Will & Grace Review: Accidentally on Porpoise (Season 11 Episode 11)
Another day, another dollar, another ho-hum episode of Will & Grace.
I keep thinking — hoping, praying — that the arc for this season will make sense, and while I suspect the endgame this is all driving towards, the journey there continues to be unsatisfying.
Megan Mullally is back, but Karen’s presence barely registers. Her material this season has been subpar at best, and while there’s an endearing reappearance from Smitty, the jokes in Karen’s story feel like ones we’ve heard before. We get it: Karen is evil! She’s so evil that prayer candles burn out in her mere presence! Lord, help us all, how is this the best they can come up with?
The Grace and James storyline doesn’t fare much better. Of all the love interests in Grace’s past to bring back, I’m not sure why it’s James (Matt Letscher) that’s returned. I didn’t understand when he first reappeared in Will & Grace Season 11 Episode 7 “What a Dump” and I understand it even less now.
The only thing I can reason is that perhaps they’re building towards Grace ending up with James. After all, he’s a man who fully (and somewhat inexplicably) accepts all her faults and uniting her with him somehow ties the original and the revival together.
I can’t personally get excited about this pairing since I don’t think James has many distinguishing characteristics. I’d happily welcome back the West Side Curmudgeon. At least he had a personality.
This episode doesn’t do much to help us learn about James and even worse, it continues this ongoing bad habit the show has developed where Grace’s storylines make her look like a hapless buffoon. Comedically, Messing can sell it, but she shouldn’t have to.
Is there really not better, funnier, or more true-to-life comedy to be found than having her accidentally pleasure a dolphin (or a porpoise, excuse me)? Or be treated like a show dog or ruin bathroom pipes with her poop, for that matter? There’s no depth to any of this and it’s just a shockingly unfortunate misuse of air time and talent. Remember Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 5 “Grace’s Secret”? I fear we’re never going to see a story of that depth for Grace — or Messing — like that again.
If my patience seems thin, it’s because it is. I find myself shaking my head too much this season, wondering how this show has evolved into a shell of what it once was.
Will and Jack’s storyline is probably the most successful, but that’s mostly because 1.) there’s a Sister Act 2 reference, which helps everything, and 2.) the strength of the Will and Jack relationship.
Their relationship over the years has been complex: sometimes friendly, sometimes combative, sometimes paternalistic. While there’s a lot of love between Will and Jack, it’s rarely felt like a relationship between two equals, as Will has always seemed to have to ground or protect Jack in some way. Seeing those tables turn, and Jack being the more centered or calm one is a refreshing change.
While I take issue with a lot of things this season, I’ll acknowledge that Jack’s development, even though it’s subtle, has been nice to see. His increased maturity is significant enough to notice but not so much so that it feels like he’s evolved into totally different character.
It’s also nice to have a reminder that Will and Grace becoming parents affects the whole group; it’s not an experiencing occurring in a vacuum, and they have a strong support system outside of just each other. Will and Grace Season 11 Episode 5 “The Grief Panda” gets at this a bit with a discussion between Karen and Grace, but Jack and Will’s relationship thus far has been devoid of these conversations.
I wish we’d see more conversations like Jack and Will’s on this final season; they’re both funny and character driven, which seems to be in short supply this season. I almost feel like I need to send some prayers up and ask for divine intervention to veer the show back on track.
What did you think of this episode of Will & Grace? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Will & Grace airs Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c on NBC.
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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.
4 comments
I noticed something strange during this episode, which I recorded. As I watched it, the scene where Karen tells the priest that Smitty likes when she laughs at his misfortunes…there is a quick glitch where a psychedelically-colored, Mary Blair-like scene is interposed, just for a brief second. I’ve rewound and replayed many times, and the glitch is visible each time, but I can’t capture it on pause to really get a good look at it. Anyone else??
I did not but what a cool observation!
A disappointment. The writing is sub-par. Everything’s in such bad taste. I actually wince throughout the episodes. I watch (on demand in bits) because I’m a completist. A show that was smart and quick dissolved into one of the worst sitcoms. You know when you watch someone and you actually feel embarrassed for them? Well …
I was disappointed that the show showed Grace in a pool with a dolphin, or a porpoise. And Grace is petting it! It is in a pool and you should not pet a dolphin or any other marine animal! That shows people that it is ok to pet a dolphin or swim with a dolphin. They belong in the ocean, not in a tank! I’m disappointed. I’m not watching this show anymore.
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