"The heroic thing was that Samantha was coming for an overnight"- And Just Like That showrunner breaks down Kim Cattrall's anticipated return

And Just Like That may have mesmerized Sex and the City fans for over two seasons now, but the show always lacked that one tiny thing: Samantha (Kim Cattrall), one of the original girls from the franchise, who departed before this new show kicked off.

With the finale of the second season, titled The Last Supper Part Two: Entree, which aired today, the show managed to give the fans this one anticipated moment with the popular character.

Though brief, And Just Like That season 2 finale did feature Samantha in a rare throwback moment to the original series, even including a great reference to Annabelle Bronstein and the British accent, which hardcore Sex and the City fans will recognize instantly.

In a recent exclusive interview with Variety after the finale of the show, showrunner Michael Patrick King broke down Samantha's appearance in detail.

"As you know, it’s literally a cameo. I mean, it’s just a little moment. What I always thought was that these characters are texting, and occasionally talking, so I knew it was going to be conversational. The heroic thing was that Samantha was coming for an overnight — like, I’m flying to New York for the night because I wanted to be there to celebrate the apartment," he said.

"I felt it was a very nice, grand gesture for Samantha. I believe she would do that for that moment. The weather screwed it up," he added.

He further dissected the treatment of Samantha's character in the And Just Like That Season 2 finale and talked about why they went with the Annabelle Bronstein reference.

---

"It was a classic Samantha, bad girl, fabulous girl story. And it shows that Samantha’s still thinking about it" - King on And Just Like That's big cameo

Bringing Samantha back for the sake of it was definitely not enough for the creators of And Just Like That, so the character was given the perfect treatment on her ultimate return, a well-weaved storyline of how they are still in touch and how Samantha continues to be herself.

That was the big challenge, and the finale of And Just Like That tackled it brilliantly. In the interview, King expanded on this, saying:

"But I wanted to do a reference to “Sex and the City” by having her reference Annabelle Bronstein again from the Soho House, because that was pure Samantha DNA: “I’m Annabelle Bronstein!” It was a classic Samantha, bad girl, fabulous girl story. And it shows that Samantha’s still thinking about it."

"I’m happy that it’s really early in the episode, because I don’t want the drumbeat that this big dramatic thing is going to happen. Because that was never the intention. The intention was: Look, there she is! They’re talking. It’s two steps past an emotional text. They’re talking," he added.

This surprise was very well-received by fans worldwide, with many taking to social media platforms to express their joy at seeing Samantha in the role once again.

Hopefully, fans will get to see more of Samantha in the future. And Just Like That has reportedly been renewed for another season and may continue to stay on air for quite some time.

The second season of And Just Like That is now streaming on Max.