What I’m Watching: Will and Grace

Will and Grace: Season 9, Episode 5 “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying” (B+)

There are so many things about this show, including this episode’s admittedly clever title, that serve as reminders that it was born out of the 1990s, and it really is wonderful to see that so much of it still works today. Maybe taking a decade off is just what other shows that had gone on past their primes need, but something tells me that this show is special. We got a rare glimpse of Will’s work life, which seemed truly miserable and isolating, and then Will broke down at exactly the wrong moment when Grace’s prospective new client, Eli Wolff, played by Max Greenfield from “New Girl,” came over for their date. Fortunately, Will forgave Grace quickly after she realized that she was a piece of trash for not even asking if he had made partner, and they’re about to embark on an exciting collaboration that’s going to drive Will crazy since he’s not used to going out on a limb and taking a chance. Leslie Jordan’s Beverly Leslie is always a welcome guest, and addressing his closeted homosexuality was mildly amusing if only for his denial and Karen’s pointed insistence. Also, the actor is only sixty-two years old in real life, not ninety like his character. As usual, Sean Hayes helped to enhance an only moderately-appealing plotline in which his dollar helped a colleague win a $2,000 lottery prize. He played the scene where we walked in sipping from the tiny espresso cup perfectly. This show also isn’t afraid to address so many political themes, including how you can’t hit gay or black people (sort of).