Will discovers that Noah has a child he hasn't told Grace about, but is now sworn to secrecy. Karen and Jack's relationship is tested when she fires him from the play she's producing and replaces him with Jon Cryer.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of NBC's Will & Grace.
"Kid 'N Play" was written by Suzanne Martin and directed by James Burrows
Are Grace and Noah actually a good couple? That's the pressing question throughout this episode. Right now, it seems like dating Noah or even just being in his life requires a lot of work. On some level, he is aware that he is a dick. That's appreciated. And yet, he is still very opinionated and closed-off when it comes to talking about his feelings. He has kept things from Grace. He doesn't always tell her what he is feeling. He does abide by the traditions of society when it comes to a relationship. He kisses her goodbye. He gets to know her friends better. He shows an interest in her life. However, he does complain a lot. That's simply who he is. It's the personality that Grace was drawn to right away. Of course, there is a significant difference between appreciating that perspective online and being around it all day long in real life. That's what Grace and Will are discovering the more that Noah is in their lives. They are making the effort to actually welcome him in. Grace pulls a parent trap in order to get Will and Noah to like each other. And yet, that only leads to the discovery that Noah has a daughter that he hasn't told Grace about. His reasoning is so flimsy as well. It's something that he wanted to tell her but never thought there was a good opportunity. He doesn't see it as a lie. It's just an omission. It's a pretty major omission though. It means that there is a significant part of his life that Grace knows absolutely nothing about. She is right to be angry when she learns about it from Will. She should also be angry when Noah says that Grace will never get to meet his daughter. That makes it seem increasingly clear that Noah keeps whipping Grace around with a lot of different emotions and feelings. She has to push him into confessing his love for her. That's a huge declaration after only a short time of being with Grace as well. That's how quickly this relationship is moving. It may flame out just as quickly as it began. The attraction is real. But there remains a hesitance as well. Even though Noah says he loves Grace, he still doesn't want to introduce Katie to her. That's a problem. One that ensures this conflict will remain at the forefront of their story moving forward. If this relationship isn't destined to last though, then what is its grand purpose? What does it inform about who Grace is right now? She says she has clarity on her identity and needs a man who knows what he wants. But she also says that while being completely fine with telling Will everything about her life. Elsewhere, Jack and Karen's story is absolutely ridiculous. It's the broad comedy that is necessary in order for things to feel more grounded with Will, Grace and Noah. Sure, it comes from an understandable place of Karen having to deal with the finances of her divorce to Stan. She is using her friendship with Jack in order to sink some of her money. She sees it as what's necessary to set up a tax shelter that will keep her in a comfortable lifestyle. She just changes her mind after knowing that it will be a public performance with her name blasted all over it. It's ridiculously silly. Jon Cryer even stops by to have fun as Jack's replacement in the lead role of this one-man show. However, he doesn't really seem to have a lot to do. He's not really poking fun of himself in an amusing way. It mostly just shows how Jack carries these one-sided conflicts with famous people who couldn't care less. At least there is no permanent damage to Jack and Karen's friendship though.
