Why Willie Garson’s character became a monk

Michael Patrick King, executive producer and creator of “And Just Like That,” has explained the thinking behind the show’s surprise decision to make Willie Garson’s character, Stanford, a Shinto monk.

The surprise twist was revealed in Episode 10 of Season 2, which aired last week on Max.

Garson, a memorable presence in the original “Sex and the City” series and Season 1 of “AJLT,” died from cancer in September 2021 at the age of 57 — leaving producers wondering how to tie up a rather significant and sad loose end.

“We didn’t want Stanford to die,” King said of the final script decision during an Aug. 17 episode of the podcast, “And Just Like That. . .The Writers Room.” “We wanted Willie to be alive, as Stanford, somewhere in the world.”

“I would say it was a Band-Aid, it was a fast fix,” he said. “It was like thin ice. We skated over it because we had to, because he wasn’t in the show suddenly.”

During the first season of the spinoff, Garson had shot three episodes before he decided to take a step back from filming, due to his illness. They explained later in Season 1 that his character was in Japan on a TikTok tour.

But during the penultimate episode of the sophomore season of “AJLT,” Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, received a letter from Stanford, which revealed that he decided to remain in Japan and become a Shinto monk.

King revealed that they wrote this in the script due to a real-life experience that the cast had when he and Parker were visiting temples in Kyoto in 2010, after promoting the second “Sex and the City” movie, which he said wasn’t received very well.

“I’d light a candle, I’d look at the flowers,” King said during 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,” he continued. “So I thought, ‘What if he just stayed there, in that beautiful, blissful temple and became a Shinto monk?’ “

The showrunner added that he wanted to pay tribute to Garson with his character, hoping to put Stanford in a place that was “golden” and “filled with light,” as that’s where he hopes he is.

As the second season of “And Just Like That” comes to a close, viewers still have more to look forward to.

In May, The Post exclusively revealed that Kim Cattrall, who plays sultry publicist Samantha Jones, would be making a cameo return for the “AJLT” season finale.

The appearance was kept such a secret that her name didn’t even appear on a call sheet, one source told The Post.

Cattrall will join her other co-stars, Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon.

She declined a role on the reboot when it was first picked up in 2020, and many speculated it may have been due to rumors of ongoing drama among the cast members.

Meanwhile, Max confirmed on Aug. 22 that the show has been renewed for a third season.

The streamer stated that “AJLT” is currently the most-watched series on the platform.