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Why 'Will and Grace' Is Essential Now!

It provides a respite from the sturm und drang.

By Edward AndersonPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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As I write this essay, I am listening to the audiobook version of Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff, and wishing that I wasn't. The book by all accounts seems to be well researched and Wolff's writing style is informative, as well as entertaining. The issue is the subject of the book, Donald J. Trump. His ascension to the highest office in the land and the chaos that has ensued since is replayed with a bird's eye view of the Oval Office. It's all well and fine but there needs to be some levity. Enter Will and Grace.

Let's just get this out of the way right off the bat: The first episode of the reboot was far too political for my taste. The episode itself was funny, and even necessary since the reboot only happened because of the "#VoteHoney" YouTube video they filmed in 2016. So when they opened the new series with an episode that takes place mostly in the White House, it made a certain amount of sense. Even if it was a turn off for some of the more conservative fans.

Those people should give the show another chance. While there are still political moments, as there were in the original series, those are not the focus of the series. As with the original run, the focus of the series is the four characters at the center of the world. The trials of Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen are what fuels the comedy of the show. Sure, writers will sprinkle in such nuggets as Karen throwing a roll of paper towels at a Puerto Rican, as Trump did. Or making a crack about Harvey Weinstein's lack of gentlemanly behavior. Those are bits last about as long as it takes the actors to fire off the one-liner and then we are back to the story at hand.

Let's talk about the stories. WaG as fans affectionally call the show, is bringing back the sitcom. Now make no mistake here, comedies are very popular across all TV viewing platforms. What I mean by sitcom is that these are self-contained episodes. Take a recent episode, titled "Friends and Lover," where the titular characters begin seeing the same man. They are both unaware that the other is seeing the object of their desire. On another show, say Modern Family or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, this plotline would play out over a few episodes. WaG dispensed with this plot in less than 20 minutes.

Quicker, self-contained plots are not the only things that WaG does well. The writers and cast have brought back silly fun. In these times, that sounds like an insult but it is not. In the second episode of the new season, "Who's Your Daddy," Sean Hayes performed physical comedy that has not been seen since I Love Lucy was a brand new show. In that same episode, there was an homage to the beloved classic sitcom, when Karen and Grace get locked in a shower together. If you don't laugh at Megan Mullally when she gleefully shouts "I'm a sperm," then I'm sorry, but we cannot be friends.

The WaG cast obviously cares about one another very deeply. How else do you explain how the chemistry is just as comfortable and electric today as it was 11 years ago when the show ended? You can take any iteration of Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Hayes, and Mullally and will get comedy gold. For the most part, the writers pair McCormack with Hayes and Messing with Mullally, but you can see every pairing in any given episode. The plot of "Friends and Lover" would have fallen apart had it not been for the easy chemistry of Messing and McCormack. The subplot of Karen and Jack having an annoying jingle in their head would not have worked on any other show, nor with any other actors because Mullally and Hayes have a connection that transcends description. I would seriously watch the read the phone book together, and probably crack up.

These are dark days, with the leader of the free world comparing the size and functionality of his nuclear button to that of a Dictator's nuclear button. That should be a satirical sentence, something an enterprising comedy writer came up with. But no it's real life. And that is why Will and Grace is essential right now. It provides a half an hour of laughter and an outlet that lets you forget the problems of the world. Thank goodness for that!

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About the Creator

Edward Anderson

Edward has written hundreds of acclaimed true crime articles and has won numerous awards for his short stories.

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