Arts & Culture
REVIEW: Will & Grace has returned and The Ocelot loves it!

This article may contain spoilers, but it will not ruin your experience of watching season 9 of Will & Grace.

I was a perfectly balanced mixture of so excited and incredibly anxious when I heard Will & Grace was returning for another (long overdue) season. Producers trying to redo or reintroduce popular TV programmes has not always been the greatest success (know when to stop). There are also certain TV programmes that are of a certain time and simply belong there - it pains me to say it but Friends is one of them. So for the first episode of Will & Grace returning I was delighted to be cackling away in my living room, whilst simultaneously texting my gals in London with various heart and ecstatic-looking emojis. This may be one of the best TV comebacks I have ever seen! The latter may sound extreme but the team behind W&G clearly know what they’re doing. The core characters, wit, humour, and hilarious situations the cast find themselves in (like a pillow fight in the White House) has remained the same. What has been revamped is of course the current social climate which they are now faced with. Jumping straight into 2018, it feels like no time has passed since the show last aired 11 years ago. The first episode brings us back to Will’s apartment where my favourite, dare I say fantastic, four are playing Celebrity. It goes a little like this - Will: “We want to love her but she makes it impossible.” Grace: “Caitlyn Jenner!” And they’re back! The show’s revival takes current issues by the balls, adds in some camp sass, and results in hysterics (as usual, sometimes even from the cast which really accentuates the show’s charm and the actors’ chemistry). Let’s also not forget the integral part this sitcom has played in many people’s lives. In an interview with Vanity Fair Eric McCormack (Will) said how he’s recieved thank you letters saying how the show has helped individuals come out. Come on, that’s amazing! I asked one of my friends, an avid Will & Grace fan, how the show affected him and he said: “I was obsessed! I think it was the first show to portray gay people as normal, not just as the campy side kick. Like, Will was a gay man you actually wanted to grow up to be like - there weren’t a lot of good role models back in my day hun.” His boyfriend, also a dear friend and avid Will & Grace fan, added: “Will & Grace was my first exposure to gay people who weren’t stereotypical of gay culture. It made me feel okay to be myself.” With America being led with an idiot at the helm it’s shows like Will & Grace which are as relevant and necessary as ever. Episode one and said idiot is being jabbed at left, right and centre and it turns out the Secret Service are all homos - as Jack perfectly remarks “Who better to read a room.” If you’ve been scared to watch it for fear of ruining your love for Will & Grace, then you’re in luck - since the show’s first episode in 1998, it has remained utterly witty, satirical and clever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2whSP5nE7ZE Will & Grace is on Channel 5, Friday at 9pm.

  • REVIEW: Will & Grace has returned and The Ocelot loves it!