Recap: Will & Grace, Season 9 Episode 2 – ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’

It didn’t take the Will & Grace revival long to get back into the swing of things. Last week’s politically charged premiere was good but nothing more. It was a necessary step for the show to take: a lot has happened since the show was last on the air, and confronting those who stand in the way of gay rights is integral to the show’s audience and very nature. With that out of the way, Will & Grace got back to its usual format, and it really felt like the good old days.

Will and Jack try to score dates with younger men while Karen and Grace find themselves trapped in Karen’s newly redesigned bathroom. ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ tackles a hilarious stereotype in gay culture: younger men hooking up with older ‘daddy’ figures.

While both Will and Jack have different experiences, the show’s message is consistent. Jack deals with aging, trying to appear younger in order to appeal to his hot date. Like last week, much of Jack’s screen time is spent with slapstick, but that’s where Sean Hayes excels. Jack’s hilarious efforts to recapture his youth leave him nearly crippled in a contraption made of compression garments and magnets.

Will aged better and lands a date with ease. When the two try to connect though, the problem arises. Will’s date is more interested in hooking up with a ‘daddy,’ and Will quickly learns the two have very little chemistry.

Rather than leaving it at that, Will & Grace does its duty in educating younger viewers. Will’s young date knows little of gay history. His coming out was a breeze. This is great news, and Will realizes it, but he takes his time to give his date a lesson in gay history.

You can never forget the struggle that came before you. The people that loved, and fought, and died.

Meanwhile, Karen and Grace find themselves trapped in Karen’s newly remodeled shower. Megan Mullally is back in top form as Karen, and her zingers and one-liners are as hilarious as ever. This episode really harkened back to the old days when people would frequently wonder if it was really Will & Grace or if a more apt title would be Karen & Jack.

As Karen and Grace find themselves in deeper and deeper water thanks to Karen’s voice automated shower locking them inside and plugging the drain, we learn more about both characters (although it’s unlikely old fans will have learned much.) Interesting though is that Trump supporter Karen finds Hillary Clinton to be a turn on, and ‘Grace Adler’ is her safe word. Ouch!

While Karen and Grace were mostly just comedic relief in this episode, there’s one line by Karen that’s already comedic gold and some of the show’s best. Karen asks Grace for a raise, to which Grace replies that Karen is already rich and does very little work, pointing out her wealth and penchant for booze. With gusto, Karen replies:

It’s not my fault that people can’t marry money and hold their liquor!

Ah, classic Karen. This new episode of Will & Grace gives much hope for the rest of the revival season and makes the fact that it was already renewed for another even sweeter.

Will & Grace airs Thursdays on NBC.