And just like that... Stanford Blatch found his destiny.
During the penultimate episode of And Just Like That's second season, the Sex and the City sequel series offered an update on the late Willie Garson's character. The moment came during the Aug. 17 episode when Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw informed her bestie's estranged husband Anthony Marentino, played by Mario Cantone, that Stanford had told her in a letter that he had decided to remain in Japan and become a Shinto monk.
Garcon died of pancreatic cancer at age 57 in September 2021 after filming scenes for the debut season of And Just Like That. Ultimately, the White Collar actor reprised his role in three episodes before stepping back due to his illness, after which it was explained on the show that Stanford moved to Tokyo to manage a TikTok star.
"I would say it was a Band-Aid," And Just Like That creator and executive producer Michael Patrick King said about the storyline on the And Just Like That...The Writers Room podcast Aug. 17. "It was a fast fix. It was like thin ice. We skated over it because we had to, because he wasn't in the show suddenly."
He added, "We didn't want Stanford to die. We wanted Willie to be alive, as Stanford somewhere in the world."
In addition to the explanation about his sudden move to Tokyo on season one, Garson's fan-favorite character was later given a quick mention on the first episode of the newest season—after being complimented on her kimono, Carrie notes that Stanford sent it to her from Japan.
The decision to make him a Shinto monk stemmed from King's personal experience visiting temples in Kyoto with Parker after promoting the Sex and the City 2 movie in Japan in 2010.
"I'd light a candle, I'd look at the flowers," he said on the podcast. "And because it was Sarah Jessica and I, it always felt more than just me. It was quietly us. So when I started thinking like, 'Where is Stanford, what do we do?' I somehow tapped into that feeling that Sarah Jessica and I had, because I know Carrie and Stanford had a very deep bond and I'm happy to say Sarah Jessica and I have a very deep, personal bond. So I thought, what if he just stayed there, in that beautiful, blissful temple and became a Shinto monk?"
King continued, "I wanted to somehow tribute Willie and put Stanford some place where it was golden and filled with light because I hope Willie is some place that's golden and filled with light."
Look back at Willie Garson's most iconic Sex and the City moments below: