Will and Grace was a hit for one reason, and it had little to do with the show's lofty intentions. It drew viewers in week after week because it was just funny: slapstick vaudeville naughty (but not too naughty) funny. It has been obvious the past couple of seasons, though, that the series was running out of steam. The spark was gone as the focus shifted into issues that are more "serious."
Thursday's finale reflected both the brightest and dimmest of Will and Grace. NBC, desperate for anything to pull it out of its slump, heralded it as a two-hour "event," and promoted it as if the course of western civilization hinged upon its climax. The network's webpage was laden with emails (presumably genuine) all saying how the respective writer would cry as the series ended.
Truth of the matter was the hype shamelessly oversold the show. It was far from an event, two hour or otherwise. It was two separate programs--one done quite well, the other - not so much.
The first program, "Say Goodnight, Gracie," was a one-hour retrospective of the series eight season run, and it reminded us how hilarious Will and Grace could be, especially when it was Jack and Karen in the spotlight. Will and Grace themselves were too neurotic to be consistently funny, but Jack and Karen never strayed too far from loony land, and they were ultimately the glue that held the show together.
The highly trumpeted finale was a letdown, though. After a promising opening, a clever take-off of the dreaded dream ending, the episode drifted aimlessly through a series of predictable vignettes tracing the characters' life paths over the next twenty years. It wasn't so much that it was painful to watch but that it was drab and lifeless. If the series' principals wanted to go out on a poignant note, they never quite made it.
Without giving away the ending, NBC did leave open the possibility of a spin-off--Will and Grace: The Next Generation perhaps?
Article comments
1 - Bliffle
This was the first WG I watched all the way thru, and while it was amusing, especially the beginning with both WG old and deteriorated, it was hard to understand why so may saw the series as fun.
2 - buttercookie
couldn't have been more disappointed. instead of going for the sentimental schlock, why din't the writers go for their funniest show ever, to leave us with a strong final impression? The final episode of the mary tyler moore show is a comic classic; sadly the last episode of w&g is a classic mess. the most "poignant" thing they could have done was be really really funny on last time.
3 - Jet in Columbus
Bliff you didn't see the first three seasons on DVD? It's the funniest thing you'll ever see. As for the epilogue, the pretty much slammed the door on a reunion show unless they'll show up very old and gray.
4 - Bliffle
I've come across WG occasionally over the years, and even watched several minutes of it at a time, but was never compelled to seek it out.
5 - Jet in Columbus
There's an episode where they find out that Karen had once done an X-rated movie that'll have you falling off the couch laughing.
6 - Nicholas Stix
I have to echo Bliffle. Lots of laugh track, no laughs. I tried watching it a few times years ago, but never lasted more than about five minutes for a given episode. And the jokes were built around the sort of flaming gay stereotypes that, if the show didn't already have a "Gay-Friendly" Seal, would have issued in condemnation by GLAAD as "homophobic."
Another alleged comedy that, although it lacked the gay stereotypes of Will & Grace, I found equally laugh-track-heavy and unfunny, was Friends.
7 - Bliffle
"Friends" is dreadfully unfunny.
8 - reggie von woic
I'm gonna miss Karen's high pitched voice.
Any one know if there will be a re-run of the finale?
Stix and Bliffle, it is "cool" or "the in thing" to say that good shows are bad? Surely we all have our tastes, but friends unfunny? COME ON!!!!
9 - pcbaird
Worst finale I ever saw. My daughter looked at me mid-way and said "this is boring." I think that sums it up in a nutshell.
10 - PB
That was the worst season finale I've ever seen. My daughter said to me mid-way "this is boring". I think that sums it up nicely.
11 - Frank
Friends SUCKS. Will and grace SUCKS. you all suck!
12 - Silas Kain
Yes I do.
13 - Marc
The finale was a betrayal to fans of the series. To see Will & Grace, inseparable friends through eight years, suddenly "grow up" and move on made me feel like Bobby Ewing coming out of the shower in the dream episode of "Dallas." I also didn't want to know about the characters in the future, but was happy to live with my own ideas of their outcomes. So much for a reunion show, and so much for hoping the writers could have displayed some will and grace of their own.
14 - NR Davis
Silas Kain, you are bad!
*giggle*
15 - patricia
I was highly dissappointed in the finale myself, I loved the show and was dreading it's finale because I didnt want it to end, if I had known how the finale was going to be I would have dreaded it for two reasons, they totally ruined the whole concept of the show, unseperable best friends is what the show was always about and on the last episode they seperate them for twenty years, the worst part was after leading us on for 8 years that will and jack would end up together and then have will end up with vince and jack live with karen, why did they tease and lie to use for so long, i feel lied to, they had me anxiously awaiting will and jack's coming together and it never happened, what a rip-off, i waited for it for years to happen and it never did and now never can. . good riddance will and grace!
16 - Anthony
I echo the above... I wanted to see Will and Grace end the series as friends, not spend 20 years apart. The show threw in so many "serious" agruments towards the last few shows as if they were trying to show case their range of skills for their next career move.