‘Will & Grace’ Takes Political Aim in Season Premiere

Our Twitter-crazed Commander in Chief might have a few things to say about one of television’s favorite foursomes returning to NBC in Will & Grace.

Everything old is new again in Will & Grace. 

In last night’s series premiere, we joined everyone back in Will’s apartment, and everything was very familiar. Will and Grace are still enjoying kicking everyone’s ass on game night (except now they use Heads Up! on their phones), Jack is still boy crazy (except now he can cruise them easier on Grindr), and Karen is still swilling martinis and popping pills (that’s it). Instead of trying to actually reboot the show, the gang assembles to simply continue what ended in 2006.

It’s a fast, hilarious premiere, and I can’t be happier that they are back.

The show doesn’t dwell on the 2006 series finale where Will and Grace become estranged and their kids eventually get married to one another. “That never happened,” Will says at the top of the episode. The biggest surprise in this premiere is how political everything gets. Karen gives Grace an opportunity to redecorate the Oval Office (“He wants to make it look like he’s there from time to time.”). Will considers hooking up with a Republican congressman. Yes, Will and Grace are going to Washington!

While we aren’t accustomed to seeing Will, Grace, Jack and Karen leave the Big Apple, it shouldn’t be surprising that they are going after the Trump administration. Last fall, they premiered a short film encouraging everyone to vote in the 2016 presidential election. That garnered 7 million views. Since Will & Grace always had its finger on the pop culture buzzer, it always took shots at the George W. Bush administration and at conservatives. Still, it never devoted an entire episode to taking jabs at a president. When Grace and Karen are in the Oval Office (glad to see the set of The West Wing being used again!), Grace opens a bag of Cheetos to compare to the proper swatches, and Jack tells Will that every member of the Secret Service is gay.

Final Verdict

The continuation of Will & Grace is bound to have networks rebooting shows left and right. There are already too many in development to name. Still, this one currently stands above the rest. With the entire creative team back on board, it feels like it’s the right mixture of fun writing, pop culture observation, and slapstick humor. I was literally jumping up and down in my seat when the opening credits came on.

Welcome back, kids.