Carrie Bradshaw: In The Eyes Of Jack Berger – Is A Toxic Man Capable Of Having A Redemption Arc?
Jack Berger was Carrie Bradshaw’s most toxic ex-boyfriend. Even Big doesn’t hold the first spot. He was the guy that broke up with Carrie using a Post-It note. It wasn’t the worst thing he ever did to her, though. Instead, the worst thing he ever did was be the man who tried to make Carrie believe she ever had to apologize for her success. His stint on ‘Sex And The City’ showcased what happens when a man and a woman in a relationship work in the same field and the woman is more successful. Throughout his relationship with Carrie, Berger showed jealousy, sadness, intimidation, anger, and loneliness in his failing career while seeing the woman he supposedly loved live the life that he wished he had. Though his character did have some positive qualities that made us see what Carrie saw in him, having given us that famous, ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ line, Berger’s arc begs the question, are men’s toxic tendencies ever redeemable?