- Actors: Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally
- Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: Portuguese, French, Spanish, English
- Region: Region 1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- DVD Release Date: June 12, 2018
- Run Time: 337 minutes
If you watched
and loved the original “Will & Grace” series, there is plenty to get
excited about with their return. The writing is as witty as it ever was, and
the characters haven’t changed much despite the lengthy hiatus and the
inevitability of aging (at least outside of Hollywood). But this also may be something of
a double-edged sword, if only because the return of these characters basically
dismisses the resolution of the original series. If you truly cared about these
characters during their first run, the need to return them to a dysfunctional
state in order to create the necessary drama for the series feels a bit lazy.
But even as I make this minor criticism of the
“Will & Grace” revival, I am well aware that most people did not watch this
sitcom for the character development as much as the jokes. And the jokes have
returned with even more biting social commentary than when the series first
aired. If the original series was
groundbreaking simply by being a sitcom with openly gay characters, the revival
must work twice as hard to be half as relevant, as gay characters on TV have now
become commonplace. Some complained that the new season has increased the
political humor, but the same could be said of nearly all comedy in the last
few years. With the topics of the show and the criticism of the current
administration, it would be far stranger if there wasn’t any political
discussion in a series like this.
As though a decade hadn’t passed, the show’s
four main characters are in very similar places as they were before (ignoring
the series finale). Grace (Debra Messing) and Will (Eric McCormack) are somehow
still living together and are as co-dependent as ever. They even make the
decision to work together, giving them more reason for scenes together, as if
the show needed that. Also back are the wisecracking sidekicks, Jack (Sean
Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally), who elevate sillier elements of the show
with their ability to embrace the goofiness. Of course, it would be impossible
to do the show without these stars, but the revival goes one step further by
bringing back the show’s original director, James Burrows.
The first season
of the revival had sixteen episodes, all of which are included in this two-disc
set. There are also a handful of special features, including several
promotional featurettes that have behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with
the cast and crew. But the most enjoyable of the extras is likely to be the gag
reel.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 6/10
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