When rumors about a Will & Grace reunion began popping up in my Twitter feed earlier this week, my reaction was something along the lines of, “What’s this? What’s going on? What’s happening?” It seemed like perfect timing for another wildly successful show from the early 2000’s to be getting a revival.
Will & Grace was a groundbreaking show back in its day—there was nothing like it on TV. It was boldly relatable and just the right amount of realistic. Today, it’s one of those sitcoms that people never seem to get tired of re-watching—even if that means spending an entire Saturday marathoning it on WE TV. Scenes I found funny as a teen are still hilarious (if not, more so, now that I understand the level of thought that went into them) and I catch myself quoting Jack McFarland and Karen Walker on a regular basis.
As it turns out, the so-called “revival” ended up being a 10-minute scene set in Will and Grace’s apartment in the present-day. It was released on YouTube just before the first #debatenight of 2016. It’s purpose? To encourage people to vote through that distinct Will & Grace (& Jack & Karen) humor. It’s no surprise that the show’s writers were able to approach a topic such as our current political situation with sharp wit and perfectly-landed jokes.
It’s been 10 years since Will & Grace was last on the air. If there’s one thing that 10-minute clip convinced me of, it’s that even after all this time, the jokes, chemistry, and acting are still on point. And I really wish this clip would evolve into a full-blown series revival. Could you imagine Jack using social media, Emojis, and saying things like “bae,” “on fleek,” and “yas queen”? There’s no other TV cast I’d want to see poke at present-day topics.
Now that we’ve seen just how frustrating, intense, and mind-boggling this election season has become, I thought I would pick some of the best moments from the new Will & Grace clip. Because when life gets messy, sometimes humor is the most effective thing to give us peace of mind.
These are eight of the best moments that brought us back to the good ol’ days and have me fully convinced we need Will & Grace back on the air to make sense of everything happening in 2016.
Relevant, Recognizable, Funny Pop Culture References
In what was primarily a 10-minute conversation about present-day politics, we heard references to Fifty Shades, Brangelina, Hamilton, Dancing With The Stars, and Katy Perry. This just goes to show you that even after a decade, Will & Grace still excels at weaving relevant pop culture references into their dialogue. And they make it both enjoyable and believable.
Will’s Dad Joke Style Humor
Will Truman is arguably one of the more intelligent characters on Will & Grace and there’s nothing I love more than a guy who tells smart jokes. Some might call them Dad Jokes, but whatever it is, it works when Will says things like, “Yeah, but there wouldn’t be a lot of talking. Which is ironic, ‘cause he’s Speaker of the House.”
Karen & Will Making Fun of Grace
Grace is one of those lovable characters who happens to make a really great butt for people’s jokes—especially Karen and Will’s—which is ideal, given Karen constantly reminds her she doesn’t have boobs. Whether it’s a comment about her not being photogenic, her having a flat chest, her taste in clothing, or her lack of common sense—i.e. not knowing the difference between Mexico and El Salvador—Grace’s character is one of the show’s best punchlines to this day.
Karen & Jack Know How To Make An Entrance
Both Karen and Jack have a knack for making memorable, hilarious entrances. For Karen, it’s all about the snark—making a joke and making an entrance go hand in hand for her. For Jack, it’s all about making a scene—he’s livid. LIVID I SAY!
Gay Jokes
What other show can make an endless number of gay jokes and still be funny? Will & Grace. Give them 10 minutes and not only do they reference the ridiculously handsome Anderson Cooper, but they also claim that “not all gay people think alike”—and immediately Jack and Will, with perfect timing, ask each other if they saw Ryan Lochte get attacked on Dancing With The Stars. Bonus: listen for that perfect use of “I’m with her.”
Karen Being, Well, Karen
Oh, honey. Are there any characters on TV today that can hold a candle to the boozy, high-pitched excellence that is Karen Walker? (Nope.) Not only do we learn that Karen is besties with Trump (fitting, as she loves name-calling), but also that she “picked out” Melania for him. As if that weren’t enough, she manages to sneak in a few racist comments such as, “Who knew El Chapo was cleaning my toilets?” when speaking of her housekeeper/friend, Rosario. Because of course.
Just Jack
One of Will & Grace’s most iconic running gags was Jack McFarland’s “Just Jack.” It began as the title/persona of his one-man-show and quickly became one of the most popular jokes on the show. The guy loves attention. And any reference to “Just Jack” is hilarious, even with a twist like Grace saying “You. JUST YOU.” to Jack while doing the matching hand sign.
Grace Adler Loves a Dramatic Solo
Grace Adler is a bit of a drama queen and likes to sing. When she’s really in the moment, the woman can belt. it. out. And while she can certainly hit notes, her singing is probably one of the most annoying things about her character—but I live for those iconic moments. She’s nearly as dramatic as her three best friends.
So whether this was a one-time thing or it was the start of something wonderful and totally needed in 2016… it’s safe to say that Will & Grace is a show that has found a way to be in its prime even a decade later. And to be totally honest, I’ll take what I can get (but in the meantime, I’ll be wishing and hoping for more.) Until then, get registered to vote… and then vote, honey!
Image Credit: Debra Messing
