie notices a dreamy look in his eyes and presses him for details.

Carrie: What's going on over there, Miss Blatch?
Stanford: I met someone.
Carrie: Oh my God! Really? That's fantastic!
Stanford: His name, is Marcus.
Carrie: And is he a Roman?
Stanford: No, he is not.
Carrie: Aw too bad. I've always adored a metal breastplate on a man. So what does this Marcus do?
Stanford: Okay, before I tell you, you have to promise not to judge.
Carrie: Do I judge?
Stanford: We all judge. That's our hobby. Some people do arts and crafts, we judge.
Carrie: I'll be kind.
Stanford: He's a dancer, for Radio City Music Hall.
Carrie: I feel as though my hands are tied.
Stanford: He's a Broadway-caliber dancer working in the male chorus. Last Christmas, he danced the part of Arabian Coffee in the Nutcracker.
Carrie: And where did you meet your Rockette?
Stanford: Standing in line at Starbucks.
Carrie: You met a man who played coffee, waiting in line to get coffee?
Stanford: We're both grande house blends.
Carrie: What is that, a new Zodiac sign?

Of course, “plain Jane” Stanford can’t resist showing off his catch (played for eight episodes by Sean Palmer), especially not to the now single Anthony who so callously rebuffed him. Anthony doesn’t take this sitting down, digging up an old photo of Marcus from Honcho magazine, proving Stanford’s stud used to be a hustler.

Stanford introduces Marcus to Anthony & Charlotte

Despite this, the course of true love runs more or less smoothly for Stanford and Marcus, or at least as much as it does for any of SATC’s romances. When we last see the two of them, they had worked through their problems, and were contemplating buying a house in the Hamptons.

As for Anthony, he planned Charlotte’s second wedding, helped with Carrie’s book launch and even became Charlotte’s dog groomer when she expressed her maternal instincts via canine substitution. And in AfterElton.com’s interview with Mario last month, he mentioned that he does have scenes with Willie Garson in the movie, so hopefully we’ll learn that Stanford and Anthony have ironed out their differences.

The Best of the Rest

Even without those two gay characters, Sex and the City still had plenty of other gay moments, thanks to the matter-of-fact gay acceptance of the four ladies that made them such gay favorites. After all, how could we not love a show that has women who get drunk and watch gay porn?

Other memorable “gay” episodes include Samantha’s (Kim Catrall) misguided attempt at having a threeway with a gay couple. Neither of the men have ever been with a woman, but they want to try it to see what’s it like. Naturally, their first choice is the sexually adventurous Sam, who, after contemplating it for the briefest of moments, agrees.

From left to right: Sean Martin Hingston, Kim Cattrall, Brad Hurtado

Unfortunately for her, once the men realize what’s expected of them, they rapidly lose interest in her and fall back into each other’s arms. It's great for gay viewers starved to see any same-sex sex portrayed on television, but not so great for the very frustrated Samantha.