And Just Like That showrunner Michael Patrick King has revealed what the series originally had planned for Willie Garson’s character, Stanford Blatch. Garson tragically passed away of cancer last autumn at the age of 57, just three months before the HBO sequel series premiered. His death left a gap in the fabric of the series and the lives of its most beloved characters. Garson kept his ill health a secret for the most part, but he was able to star in three episodes of And Just Like That before those issues made it impossible for him to return.

From the very earliest days of Sex and the City, Stanford’s character was easy to love. With his keen eye for style and well-timed sarcasm, he was Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) only reliable male friend, turning up to give advice, gossip or enjoy cocktails and cigarettes at all hours of the day or night. If pressed to explain, very few SATC fans could actually define just what it was that Stanford did for a living, but that didn’t matter. The point was that he provided a sort of catty hilarity that couldn’t be duplicated by anyone else on the program. Even in later years when the series ended and spun off into films, Stanford’s marriage to loud-mouth cynic Anthony didn’t steal his thunder as Carrie’s close confidante and reliable comic relief. Garson’s death was not only heartbreaking, but it robbed such a talented actor from offering more of his character to the world in And Just Like That.

Related: And Just Like That Proves Steve & Miranda Were Always Doomed 

With only one episode left in the first season of And Just Like That, fans remain uncertain as to whether HBO will renew the series. As it stands, showrunner Michael Patrick King and the cast are eager to return for more. But while speaking with King recently, Variety learned that his initial plans for Garson’s character involved a more in-depth look at who he was as well as how his career was functioning for him in these later years. Many questions would have likely been answered about Stanford’s life, with the character having been scheduled to appear in all 10 episodes of the series. As King explained:

He was in all 10 episodes. Before I knew that Willie was sick and couldn’t complete it, Stanford was going to have a midlife crisis. Stanford’s character always had a borderline career as a manager, and we were like going to explore the fact that it wasn’t a real career. It was going to be Carrie and him, feeling the shifts. Anthony and him were probably going to have split anyway.

Then we would keep both of them in, and everybody would be relieved that they were divorced because it was not pleasant for anybody. But there was a series of really fun, flirty, hilarious confidante scenes with Carrie that I loved. That old, old, very specific chemistry that Carrie and Stanford have, which is based totally on the uniqueness of Willie and Sarah Jessica’s history.

Stanford Blatch walking away from a cab in And Just Like That

As a result of Garson’s death, the series explained that Stanford had gone to Japan to manage a client and that he and Anthony were getting a divorce. The change undoubtedly felt abrupt to many fans, but there was really nothing that could be done about that, given the reality of the situation. The real-life loss of Garson, as well as the fictional loss of Stanford, had a significant impact on the series, and when King speaks about both the man and the character, it serves as proof of what an impact Garson had on his friends, colleagues, and fans.

Though he only appeared for three episodes of And Just Like That, the series still wouldn’t have been the same without him. Some might argue that something more inventive and uplifting could have been done to explain Stanford’s sudden absence from the series. And while that may be true, the most important thing is knowing that in the world of And Just Like That, Stanford is still out there, unburdened by the mid-life crisis originally planned for him, forever living the sort of fabulous existence that fans always knew he deserved.

Next: And Just Like That Revives One Of SATC's Biggest Fan Nitpicks

Source: Variety