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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSpoilers for “Present Tense,” Season 3, Episode 9. Carrie and Aidan end their relationship after Aidan admits he still has trust issues with her. His jealousy over her growing friendship with Duncan—and the old hurt of Carrie’s affair with Big—bring the problem back into the present. Their breakup is mutual: both recognize that trying to make the relationship work has left them exhausted.
What happens in “Present Tense”?
“Present Tense,” directed by Anu Valia and written by Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky, was released on July 24, 2025. Aidan returns to Carrie’s life as she develops a working friendship with Duncan Reeves, her downstairs neighbor and fellow writer. Aidan questions Duncan about his pipe smoking, ex-wife and children. The smoking is especially charged: it recalls a longstanding point of friction between Aidan and Carrie. Carrie reads Aidan’s questions as jealousy and feels uncomfortable, but initially vents to Seema rather than confronting him.
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Later, while Carrie is working with Duncan, Aidan interrupts to ask when she plans to cook dinner and offers to make a meal for her and Duncan. Carrie declines and says she will be working late. When she eventually comes to bed, Aidan says she smells of smoke and should shower. She showers, then sleeps in another room. The next morning, they argue.
At lunch, Aidan gives the conflict its real name: he has trust issues with Carrie and with other men. Carrie seizes on his use of the present tense. The betrayal with Big happened in the past, but Aidan is describing distrust that still shapes their relationship now.
#1 Best Overall
Why do Carrie and Aidan break up?
Duncan and the smoke are immediate triggers, not the whole cause. Aidan’s jealousy reactivates the unresolved hurt of Carrie’s affair with Big, and his admission makes clear that the mistrust has not faded. Carrie, in turn, feels that their past is still being used to define who she is now. She says she had been fully committed to Aidan and had made major accommodations for his family, including agreeing to wait while he focused on his children.
Their history and the conditions of the relationship have left both feeling that they cannot give the other what is needed. They embrace and part rather than treating the split as one person simply walking away. The following evening, Carrie gets ready and meets her friends for dinner.
Rank #2
Why the title matters
The title points to the exchange that ends the relationship. Aidan says he has trust issues, placing them in the present; Carrie answers that she was all in, placing her commitment in the past. Their different tenses capture the emotional gap: Carrie believes she gave the relationship her full commitment, while Aidan has not moved beyond the distrust.
What the executive producers said
In a TVLine interview published July 24, 2025, executive producer Elisa Zuritsky said the breakup was decided “pretty early on” in the writers’ room. She connected it to the previous season’s ending and Aidan’s family obligations. Executive producer Julie Rottenberg described the couple’s problems as “systemic enough that they would not survive.” Zuritsky also characterized the ending as a point when both “feel exhausted by the trying of it.” These are the producers’ explanations for the story choice, rather than a claim that every viewer will read the relationship the same way.
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Miranda and Joy
Miranda tells Joy she is an alcoholic and says she threw out the gin bottle. Joy responds by sharing some of her own emotional burdens, giving the episode a second conversation about acknowledging a difficult truth.
The rest of the ensemble
- Charlotte has vertigo while Harry recovers from prostate cancer surgery.
- Seema tries Adam’s cleansing crystals instead of deodorant and worries about the result during a client meeting.
- Lisa grows frustrated with Herbert’s fixation on his diet and weight.
- Anthony and Giuseppe’s mother, Gia, clash over the couple’s age difference and future.
Does the breakup feel earned?
That depends partly on whether the accumulated compromises feel sufficient to support the final split, or whether the decision arrives too quickly. ELLE treats the present-tense trust issue and the compromises between Carrie and Aidan as central, while criticizing the season’s pacing. The A.V. Club also views the breakup as inevitable, but takes a more negative view of Aidan’s behavior. Those are critical interpretations, not additional plot facts.
Rank #4
Where to watch “Present Tense”
Rotten Tomatoes lists HBO Max for U.S. viewing. Sky’s episode guide lists Sky Comedy and NOW in its market. Streaming catalogs vary by territory and can change, so check the service available where you live.
Quick Recap
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