‘And Just Like That…’: The Production Team Chooses to Leave Stanford Blatch’s Storyline Open-Ended
With Samantha Jones out of the picture, Stanford Blatch seemed prepared to become the unofficial fourth member of the friend group in And Just Like That… Sadly, real-life tragedy prevented that from happening. Willie Garson, the actor who portrayed Stanford in all six seasons of Sex and the City, died of pancreatic cancer. His death left Stanford’s storyline unfinished, and showrunner Michael Patrick King with a void to fill. Fans were unsure of how the show would deal with Garsons’ death. Episode 4 of the reboot finally answered the question, but fan reactions have been mixed.
Willie Garson was slated to appear in all 10 episodes of ‘And Just Like That…’
Before his illness and death, Garson was slated to appear in all 10 episodes of the HBO Max reboot. During an interview with Vanity Fair, King explained that he was unaware of Garson’s illness when writing the season. He said that Stanford was set to take on a larger role in the reboot than in Sex and the City, complete with his own story arc.
Initially, there was hope that Garson would be able to finish out the season. Eventually, Garson’s health deteriorated too much for him to continue. When it became clear that his health was declining, King talked about revising the storyline. The famed showrunner revealed that Garson’s last day on set found him filming Mr. Big’s funeral. The beloved actor died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 57 on September 21, 2021.
Episode 4 of ‘And Just Like That…’ bids farewell to Stanford Blatch
Stanford Blatch’s presence in the first three episodes of And Just Like That… was bittersweet for fans of the original series. Garson had died by the time the show premiered, and the reboot served as his final, on-screen appearance. Episode 4, “Some of My Best Friends,” did not feature the famed character. The episode did, however, explain why Stanford would no longer be seen.
Carrie returns to her apartment to find a note seated next to her bed in the episode. The message written by Stanford Blatch informs Carrie that he’ll be in Japan by the time she reads his letter. Anthony Marantino, Stanford’s husband, stops by Carrie’s apartment to explain further that Stanford left the United States to manage a TikTok star based in Japan. Anthony reveals to Carrie that Stanford wants a divorce to cap off the scene.
Fan reactions about Stanford’s departure were split. Some love the open-ended nature of Stanford’s departure because it means the character lives on, despite Garson’s real-life death. Critics argue that the scene was too light, considering the real-life tragedy. They also assert that the divorce reveal seemed unnecessary.
Michael Patrick King was hoping to film one more scene with Willie Garson
While “Some of My Best Friends” left Stanford’s story open-ended, it isn’t exactly how King had hoped the storyline would play out. A note, reportedly, wasn’t the way Michael Patrick King wanted Stanford to walk out of Carrie’s life. Instead, he hoped to film one more scene between Carrie and Stanford to explain the situation.
In several interviews, King explained that he had penned a scene between just Carrie and Stanford that would have explained his decision to move to Japan. According to King, he had called Garson and asked him if he’d be able to come in to film a scene with just Sarah Jessica Parker. King recalled that Garson apologetically told him that while he wanted to do it, he simply couldn’t. The note was the next best option.
