What I’m Watching: Will and Grace

Will and Grace: Season 11, Episode 5 “The Grief Panda” (B-)

I wasn’t optimistic at the start of this episode about the Grief Panda as a character, and it was actually a little better than I expected it to be. Handing cards that had extremely personalized answers, like with Grace and Krispy Kreme, was decidedly absurd, but that’s the nature of this sometimes and I guess I just have to embrace it. I’m glad that, even though he wrestled with the panda, there wasn’t a moment at which the panda took off his head and turned out to be someone we knew, like, say, McCoy himself. Will wanting to keep the photo of him and McCoy when he had a cold because it happened, even if it didn’t end well, was a nice dramatic moment that felt far more permanent and appropriately serious than most of what is featured on this show. Karen interrupting Grace each time before she could say the word “baby” was repetitive, and that situation got a whole lot sappier than I ever would have thought when she confessed that she was hurt that Grace didn’t want her to be part of the baby’s life. Selecting a godmother who, before she was informed of that choice, had been throwing out every baby-related package that arrived may not have been the smartest decision, but it’s good for Grace to feel validated and heard by Karen for once in her life. I’m constantly distracted by how much Vanessa Bayer’s portrayal of Amy reminds me of someone I know, but she’s definitely a good fit for this show’s irreverence.