Don’t you hate it when you meet that perfect person, but you know there is no chance for there to ever be a romantic relationship? Generally, the other person is so perfect they are already married. Or perhaps it is you who are already married. Maybe that person is too old or too young, or they live 4,000 miles away. In the case of hot-blooded American woman Grace Adler and successful lawyer Will Truman it’s that they have too much in common. Normally that isn’t really a problem, but in this case there is one thing that keeps them apart… they both love men. There just never seems to be an end to the ironies that sit-com writers can dream up. I have only watched a handful of TV sitcoms in recent years, mostly because of the fact that I find so many of them to be poorly written or produced. Too often they fall to the lowest common denominator of humor, or end up being carbon copies of other more successful shows. “Will & Grace” was originally a show I avoided like the plague.

The premise sounded promising, but I just never made the viewing plunge.

My curiosity about “Will & Grace” continued over the years as the series picked up steam and started getting multiple Emmy nominations and wins, yet I still never quite convinced myself to actually watch it. Until now.

Lion’s Gate Home Entertainment joined the ranks of those studios releasing successful TV shows on DVD with the release of the 1st season of “Will & Grace” last year, but as a copy of the set eluded me, I never got to review it. I received the 2nd season a few days ago and decided the time was right for me to finally initiate myself with a few episodes of the series. I think I now understand what all the hoopla has been about.

“Will & Grace” is an extremely well-crafted show with a terrific cast. I had heard rumors that Debra Messing (Grace) was the next Lucille Ball, and I have to agree. Like Ball, Messing has that rare mix of striking beauty and comedic timing. Usually actresses have one or the other, but not both. And so convincing is Eric McCormick’s performance as Will, I’m finding it hard to believe that he is not gay in real life. He exudes a petulant nature you don’t normally find in most men. I will say as good as Messing and McCormack are the real stand out on the series has to be Sean Hayes. As Jack, he is a whirling dervish of energy. I can easily see why he was chosen to play Jerry Lewis in the recent TV biopic.

I can’t say much for the 1st season of the series, which I will definitely have to see now. But almost every episode of the 2nd season is hysterically funny. The plotlines often go way over the top, but the cast is consistently up to the challenges that the writers create. The one thing I like about the series is that it seems like no topic is taboo. Granted, this makes “Will & Grace” a bit inaccessible to younger audiences, but for adults it is about as ribald as you can get away with nowadays. Watching the series, I’m actually surprised that it doesn’t get picketed by Gay and Lesbian groups.

The 4-disc DVD release of the 2nd season comes packaged in an attractive multi-fold holder, which is in turn housed in a slipcase. All 24 episodes are available, but I was disappointed a bit by the extra features. There are only three featurettes, and all of them are just clips from the series. Each one hits a particular topic. One is made up of fashion quips, another some little dance routines, and the last one has clips of the cast singing. These types of extra features work well to introduce new viewers to the series without having to sit through a whole episode, but that’s about it. I would rather see interviews or behind the scenes footage any day.

In spite of the lack of extras, I really ended up liking this DVD release because the series was so darn good. If I had any idea the show was this funny I would have tuned in a long time ago.

Episodes:
Guess Who’s Not Coming to Dinner
Election
Das Boob
Whose Mom is it Anyway?
Polk Defeats Truman
To Serve and Disinfect
Homo for the Holidays
Terms of Employment
I Never Promised You an Olive Garden
Tea and Total Lack of Sympathy
Seeds of Discontent
He’s Come Undone
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, He’s Kept Me in the Closet and I’m So Sad
Acting Out
Advise and Resent
He La, Hey La, My Ex-Boyfriend’s Back
The Hospital Show
Sweet and Sour Charity
An Affair to Forget
Girls, Interrupted
There But for the Grace of Grace
My Best Friend’s Tush
Ben? Her? Part 1
Ben? Her? Part 2

Starring: Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Lion’s Gate
Release Date: 3/23/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
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We'll give Will & Grace: Season 2 a B-.