While the other women chase archetypes, Miranda’s storyline grounded the episode’s "deep" message by challenging the concept of self-reliance.
The core of the text explores the "hero" archetype through two lenses: the physical savior (firefighters) and the civic savior (politicians). Where There's Smoke...Sex and the City : Season...
: Samantha pursues a firefighter fantasy with Ricky Fantucci, finding that while the uniform is "hot," the un-glamorous reality involves "regular guys who watch sports". : Tired of searching for fairy-tale romance, Charlotte
: Tired of searching for fairy-tale romance, Charlotte aggressively hunts for a "Prince Charming". She mistakenly believes she’s found him in Arthur, only to discover his "heroic" protective nature is actually a sign of volatile anger issues. Vulnerability as Strength Their relationship explores whether women seek a partner
: Carrie meets Bill Kelley, a handsome politician who offers a different kind of security. Their relationship explores whether women seek a partner to truly save them or a high-status "hero" to look good with on the "campaign trail" of social life.
: Her realization that needing help is not a weakness serves as a counterpoint to the episode's "hero-worship". It suggests that real survival happens in the "messy, un-glamorous 'smoke' of everyday compromise" rather than in grand romantic gestures. Symbolism of the "Smoke"