Review: WILL AND GRACE Is As Hilarious As Ever In New Politically-Charged Reboot

Mac and Cheese. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Bert and Ernie. These are duos that have stood the test of time. WILL AND GRACE (and for that matter Jack and Karen) rightfully deserve their names on this list, as they prove themselves just as worthy as they were eleven years ago.

WILL AND GRACE is hilarious in its 2017 return. It's like we never left the foursome we came to love. This time, the gang comes back together with a purpose, which makes the historic show more relevant than it was originally.

The first episode finds the friends up to their usual antics, playfully making fun of each other and getting into sticky situations. Grace and Will both have their politics put to the test when they encounter Trump-sized dilemmas. Jack and Karen are along for the ride, with Karen being the Trump supporter and Jack proving he has pull at the White House. The politically-charged humor proves that WILL AND GRACE deserves their reboot, in this nostalgic era of the revival.

The performances are just as amazing as they were. Eric McCormack (Will) and Debra Messing (Grace) are the same basically-married best friend pair we know and love. Megan Mullally (Karen) can still play ditzy very well, making the most cringeworthy moments funny. However, Sean Hayes (Jack) is the performance that cannot be beat. There were numerous times in watching the first three episodes that I laughed out loud at his antics. He could just look at the camera a certain way and I would be in stitches.

WILL AND GRACE is a phenomenal addition to the current primetime lineup with comedy that actually makes you laugh and plots that are captivating. Compared to most sitcoms today, it is among the best. Even the laugh track sounds more hearty than most sitcom laugh tracks do today.

And how about those Broadway cameos? HAMILTON'S Anthony Ramos appears as the anxiously adorable Tony in the first episode. The second episode's plot centers around DEAR EVAN HANSEN Tony Winner Ben Platt's character. I do not want to give too much away about that, but let's just say that he plays a hilarious millennial that will definitely make you LOL and there may be another special Broadway cameo that is strongly related to Platt if you look closely. And there is more Broadway alums to come, including THE BOOK OF MORMON'S and FALSETTO'S Andrew Rannells and Bobby Cannavale, returning in his Emmy-winning role as Vince.

In all, WILL AND GRACE is as delightful as ever. Their comedy is smart and the performances are strong. I guess it just goes to show that when something works, it works. And WILL AND GRACE works.

WILL AND GRACE airs Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on NBC. The series premieres this Thursday, September 28th.

Photos by: Chris Haston/NBC

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