When you follow a group of friends across decades, one of the things you will follow about them is their careers. People reach a certain age and they realize that the career they wanted is no longer satisfying, or they are galvanized to finally go after what they want. Will & Grace have circled back around to the same place they were in almost twenty years ago. The picture may look the same, but things are different. They want more, they need more, but there is no more time to dawdle. Even Jack knows he has to find purpose in unexpected places. And Karen, well, Karen’s stuck to the same “career” for decades and that is probably best.
Will vies for senior partner, while Grace tries to land a major hotel chain as her next client. The client agrees, but he wouldn’t mind a little quid pro quo if he can get it. Will takes offense to being pimped out, until he realizes Grace’s client is Eli Wolff. The head of a major hotel chain and a senior partner at a law firm would make the ultimate gay power couple. There’s just one little problem with the fantasy: Will hates his job, which he has no shame in slobbering all over Eli. Despite the bad date, Grace does get the job, but realizes she’s been a bad friend. Will has worked his entire life for this, and it feels empty. He needs a new challenge, because now is not the time in his life for playing it safe. What’s riskier than going into business with Grace?
Speaking of risky business, Karen reunites with Beverly Leslie. As always, it’s in the most comical, outlandish, condescending fashion. These two are gold together, especially when Beverly lets his guard down long enough to reveal-gasp!-he’s gay. To her credit, if there’s one thing Karen Walker does well, it’s throw a coming out party. Once the more happy effects of the morphine wear off, Leslie changes his mind. He’d rather hide forever than let his wife know that he’s gay. While it’s done in the perfect Beverly way, and Karen handles it the way only Karen would (punishment for getting her involved and then refusing to give her her room), the situation is very real. People who would rather live their entire lives lying to themselves and others instead of being true to who they are. If Karen was friends with Beverly, perhaps she’s help. Karen has always believed that for better or worse, you should be who you are and not apologize for it. Karen will never apologize for being Karen.
Jack is always going to be Jack, but it’s nice to see him get so involved with the people at the recreation center. Jack goes half in on a lottery ticket with his friend. It’s only right that he gets half of the money when the ticket turns out to be a winner. He gets stiffed on the delivery, so Jack decides an eye for an eye is only right. The resulting repartee is the reason why the show’s writing is hailed as spectacular. In the end, Jack decides the money should go to Sasha’s father so he can fix his Lyft car. Jack is evolving, and is stylish doing it.
Is the group evolving with age, or are their fabulous ways simply growing?
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