'And Just Like That' Showrunner Michael Patrick King Explains What About Kim Cattrall's Return 'Upset' Him

etonline.com:

fans are understandably thrilled at the return of Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones for season 2 of, showrunner Michael Patrick King is a bit disappointed by one element of the cameo.«I am a little bit upset that you even know about it because I really wanted you to be sitting there watching the show, see Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) look at her phone and all of a sudden seeing Samantha,» King tells ET's Cassie DiLaura during a press day for the second season of the Max series. «But there's a secret.

You don't know why she's there and what's going to happen.»For King, Samantha has always been a part of the universe.«Carrie in the first season texted her and there was a connection because I wanted to keep Samantha alive,» King says.After Cattrall's very public comments against the show and specifically Parker, she had previously claimed to be done playing Samantha for good.

In season 1 of her absence was explained by a falling out between Samantha and Carrie Bradshaw over a business disagreement.

But after the death of her husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth), Carrie and Samantha texted back and forth several times, including a scene in the season 1 finale where they agreed to meet up for drinks while Carrie was in Paris, France.King shares that in honor of the 25th anniversary of the franchise, he wanted to create some magic for the fans with Samantha's return.«Even to the point where Kim was finished playing her for a while I wanted to keep Samantha alive because she's a big part of the brand,» he explains. «So here it is the 25th anniversary, and I guess magic happened.