Will & Grace Review: Bad Blood (Season 10 Episode 15)

As we near the end of the season for Will and Grace and begin to wrap up storylines, there’s a sense that every moment counts.

The time for more filler-type episodes is gone, which makes it extra thrilling that Will and Grace Season 10 Episode 15 “Bad Blood” chooses to spotlight a longstanding issue for the gay community and finally give Eric McCormack the kind of showcase he deserves this season.

This episode shares some similar DNA with Will and Grace Season 10 Episode 5 “Grace’s Secret,” whose events are referred to on this episode.

Grace’s father, uncomfortable with yet another tough conversation, refers to those past moments, saying, “We did the Me Too thing; there was learning; I heard you.” While Grace’s father makes for a somewhat frustrating character at points, he’s also a surrogate Everyman character and it’s no coincidence that he’s been the catalyst for a number of the season’s most riveting developments.

Like that episode, “Bad Blood” has a more serious tone, in this case choosing to use Will as a mouthpiece for a larger conversation about the persistently inequitable standards about blood donation that gay men face.

Also like that earlier episode, the storyline could easily take an overwrought turn and come off as a “Very Special Episode” and blatantly obnoxious Emmy bait but instead, its approach is nuanced and masterful, hitting just the right notes. (McCormack probably still should put this on his Emmy reel though.)

Let’s back up a moment though: Grace and Will’s parents are back and it’s the first time we’ve seen them together since their marriage late last season.

That storyline is still an odd one — no matter how much time you let it breathe — but on this episode, that connection is actually somewhat helpful because it raises the stakes.

When Grace’s father, Martin, rejects getting a blood transfusion with Will’s blood because he’s gay, he’s not just rejecting the blood of his daughter’s longtime friend; he’s rejecting the blood of his stepson — essentially his honorary son. That stings.

Martin’s ignorance as he explains he wants to wait for the “straight blood” is not easy to forgive but the stereotypes about the safety of gay mens blood are pervasive.

Rooted in fear of HIV infection, not actual data and science, law states that gay men cannot give blood unless they’ve been abstinent for a year, regardless of whether they’ve had clean STI test results; these standards aren’t applied to heterosexual people.

Given there’s tremendous homophobia rooted in that law, it’s not hard to understand how that can sprout fear and ignorance in someone who is otherwise supportive of the gay community, but that does not make it right. 

Robert Klein once again does great work, expressing not only his skepticism that blood from Will would be safe but also his exasperation at having to experience another “teaching moment” when Grace initially tries to broach the subject with him.

These reactions are all too real, as is the discomfort of having to defend your choices and face some of the flawed thinking behind them.

It’s a credit to both the writing and to Klein that despite having some unsympathetic viewpoints, Martin never becomes a caricature or a prop to help get a message across.

With that said, the linchpin of this episode is Eric McCormack. Much of this season has been frustrating in regards to Will, who has often been sidelined to supporting player in others’ stories or stuck in his own less satisfying storylines.

It’s a relief to finally see this episode, which is the most worthy of McCormack’s talent since Will and Grace Season 10 Episode 4 “Who’s Sorry Now?”. Will is exhausted, resigned, disappointed, galvanized — all over the course of 30 minutes. It’s difficult to paint with that many colors, but McCormack does so brilliantly.

The writing for this story is also top notch. It is easy to write “hot topic” stories that come off heavy-handed but Will and Grace fortunately avoids falling into that trap.

In fact, some of Will’s dialogue, while relevant to the situation at hand, is applicable to the challenges many people from disenfranchised groups face.

I’m not mad, I’m tired. Why do I have to lead the fight where every time someone says something remotely antigay, I have to jump in? I’ve marched, I’ve made the calls. Every time you think you can exhale, someone says they won’t bake your cake. I don’t want to defend who I am all the time; I want a day off.

Swap out a few of the identifying details and this could be a sentiment from a member of number of different groups. The onus is too often on these people to advocate and educate, which is why it’s especially important that on this episode, it’s not just Will that challenges Martin’s ill-informed assumptions; Grace and Marilyn (Blythe Danner) do too.

Lastly, the end scene serves not only as a powerful educational tool about blood donation amongst gay men but also as a reminder to us all that we have to keep growing in our understanding of each other (also, that we, as a society, should just agree that bangs shouldn’t be a thing).

Stray observations:

• Karen and Jack’s storyline is so secondary that it’s hard to comment too much on it. These two are less fun when they are feuding with each other, as they have several times this season, and more fun when they’re wreaking havoc together.
• I cannot believe that they are still milking this Gaybraham Lincoln story. It gets less endearing over time.
• It’s clear that as we edge closer to the end of the season and the wedding conversations escalate, we are about to turn a corner  in the Estefan and Jack relationship. The question is: will they really make it down the aisle? I wouldn’t bet on it.

What did you think of this episode of Will and Grace? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Will and Grace airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.

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