Sarah Jessica Parker with Mario Cantone (left) and Willie Garson on ‘And Just Like That…’ Season 1.Photo:HBO Max
HBO Max
Stanford Blatch said “sayonara” onThursday’s episode ofAnd Just Like That…
And Just Like That…kept Garson’s character alive in the show after the actordiedin September 2021 after quietly undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. Garson appeared in the first three episodes ofAJLTseason 1 before he died.
“Ever since Willie died and what we had to do last year was explain the loss of our really wonderful friend and actor, Willie Garson playing Stanford Blatch,” showrunnerMichael Patrick Kingsaid on Thursday’s episode of theAnd Just Like That… The Writers Roompodcast. “The thing we came up with is that he went to Japan on a TikTok tour.”
King, 58, called that plot point “a Band-Aid” to adjusting Willie’s story after Garson’s death.
Michael Patrick King.Slaven Vlasic/Getty
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
“It was a fast fix,” the two-time Emmy winner said. “It was a little bit, it was like thin ice. We skated over it ‘cause we had to, ‘cause he wasn’t in the show suddenly and we didn’t want Stanford to die. We wanted Willie to be alive as Stanford somewhere in the world.”
After moving Stanford to Alaska,And Just Like That…barely brought up Stanford, save forthe season 2 premierewhen Carrie revealed Stanford sent her thekimono she wore while getting readyfor the Met Gala.
“And here we are, and she says she got a letter from Stanford and he’s in Japan and he’s staying and he’s a Shinto monk,” King said of Stanford’s latest update.
King revealed the inspiration for Stanford’s story came from a trip he took to Japan with Parker, 58, to promote the secondSex and the Citymovie, which King knows many fans didn’t like.
Willie Garson and Sarah Jessica Parker on ‘Sex and the City’ season 3.HBO/ Courtesy: Everett
HBO/ Courtesy: Everett
So with Stanford becoming a monk, King “tapped into that feeling.”
“I wanted to somehow pay tribute to Willie and put Stanford someplace where it was golden and filled with light because I hope Willie’s someplace that’s golden and filled with light,” King continued. “And it was poetic and it’s very emotional.”
After Carrie informs Anthony about Stanford’s letter, they toast “to Stanny” with Cosmopolitans.
“Sarah Jessica chose to drink the entire drink in one gulp,” King shared of the improvised moment, calling it “baller.”
He thought the act served as a testament to Parker’s real-life connection with Garson. “It says so much to me about how big that toast is for her, to Stanford and I think Willie,” King said.
BeforeAnd Just Like That…season 2 kicked off, King explained to PEOPLE why they wanted to carry Stanford into this next chapter.
“I think that’s important once characters are established like that,” King said. “When a circumstance is handed [to] you that is tragic and less than ideal, you can still keep these fictional people alive in spite of the fact that Willie’s gone.”
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New episodes ofAnd Just Like That…drops Thursdays on Max.
source: people.com
