Will & Grace Review: Kid N’ Play (Season 10 Episode 6)
After a few more serious episodes, it’s back to business as usual in Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 6, “Kid N’ Play.”
This is not an unwelcome turn of events; part of what makes the show’s more serious moments pack such a punch is that the show is so judicious with its dramatic beats as on Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 4, “Who’s Sorry Now?” and Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 5, “Grace’s Secret.”
A return to form feels appropriate at this point and this episode features plenty of hijinks along with some important developments in the Noah/Grace relationship.
But first (and one, two, three, four score) — Jack is mounting a one-man show about Abraham Lincoln’s rumored gay romance backed by financial support from Karen, who is looking for a tax shelter to help her save some dough.
At first, Karen is only focused on finding a vehicle guaranteed to lose money and she’s supportive of every out-there choice Jack makes — and there are many. One of his lyrics is “my head is in a fog thinkin’ of your Lincoln log/ you put the man in e-man-cipation.”
It’s only after she realizes that her support of the project will be well advertised and that her friends, Ivanka and the Huckabee-Sanderses will be attending that she considers the possible humiliation coming her way. As an aside, this is how Will & Grace should do topical humor. No more visits to the White House to decorate.
From there, Karen does a complete 180. She takes off her Friend Hat and puts on her Producer Hat, recasting John Cryer in the lead role.
While John Cryer’s appearance is brief (I loved that he played himself!), watching him get through lyrics like, “you made me love you/ you really got your licks in/ below the Mason Dixon” with such cringing discomfort is a treat.
Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally are, as always, hilarious. I realize that these reviews can so often turn into love letters to their talent and skill but they are just so consistently good, week after week. Their exchange here is not quite as fizzy and perfect as their scenes on “Who’s Sorry Now?” but it’s a close second for the season.
The central stories of this episode center on Noah and his respective relationships with both Will and Grace. I have been waiting for more Noah focused scene work and this entire episode is really a showcase for recurring guest star David Schwimmer.
Whether you liked Schwimmer’s classic Friends character, Ross, or not, you cannot deny how comfortably he excels in the sitcom format and how well he fits in with the Fab Four.
Past guest stars, especially those that played love interests, have not always fared as well, and as much as I adored Harry Connick Jr.’s Leo, he always felt a tad wedged in, trying to fit into Grace’s life and the spirit of the show itself.
As little as we know about Noah — and on this episode, we learn just how little we know — he is complex and distinct (which alas, sitcom boyfriends rarely get to be) and I am enjoying learning more about him.
It’s hard to decide whether the scene between Noah/Will or Noah/Grace was stronger. Noah and Will’s scene was funnier but the Noah and Grace scene is likely the one that people will remember about this episode.
Concerned the two main men in her life aren’t connecting, Grace “parent-traps” Noah and Will, setting them up to spend time together. It does not start well; Will is aghast that Noah cannot stand musicals, especially movie musicals (Reader, I know. This hurts me too. I’m with Will).
They argue about the merits of West Side Story, culminating in a snap-off rumble, with Will trying to demonstrate the proper way to mirror the snap choreography. “It’s a tight snap!” he cries.
Between this storyline and Jack’s one-man show, this episode is truly a treasure trove for the theatre geeks amongst us.
In the midst of their tiff, Will discovers that Noah has a daughter that he hasn’t told Grace about yet, and Will wrestles with whether to tell Grace.
The truth tumbles out, as it always does, as does Noah’s confession that he loves Grace. I have two big takeaways about this moment.
First, this scene does a wonderful job of demonstrating one of the benefits of getting older: being fully aware of what you want and unwilling to accept less than that. When Noah struggles to articulate the depth of his feelings for Grace responds bluntly.
Grace: I have spent too much of my life chasing after emotionally wishy washy men and I don’t have time for it anymore. You have 24 seconds to tell me how you feel about me.
That is a lovely moment to see, especially for Grace. I appreciate how they have tried to subtly demonstrate how she’s finding her voice and asserting herself this season.
Some attempts at this, like the storylines about her running for office, work less well. That is likely because they lack some depth, but moments where she is direct about her feelings as in this moment with Noah or when speaking to her father show a striking new shade.
Don’t fret though, she’s still the same Grace we love who will spill soup on herself and lie about it later.
My second reaction to the Noah/Grace scene is less positive. I hate the trope of hidden, or withheld, children with a passion. It has significantly derailed shows in my opinion (looking at you, Gilmore Girls!) and is a story crutch that I wish writers would not rely upon regularly.
To see curmudgeonly Noah break down and confess that he loves Grace and share how deeply he loves his daughter Katie only for him to turn around and tell Grace she will not ever meet Katie is disappointing to say the least.
Perhaps there’s more to the story. Perhaps Katie has made it clear that she does not want to meet any of the women in her father’s life. Perhaps she’s holding out hope her parents will reunite and Noah is being delicate with her feelings.
I certainly hope the story is something along those lines and not related to Noah’s inability or unwillingness to combine the two spheres of his life.
I would prefer to see Noah stay around and witness more of his connection with Grace. That we did not get to see the disastrous date where he initially tried to tell Grace about his daughter feels like a missed comedic — and dramatic — opportunity and I would welcome more examples of how their chemistry plays out in day-to-day life.
However, if the show intends to go down the route of his daughter coming between them in a significant way, I’ll be sorely disappointed. We deserve better. Grace does too. To be continued, I suppose.
Stray observations:
- The small detail that Will drinks Skinnygirl Chardonnay is very much on brand, to steal a phrase from Noah.
- I have many, many feelings about Will and Grace‘s original series finale and the children that got subsequently erased when the show was rebooted. I was disappointed the show did not take advantage of this and have a meta-moment referencing the “missing” children.
What did you think of this episode of Will & Grace? If someone made a comfort kit for you like Will did for Grace, what would be in it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Will and Grace airs Thursday at 9/8c on NBC.
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Cristina Iskander
Cristina is a Broadway enthusiast, book lover, and pop-culture fanatic living in New York City. She once won a Fantasy Bachelor contest (yes, like Fantasy Football, but for The Bachelor), and can banter about old school WB (Pacey + Joey FTW) just as well as Stranger Things and Pen15. She's still upset Benson and Stabler never got together and is worried Rollins and Carisi are headed down the same road, wants justice for Shangela, and hopes to one day walk-and-talk down a hallway with Aaron Sorkin.