Will & Grace Season 9 Episode 4 Review: Grandpa Jack

This Will & Grace review contains spoilers.

Will & Grace Season 9 Episode 4

Jack, a fun-loving guy who always strives to be happy, isn’t too far-fetched as a grandpa in tonight’s chapter. He would lead by example and help instill similar values in his grandson Skip. Who better than Jack to teach a struggling child, teen, or adult to stand in his own truth regardless of perceived or authentic sexual orientation?

Given the time constraint, we don’t get bogged down with: Are people born gay? Is sexual orientation a choice? The media res drops us where we need to be with an unexpected visit. Who wouldn’t want Jack as a grandpa? Will, Grace, and Karen as extended family members? Jack isn’t perfect, along with the rest of the world’s population.

Skip’s visit is bittersweet. We move from elation to sadness within minutes. Elliot and his wife, Emma, have a sinister plan. Progress sometimes comes at a cost because it’s coupled with resistance from those who want to maintain the status quo. There will always be people who can’t and won’t accept the LBGT community. One would think that Elliot would be different and more accepting of Skip because Jack is his father.

Children grow up and become their own person because of and in spite of their parents and upbringing. Elliot occupied this space in the years he and Jack lost communication. Bold and eccentric people tend to frighten others who are intimidated or easily jealous. It takes courage to be Jack McFarland, so it’s not inconceivable that Elliot would mistakenly want his son to suppress his natural tendencies.

Why are there so many in The Bible Belt viewing online pornography privately, while condemning aberrant behavior and alternative lifestyles publically? Let he without sin cast the first stone.

When has a gay conversion camp or gay conversion therapy actually worked? The Straighten Arrow counselors felt like an inside joke because they are portrayed by two out actors. Will & Grace is a comedy, a fitting genre to show how ridiculous this course of action remains in 2017.

Jack as an understanding and supportive grandpa is a good look for the show because we expect he’ll make mistakes along the way. Will, on the other hand, would read all the books and create color-coded, tabbed binders with the latest research on raising a gay grandson if he were in a similar situation. Jack’s New York world is far removed from the historically restrictive Texas mindset and acceptable heteronormative lifestyle. His grandson will appreciate the differences on future visits. I look forward to the conversations between Jack and Skip when he begins dating and suffers his first broken heart.

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