At peace, at last

When actor Willie Garson passed away in 2021, the news shocked fans who loved watching him play talent agent Stanford Blatch in the television series Sex and the City (SATC). The character made an impression as someone who was funny and flamboyant — more importantly, a friend who could be relied on. It was a treat to have him back with And Just Like That (AJLT), a revival series that tried to bring back the magic of SATC with limited success. With Garson gone at 57, I wondered what would happen to Blatch. 

The second season of AJLT had a two-part finale recently. It was called The Last Supper. In the first part, sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) read out a letter saying that Blatch had become a Shinto monk in Japan and left behind all his belongings to his ex-husband Anthony Marentino (Mario Cantone). He wrote, “Carrie, for the first time in my life, I felt peace. Real peace.” Marentino, who had not heard from Blatch in a year, was shocked. He was curious to know what Shinto monks do, so he asked Carrie.

She replied, “Well, they keep up the public altar, put out fresh flowers, facilitate the tourists’ temple visits.” Marentino summed up, “So, basically, God’s concierge?” Blatch did not have the heart to share these plans in person because he suspected that he would be ridiculed. He got his lawyers to take care of all the paperwork. In the letter, he remarked, “I want no attachments. I have let go of all things that no longer serve me. And I let it all go with love.”

I was struck by the unusual fashion in which the series bid goodbye to Blatch, so I wanted to understand how that idea came up in the first place. I found some satisfactory answers on a lovely podcast called And Just Like That…The Writers Room hosted by executive producer, writer and director Michael Patrick King. He had executive producer and writer Julie Rottenberg, consulting producer and writer Susan Fales-Hill, and supervising producer and writer Samantha Irby join him to discuss the penultimate episode of the second season.

The decision to send Blatch to Japan came from memories of a trip that King and Bradshaw went on. They took off for Kyoto soon after a movie called Sex and the City 2, based on the TV series, did not go down well with critics. King, who wrote, directed and co-produced that movie was shocked. He expected it to be appreciated by audiences. Wandering from one temple to another, he kept bawling and releasing those emotions helped him feel at peace. Parker was with him all along, lighting candles and offering flowers. On the podcast, King shared that the bond he shares with Parker in his personal life is like the bond between Blatch and Bradshaw in the series. Sending Blatch to Kyoto was his way to honour Garson.

I was touched to see how creatively a real-life experience was transformed into fiction. It was refreshing to be shown a gay character who was thirsty for peace, a sense of meaning that went beyond looking for a companion to share joys and sorrows with. He had arrived at a stage of life where liberation was no longer about coming out and seeking acceptance in the family and workplace, or about fighting for decriminalisation of homosexuality and marriage equality. He had been there, done that, as far as going on dates was concerned. He had given marriage a shot. But when he looked for lasting peace, he found it in simplicity and service.

(Chintan Girish Modi is a freelance writer, journalist and educator who tweets @chintanwriting)