Summary

• Trey and Charlotte's relationship on Sex and the City was dysfunctional from the beginning, and it was clear they were never going to last.
• Trey was incredibly cold and callous to Charlotte at various points, such as when he tried to make light of her fertility issues, or when he refused to discuss his erectile dysfunction.
• While Trey was ultimately never right for Charlotte, she was far from blameless, and her infidelity and willingness to exploit Trey's finances were definitely low points for her character in Sex and the City.

When it came to Charlotte and Trey on Sex and the City, Trey MacDougal was the sort of "unicorn" that Charlotte York had been waiting her entire life to capture. Sex and the City is a show that thrives on conflict and putting its characters into impossible situations. It is no different with Charlotte and Trey. Trey is a wealthy cardiologist from old money who shared her love of familial tradition and looked good in a kilt. Unfortunately, their romantic bliss was ruptured by his issues with confrontation, over-reliance on his mother's executive function, and Charlotte's fertility woes.

Character flaws were not confined to Trey, and Charlotte did her fair share of bullying throughout their marriage; she ive-aggressively cajoled him into excessive spending, didn't respect his feelings, and manipulated him into marrying her before they'd gotten a chance to know if they were truly compatible. Underneath his breezy exterior, Trey was a more complicated character than viewers often gave him credit for, and it seems like this relationship hurt him as much as it did Charlotte.

Sex and the City is available to stream on Max.

When Fans Hated Trey

When He Let Bunny Run His Life

Trey MacDougal always believes his mother knows best. He lets his mother Bunny, the matriarch of the MacDougal clan, run his life in almost every single arena. From what clothes he wears, to what he orders from a restaurant, to the sort of tschotskes he buys to decorate his apartment, he lets his mother determine every action he takes. This can never work when it comes to Charlotte and Trey's relationship. Charlotte is too headstrong to let another woman run her life.

However, for Trey, Bunny's word is final above all else when it comes to whom he dates, because if he wants to marry any of his lovers, they will inherit the MacDougal fortune. Bunny's scrutiny won't allow just anyone to move in on her son. This is something that Charlotte always had to deal with. The way the relationship ended, it seems that Bunny was right when it comes to her son and his fortune, although if Trey stood up for himself more, he might have made it work with Charlotte.

When He Refused To Talk About His Impotency

Trey is a well-respected medical professional who, when confronted with problems in the bedroom due to impotency, can't even discuss them with his wife. As a doctor, Trey shouldn't have been so unwilling to talk about the problems. This is especially true when talking with the one person who cares about him the most. Charlotte clearly wanted to start a family with him, and he brushed off her concerns because he was embarrassed about his inability to perform his "duties as a husband."

As a doctor, he should have been able to find help and figure out what they could do to move forward.

He didn't give Charlotte enough credit to try to work things out. He didn't even trust himself enough to figure it out. If there is one thing that really got in between Charlotte and Trey's relationship in Sex and the City, it was his selfishness and fear when it came to dealing with the most important problem that came up in their lives. As a doctor, he should have been able to find help and figure out what they could do to move forward. Instead, he shut down on his own wife.

When He Didn't Defend Adoption To His Mother

Going through fertility treatments in Season 4 took its toll on Charlotte and Trey just as the Scottish Highland Fling, a MacDougal family traditional dance, demanded their attendance. He'd already onished Charlotte for discussing her fertility problems with her friends and was scarcely in the mood to be social with her in front of his family. The fact that Trey remained so secretive, it almost seems that he is embarrassed by their situation, which only pushes Charlotte further away.

When Bunny treats Charlotte terribly over the thought of her adopting a Mandarin child, Charlotte goes to leave the dance, but Trey impedes her exit and tells her to, "get a hold of herself." He coldly dismisses her concerns and tears a huge hole in her dress to make matters worse. This moment, where Trey takes his mother's side, even though Bunny is clearly out of line and in the wrong, shows that he never really respected Charlotte and doesn't really deserve her love in the end.

When He Poked Fun At Charlotte's Fertility Troubles

The fertility issues between Charlotte and Trey dominate their relationship towards the end, and Trey is incapable of addressing just how much pain Charlotte is in, both emotionally and physically. In his myopic assessment of the problem, he decides that all Charlotte needs is to see the humor in it. He uselessly brings her a cardboard cutout of a baby and presents it to her as though it would somehow make up for not being able to have the real thing.

He uselessly brings her a cardboard cutout of a baby and presents it to her as though it would somehow make up for not being able to have the real thing.

Trey thinks this is a nice thing and is funny, but with Charlotte growing more depressed and panicked about the situation, it only shows that he might be too immature to even consider the ramifications of this moment. When Trey does this, it helps turn Sex and the City fans against him, as it is easy to feel bad for Charlotte during this difficult time in her life.

Had His Mother Fight His Divorce Battle For Him

As Charlotte and Trey were gearing up for divorce, Charlotte was interested in finding an appropriate "shark" to take on the opposition, which she had come to discover would consist of Bunny MacDougal and the family lawyer. Bunny had quickly become one of the most hated Sex and the City characters during her time on the show, and she proved why during this harsh divorce battle.

Trey had absconded all the way to Scotland, leaving his mother to fight his battles for him. He didn't even have the guts or the respect for Charlotte to meet her gaze from across the negotiating table. When Trey went into hiding and had his mother, who had always looked down on Charlotte, head into the divorce battle for him, it showed that he was a coward who was never mature enough for a serious relationship — especially not with someone like Charlotte, who had no problem fighting her own battles and coming out ahead in the end.

When Fans Felt Bad For Trey

When Charlotte Proposed To Him

Of all her friends, Charlotte was the most traditional and believed that someday the perfect man would swoop in, marry her, and carry her off to his castle. Yet when it came to Trey, she was the one who did the swooping and Charlotte proposed to him after they'd only known each other a month. Trey clearly wasn't ready to be making that sort of commitment, but he didn't want to risk losing Charlotte, so he agreed to marrying her with a simple, "Alrighty".

Trey's response should have tipped Charlotte off to his lackluster feelings about the marriage.

Trey's response should have tipped Charlotte off to his lackluster feelings about the marriage. Throughout their marriage, Trey proved he was immature and not ready for some of the bigger issues they would face, such as fertility issues and struggles in having children. He ran away from confrontations and tried to make jokes about their problems. However, when looking at how the relationship began, with Charlotte basically pressing him into the wedding way too early, it is easy to see she is as much to blame as he is for their later problems.

When Charlotte Became Obsessed With Having Children

Trey eventually got over his issues with their fertility issues and even gave couples counseling a try. When his sperm was checked, and he seemed willing to start fertility treatments, Charlotte's obsession with having a baby took hold. After repeated attempts to have a child through IVF, Trey understandably grew tired of using all his free time to try to conceive. Charlotte wasn't the least bit sympathetic and decided to put their names on an adoption list for a Mandarin child without consulting him.

There are plenty of reasons to hate Trey for not taking the pregnancy problems seriously. However, when Charlotte began pressuring him and pushing harder and harder to have a child, without taking into consideration his insecurities and feelings on the issue, she became as much a part of the problem as he was. They were never on the same page when it came to having kids, which was likely a big result of them getting married too quickly without getting to know each other better beforehand.

When Charlotte Used Him For His Money

Trey is nothing if not the perfect catch for Charlotte on the outside. He is handsome, well-educated, and has a respectable career. He has all the things that are important to Charlotte, from good family values to a Park Ave apartment. Over time, it seems that Charlotte might not love him for who he is, but for the lifestyle he represents. She uses him for the Cartier watch he gives her after only knowing her for a couple of weeks.

The biggest thing on her mind early on in the relationship seemed getting as much from Trey as she could financially.

He balks at the price of $1,000 a plate for fine china, but she put on a show and wouldn't stop until he finally relented and bought them for her. While Charlotte over time wanted more, including a family with kids, it seems the biggest thing on her mind early on in the relationship seemed getting as much from Trey as she could financially. While no one liked Bunny, and she treated Charlotte horribly, she wasn't completely wrong when it came down to the fact that many women just wanted Trey for his money.

When Charlotte Kissed The Gardener

In Sex and the City season 3, while languishing at the MacDougal estate in Connecticut, Charlotte develops a crush on the attractive gardener tending the roses on the grounds. After days of innocent flirting, they lock lips in a steamy embrace, but Trey's sister-in-law witnesses the taboo romance and tells Trey. Even though Trey gives his blessing to Charlotte indulging herself in extramarital acts of desire given his inability to perform in the bedroom, he nevertheless seems incredibly hurt by her actions.

This really marks the end of things for Charlotte and Trey on Sex and the City. Their inability to have kids and Trey's struggles in bed are something that Charlotte can't seem to get over. Trey giving her permission to cheat on him is almost his way of throwing in the towel. He knows that their relationship is coming to an end, and even if she doesn't see it at first, these acts are enough to finally drive that wedge into their relationship. When she shows she wants men other than Trey, he gives up completely.

When He Gave Charlotte His Apartment

The Park Ave apartment that Charlotte and Trey shared for less than a year had been in the MacDougal family for generations. As a goodwill gesture in the divorce proceedings, he gives her the apartment to keep with his blessing. He also lets her keep the expensive wedding ring he bought her. Charlotte did nothing to deserve that apartment. In fact, Charlotte wants to sell it even after she fights over it with her divorce lawyer.

She benefits more from the divorce than he does, especially with the prenuptial agreement she got him to sign. In the end, Charlotte rushed Trey into a marriage he wasn't ready for. She fights with his mother, Bunny, who believes that she is in it for Trey's money and other worldly possessions. She then its that she wants to cheat on him when his fertility issues become an issue. By the end of their Sex and the City relationship, she gets what she wants, showing that Bunny might have been right all along.