Will & Grace – It’s a Family Affair

By: Kelly Kearney

In part two of the season finale, Will and Grace struggle to keep their cool as Martin invades their living space. Besides Grace’s father, Will’s mother Marilyn arrives for a visit and she and Martin find they have more in common than their children. Meanwhile, Jack heads to Ibiza to soothe his pain over his break up with Drew and Malcolm is still waiting on Karen to choose him over Stan. Its break-up therapy, family affairs and new adventures in this week’s “Will & Grace.”

Daddy’s Home

It’s official, Grace’s (Debra Messing) father is living with her and Will (Eric McCormack) and, as you can imagine, it’s not going well. Martin (Robert Klein) is making Grace crazy and as payback for Will putting this move idea in the elder Adler’s head, Grace invites Will’s mother Marilyn (Blythe Danner) for an extended visit. It’s a payback that Will doesn’t appreciate, especially when Marilyn arrives with her beagles that she tends to coddle more than she ever did her son. His mother’s pop in quickly sets Will straight, so to speak, and he’s beginning to realize that no middle-aged person should be sharing their home with Mom and Dad.

Elsewhere, Jack’s (Sean Hayes) heartbroken over his break up with Drew (Ryan Pinkston) so he flies to Ibiza for some island therapy. It’s a smart idea since everyone knows a gay heart heals best when its basking in the sun alongside tan, scantily clad men. Try as he might, Jack’s really suffering over this failed attempt at monogamy, but even his mother thinks it’s time he moves on. Moving on for Jack comes sooner rather than later when he spots a bevy of male beauties that add to the island’s flavor. Drew who? Yeah, that’s how we like our Jack McFarland, unapologetically boy crazy.

Speaking of monogamy, Karen’s (Megan Mullally) struggling with her choice between Malcolm (Alec Baldwin) and Stan. Malcolm loves Karen, but is it enough to end decades of marriage and commitment? The only answer she can come up with is keeping things exactly the way they are, insisting she can make it work.  Not wanting to be Karen’s dirty little secret side piece, Malcolm won’t settle for second best, even if Karen keeps flashes him her goods. He wants the sexy socialite to choose once and for all. Anastasia Beaverhousen cannot have her schnitzel and eat it too; a choice must be made!

This Must End

At the apartment, Will and Grace agree they need to come up with a plan to get Marilyn and Martin out of their home now that they are invading every aspect of their lives. Unfortunately, these two golden aged kids are quickly becoming friends which is making their mission to give them the boot a giant fail. Martin and Marilyn’s friendship is sparked from their shared love of mocking the sad lives of their kids, not to mention the loneliness they feel now that their spouses are gone. Apart these two are a handful, but together they’re a nightmare especially now that Will and Grace have been forced to give up their bedrooms and sleep on the couch! Oh, and let’s not forget about Marilyn’s beagles (a/k/a Will’s brothers) that are also along for the ride turning this family reunion into a three-ringed circus. While the two scheme about how to end this parental bonding, Marilyn and Martin are quickly going from friends to something much more, which becomes obvious when Will and Grace walk in on them getting their freak on in Will’s bed! Triggered and utterly grossed out, they hope their parents forget they were interrupted doing the mattress mambo so they can pretend that this never happened.

Meanwhile, Karen and Malcolm have one last dinner together where they both try one upping the other with their sexy skills. Malcolm pops a cherry into his mouth and ties the stem into a K, but Karen goes a step further by tying one with her vagina. What can’t this woman do? The meal quickly turns into a hands-off love fest filled with ice cube teasing and phantom touches meant to prove Malcolm is the only lover who truly understands Karen.

Speaking of love, Jack ‘s home from Ibiza and with him is his new island beau Estefan (Brian Jordan Alvarez) who is pretty much Jack with an accent and tan. It’s obvious what Jack saw in the man as he has the same low-key fat shaming over Will’s waist line and same jabs at Grace, who incidentally he assumes is a man. Needing his friends’ approval, Jack tries to find common ground between Will and his new guy by pointing out they both aren’t fans of Meryl Streep joining “Big Little Lies.” I mean, acting’s Grand Madame can’t be good for the show when she’s running circles around her seasoned costars. Either way, Estefan isn’t making any friends with Jack’s besties and maybe it has to do with their jealousy and the feeling that they will never find their other halves. Now that Jack and their parents found love, Will and Grace have no other choice but to reexamine their lives and what truly makes them happy.

Malcolm and Karen and Smitty make three?

Over at the Walker penthouse, Karen finally decides her marriage to Stan is more important than her yearly trysts with Malcolm. Their affair might be a nice vacation, but Stan is Karen’s home “and surrounding properties.” The two decide to say their goodbyes, but worry that a farewell kiss might confuse the situation. It’s a good thing Smitty (Charles C. Stevenson Jr.) is there to ease their pain with his comedic flare and his willingness to do what ever Karen asks of him. Using the old barkeep as a buffer they both plant one of the most bizarre goodbye kisses you’ve ever seen. Karen assures her violated old friend that this is totally acceptable since its how Mike Pence kisses his wife and a little cop and feel is totally appropriate. Smitty, who’s probably signed enough NDA orders to fill the Walker mansion, breaks free from the forced threesome muttering “#MeToo.” Through all her boozy shade and sexual harassment one thing is clear, Karen Walker has a heart and she found it this season thanks to the brilliance of Megan Mullally. Watching Karen say goodbye to Malcolm is a bittersweet moment knowing he might be the only person on the planet that truly appreciates her, faults and all. Karen can be a lot of things (mostly awful), but her love for Stan remains strong and that loyalty is something Malcolm always respected, even if it doesn’t include him.

Back at Will and Grace’s, it’s the morning after Martin and Marylin traumatized their children and both promise not to bring it up. Until they see the glow on their parent’s faces and of course, they bring it up. They accuse the two of rushing into things after the lovebirds express their desire to see where their relationship goes. The fact that Will’s Mom is correcting Grace and Grace’s Dad is harassing Will adds to their outrage and the two immediately try to shut this whole demented “Brady Bunch” romance down. Will tries reasoning with them by bringing up his and Grace’s most recent failed relationships. They jumped in with both feet and only now realize that maybe their happy ending is each other. Sure, they’re not lovers but they’re best friends, roommates, and co-workers who will always be there for one another, which Marilyn points out is kind of incestuous. Neither parent wants to end up like Will and Grace so, spurred on by his daughter’s sad life, Martin proposes to Marilyn right in Will’s living room! While this is going on, Jack ponders his future and his fear of ending up like Will and Grace too. He takes Martin and Marilyn’s cue and turns to propose to Estefan and the island beau accepts! Everyone is cheering with joy and in comes a surly Karen who blames them both for her break up with Malcolm. She was forced to choose Stan because she too didn’t want to end up like them. Jack sees that not only are Will and Grace alone, but they’re also about to become brother and sister, which sets everyone off laughing except or the butts of his joke. The dynamics of this family are changing and the people closest to Will and Grace are embracing their lives, something that they both have been avoiding. Can they truly find fulfillment in their friendship or do they need to get out of their comfort zones and grab happiness wherever they can find it?  Time will tell but one thing is for certain, whatever these two decide, they are destined to decide together. After all, that’s what ex-lovers/BFF’s/ soon to be siblings do.