I revisited my critiques of the original Will & Grace in last week’s rerun, and it’s interesting to see how this revival not only fails to ameliorate those issues but tends to emphasize them — lending credibility to its aesthetic association with the first series while also, to an even greater extent, impeding on episodic quality. For instance, this first year coasts on the basic novelty of Will & Grace‘s return, with most episodes featuring the “surprise” appearance of a former recurring player — Leo, Beverly, Lorraine, Elliot, etc. — and this kind of “oh, look it’s so-and-so” sounds a lot like the gimmicky stunt casting that plagued the original run, as so many episodes would be built around some external value, often timed for Sweeps and thus indicative of commercialistic and not character-based concerns. And yet, although there are still several gaudy guest star cameos here, this revival’s brand of casting is at least rooted in Will & Grace’s own lore, so it all feels less unearned. It’s just equally unsustainable, for it doesn’t suggest the kind of character-driven storytelling this series needs. After all, Will & Grace boasts four well-defined regulars in a low-concept “singles in the city” rom-com — the evolution of its leads in pursuit of their romantic endeavors is what we hope to follow in motivated story.
The Seven Best Episodes of the WILL & GRACE Revival Season One (or Nine)
