And just like that, the cast wishes Samantha’s return hadn’t been leaked

Although the revelation that Samantha (Kim Cattrall) would be returning for the second season of And Just Like That thrilled many fans when it was released last month, the cast and creator of the HBO series had mixed feelings about the news leak.

“My overwhelming thought right now is that I’m so deeply disappointed that someone leaked it to the press,” Cynthia Nixon told TheWrap. “It would be a wonderful surprise that while watching an episode, people would go, ‘Oh my God!’ said. There’s Samantha!’ You know?”

Showrunner Michael Patrick King echoed Nixon’s opinion, noting that the “only annoying thing” about the cameo was that the press found out about it. “I really wanted the audience to sit there and see Carrie pick up her phone and see that it’s not texting, and then, ‘What?'” King said. “It would have been fantastic.”

“I guess you can only do one huge, spoiler alert, impossible thing in your lifetime – and it was that Big died,” he continued, nodding to the big twist of the “And Just Like That” pilot. “No one knew Big had died until they saw it. So I guess that was it.”

In the upcoming scene, Samantha will have a phone conversation with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker). Although Cattrall was not involved in And Just Like That after publicly stating that she had refused to reprise the character after the second film, the series has kept her character in check, mostly showing her as Carrie texting at key moments in season one.

It was reported that Cattrall’s scene was shot without King or Parker on set. Despite previous reports suggesting King had little involvement in the cameo, the showrunner told TheWrap that he wrote the scene. Likewise, the comedy’s leads and executive producers, Parker, Nixon, and Kristin Davis, all confirmed that they discussed the upcoming cameo with the showrunner before it took place, and denied the original account that the cameo occurred without their involvement have taken place.

“It was a conversation that Michael and I had with the studio. “I didn’t learn that,” said Parker, who also serves as executive producer on the comedy. She called the moment a “beautiful and meaningful” way to tie the return of “And Just Like That” in season two to the 25th anniversary of “Sex and the City,” which premiered on June 6, 1998.

“Samantha had a smart and meaningful presence on this show, and it just felt good to add a face to the lyrics,” Parker said. “The conversation where it happens in the story is a more sentimental moment. And I think it’s just a beautiful way to continue a vibrant friendship.”

As for King, he’s still shocked the cameo even happened. In the past, Cattrall has made it clear that he doesn’t want to play Samantha in future projects.

“I don’t know how that came about. I think magic was involved. I think the fans must have shown a shift in some way,” King said. “Something about 25th anniversary magic — show business magic or fan magic or real magic — happened, and all of a sudden it was just, ‘Yes.’ I’ll be Samantha for that.’”

With the mystery out, the cast has a new fear: dealing with expectations. “The only thing I’m worried about now is because it’s one scene and it’s very short,” Nixon said. “It’s really just a kind of wave, you know, shoutout. And I’m just worried that all these accumulations have happened.”

Davis felt similarly to Nixon. “I just hope it’s not set up now and people are disappointed because we really made it for the fans,” she said. “We just thought it would be fun if she suddenly showed up on screen. Wouldn’t that be great? But that’s not the world we live in.”

And Just Like That will return for Season 2 on Max on Thursday, June 22nd.