Binge-Worthy Bulletin: 8 Reasons We Love the ‘Will & Grace’ Reboot
Sep 04, 2018
Welcome to Brit + Co's Binge-Worthy Bulletin, a new series where we choose one show we're obsessed with and tell you all the reasons why. This week's pick is the Will & Grace reboot, which returns for a second season on October 4. Click through to see all the reasons you should watch the show, and then binge season 1 of the revival on Hulu. (Photos via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Enduring Friendship of Will and Grace: Debra Messing and Eric McCormack haven't lost any of the chemistry that made their characters, Grace Adler and Will Truman, so fun to watch on the original show. The fictional BFFs may be older and a little more jaded now, but they're still there for each other through relationship woes, career complications, and all of life's many other ups and downs. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Jack and Karen of It All: Will and Grace may be the stars of the show, but Jack and Karen have always been the scene-stealers. Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally are hilarious on their own, of course, but together they're a dream team of over-the-top sass and feisty one-liners. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Guest Stars: The original run of Will & Grace featured famous guest stars including Matt Damon, Madonna, Cher, and Jennifer Lopez, and the reboot is bringing some A-list talent, too. So far we've seen J.Lo (again), Max Greenfield, Ben Platt, Nick Offerman, Vanessa Bayer, and Jane Lynch, and there are still appearances to come from David Schwimmer, Jon Cryer, Adam Rippon, Chelsea Handler, and Matt Bomer. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Throwbacks to the Original: In addition to big-name one-off guest stars, the reboot has brought back several people who played recurring roles during the show's first eight seasons. Harry Connick Jr. returned as Grace's ex-husband, Leo; Bobby Cannavale appeared as Will's ex-boyfriend Vince; Michael Angarano made a cameo as Jack's now-adult son, Elliot; Molly Shannon reprised her role as Val; and Leslie Jordan came back to play Karen's rival Beverley Leslie. There are also references to old jokes and running gags, like Karen's conversations with Smitty the bartender, whose tragic life events always cheer her up. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Physical Comedy:Will & Grace's brand of classic comedy is very big and very visual. The original had iconic moments like the exploding water bra scene (featuring guest star Scott Patterson of Gilmore Girls), and the reboot has wacky moments like the flooded shower scene. Just try not to belly-laugh at both. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Tribute Episodes: Season 1 of the reboot featured two tributes — one to Karen's maid, Rosario, and another to Grace's mom, Bobbi, who was played in the original by the late Debbie Reynolds. Shelley Morrison, who played Rosario, is still alive but retired, so she turned down the chance to reprise her role in the revival. To explain her absence and give the fan-favorite character a proper goodbye, the writers wrote an episode where Rosario died and Karen threw her a quinceañera instead of a funeral. A few months later, they honored Reynolds with an episode about Grace reuniting with her father and sisters to honor Bobbi's dying wish that they celebrate her birthday. There was humor in both episodes, but there were also some tears. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Topical Plots: The original run of Will & Grace was famous for pushing boundaries, but it was rarely overtly political. The reboot, on the other hand, started because of a mini episode about the 2016 election and has dealt with the current political and social climate in much more conspicuous ways. Season 1 featured references to both President Trump and Harvey Weinstein, as well as episodes about gay conversion therapy and the politics of free speech and cake-baking. (Photo via Chris Haston/NBC)
The Promise of More: The buzz around the reboot was so strong last year that NBC renewed the show for a second season even before the first premiered in September. Premature? Maybe, but it paid off. The new episodes were such a hit that NBC upped the season 2 order from 13 episodes to 18 episodes and renewed the revival for a third season — the show's 11th overall. (Photo via Andrew Eccles/NBC)
