Los Angeles, Christmas Eve, Nathaniel Fisher, owner of the Fisher and Sons Funeral Home, is killed when a municipal bus broadsides his new hearse. The tragedy casts a pall on the holiday homecoming of son Nate (who works for an organic food co-op in Seattle), as he must not only deal with the death of a father, but the fragile egos of mother Ruth (who has been having a secret affair with her hairdresser, Hiram), brother David (a closet homosexual seeing a black policeman named Keith), and a sister Claire (a rebellious high-schooler who receives the bad news after dropping crystal meth with new boyfriend Gabe). The only good thing to happen to Nate is Brenda, a passionate women he met on the plane, just before learning of his father's death. At home, David eschews the talents of his young mortician, Fredrico, to personally undo the damage of his dad's accident. The ensuing funeral leaves the family's deepest emotions exposed, and calls into question some of our more absurd rites of passage. At the gravesite, David is not amused by the advances of Matthew Gilardi of Kroehner Service Corporation, a funeral- home conglomerate looking to buy out the Fishers business. As for senior Nathaniel, he may have been laid to rest- but has plenty left to reveal to his family.

When Carrie turns 35, all the girls reflect on how it feels like being in their thirties and still single. Samantha is doing just what she likes best: men - her latest attempt is a monk, and despite her unsuccessful attempts to drive him to sin she still manages to have some sex with him, even if it's only in her mind. Charlotte still believes in soulmates. Unfortunately she realizes Trey isn't hers after he ejaculates on her leg ("my soulmate wouldn't do this to me", she whines). Miranda, at first marveled with the greatness of marriage realizes that you don't have to be married to be happy, while Carrie freaks when no one shows up at her dinner party and she goes home feeling depressed and abandoned. Fortunately, Big shows up with a bottle of champagne. And even though he might not be her soulmate, it's good enough for her. After all, not everything is perfect. Not even your 35th birthday.

Carrie is asked to be a model on a fashion show mixing real models and real people. At first reluctant to believe she was chosen to be a model, Carrie is quickly swept off her feet with the glamour of the fashion business. But as everything that comes fast goes fast her dream turns into a nightmare when moments before the show her dress is changed to a jewelry panty. With a huge hair, heavy makeover and high heels, Carrie finally feels like a supermodel and enters the stage strong and confident, only to fall from the top of her shoes. Nevertheless, she gets up and goes on with the show, after all she's a real person and when real people fall they get back on their feet and move on. Meanwhile, Charlotte is embarrassed to change gynecologists when she develops a rash on her vagina, and even more embarrassed when the doctor prescribes anti-depressives for her vagina. But the real solution for Charlotte's depressed vagina is more attention, and so Charlotte finally meets her female part wi.