Will and Grace Series Finale Review and Recap
Firstly I don’t
understand why SABC 3 didn’t air the series finale, like it was intended to do so, as a one hour broadcast. Instead we got the finale in two parts. For those who missed the first part, there was no ‘Previously on Will and Grace’ to catch viewers up on what was happening, and that future storyline must have made no sense to some viewers.
“Karen: Would you look at us? Will's mean, Grace is flat-chested... Jackie's pretending like he's following this... And I'm high from something I found under the sink in your bathroom. Ah... The gang is back.”
No not really Karen, hardly.
The finale felt like a real left down and disappointment from the writers. After a not so ‘fab’ season, I thought they would at least pull up their socks and deliver the best Series Finale they could.
The end of an era finally culminates in the series finale of this long running comedy series. Will and Grace finally part ways to lead their lives with their true loves - Grace remarries Leo and together they raise their child, Lila, and Will and Vince adopt a child, whom they name Ben.
After toasting to Karen's detailed divorce settlement, Jack is propositioned to become Beverly Leslie's man candy, which he unwillingly accepts after being held against an elevator wall.
Inadvertently, Karen loses her money as quick as she got it when she is given the news that everything her ex-husband Stan owned was borrowed. The two find comfort in each other after Leslie's death, since he left his money to Jack, and Jack becomes Karen's monetary and life supporter, which is a very ironic turn of the tables.
After a mini reunion two years after their breakup, Will and Grace meet again while helping their children move into their college dorms. The two final scenes consist of Will and Grace chatting on the phone about their daughter and son's pending nuptuials and the gang getting back together in the same bar Will and Grace kissed in eight years ago. After taking a round of shots, we are taken back to the present, where everything is as it was before.
I am quite angry with the writers on this finale, not only did I hardly laugh, but really wondered why after 8 years did they feed us this trash of a finale. The premise of Will & Grace was to supposed to be the friendship between Will & Grace which is quite strong, and as we’ve seen they have had their fair share of fights etc, but they made up and were alright. How can they then expect fans to believe that they didn’t talk for two years and waited for sixteen years to talk again?! I’m sorry I didn’t buy that, and wasn’t too impressed with it either.
After spending eight years (some debate seven, seven and a half, or even six) years of humour, Will & Grace Producers thought, “Hey let’s be emotional, because everyone loves emotional sitcoms.” NOT! I don’t know why they backed out with the comedy in the finale and tried to add an emotional feel, which they just did not get right! Although I did feel a small ounce of sadness when Karen and Jack sang “Unforgettable” when I realized this is the last time the foursome would be in my living room. Sad, and if they had a small flashback, I’m sure it would have been a tearjerker.
So Will & Grace’s kids end up going to college together and opposite each other, is the Will & Grace legacy now in re-runs and will they be destined to be the same? Oh my Grace’s daughter inherited her hair and breasts and Will’s kid his almost Will’s looks, almost!!!
Again Jack and Karen are pushed to the back even in the finale, I thought they would come to the limelight and the finale would be about all four of them, since they contributed to most of the laughs of the show. Anyways I didn’t like that Karen and Jack’s roles got reversed in the future and Karen had to be dependant on Jack in the future. It’s one of the main reasons we love Karen- the rich bitch alcoholic with the high voice. The voice is lowered itself and now she’s broke, well at least she can down Vodka like the Karen we all love.
The two good things about the finale is the reminiscence of the pilot, there are two evident scenes in which I picked up on. The first is when Will & Grace are chatting on the phone in 2026 and watching ER, its from the pilot, even the same joke about George Clooney returning to the show. The second is the finale scene in which An older Will, Grace and Jack and a normal looking Karen have a shot. This is the same bar from the pilot episode where everyone thought Will & Grace were a married couple, and they had to kiss, and they did, in fact Jack and Karen too followed by an appropriate “You’re my Best Friend” by Queen in which we return to the present and everything is the same, except Grace’s hair of course.
In ending we leave you with some of the little funny quotes from the finale, and this was pretty desperate seeing as we could translate Beverly’s flying up and out the window into text.
Jack: Yahh...
Karen: I think I feel a song coming up!
Jack: Then a song, we shall have.
(They walk to the piano)
Jack: And might I say, your knockers are looking particularly full tonight.
Karen: And might I say, you have the balls of a thirty-year-old.
Grace: Lila was so skinny her whole first year.
Will: What'd you feed her?
Grace: The boob.
Karen: Why Beverley Leslie, what are you doing later tonight honey? I'm having a few friends over for a game of Monopoly, and I'm missing one of the pieces.
Karen: Hey honey, what's up?
Jack: Oh, nothing. I'm not desperately trying to get hobbit germs off my kissing hand, if that's what you're thinking.
Karen: Jack has told his hilarious story and you're out of vodka.
Will: There's a bottle right there.
Karen: (drinks the bottle of vodka) Nope, empty.
Jack: He's clearly Will's child. Fat, bald, and clinging to Vince like it's the only man who'll ever love him.
Vince: He's looking more like you everyday.
Will: Really? I don't know. Sometimes I see me, and sometimes I just see the sad girl who sold her eggs for rent money.
Grace: You look good.
Will: Thank you. You don't look anything like your mother.
Grace: Oh thank you!
Karen: Do you find them exhausting?
Jack: I always have.
Later....
Grace: Do you find them exhausting?
Will: Always have.
Jack: Well, not everything's the same. Karen here has lost her...
Karen: (cuts Jack off) Virginity!
Jack: (to Beverly Leslie) I'm sure you have places to be....A magic ring to protect....
Will: (Grace stares at the apartment) You don't like the changes we made?
Grace: No it's just... I don't live here anymore.
Grace: Screw you!
Will: You wish.
Grace: You couldn't
Will: Yeah, not because I'm gay, just because you're hideous
It’s what friendship’s about being there in the good and bad, and I had a long friendship with Will & Grace and stayed right till the very end. To the best of friends, and for a wonderful run.
Goodbye and Goodnight Will and Grace