Will & Grace (season 9)

The ninth season of the American comedy series Will & Grace premiered on September 28, 2017.[1] It comprised 16 episodes, and is the first of three planned reunion seasons following the series' eighth season in 2006. The season concluded on April 5, 2018.

Will & Grace
Season 9
Promotional poster
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28) – April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
Season chronology

Production

In January 2017, NBC announced that Will & Grace would return for a 12-episode limited series during the 2017–18 season.[2] At the time of the announcement, all four principal cast members (Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally) had already confirmed their return to the revival.[3] An additional four episodes were ordered on August 3, 2017, for a total of 16, as well as a tenth season.[4]

Cast and characters

Main cast Eric McCormack as Will Truman Debra Messing as Grace Adler Megan Mullally as Karen Walker Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland Recurring Ryan Pinkston as Drew Anthony Ramos as Tony Mary Pat Gleason as Bridget Special guest stars Harry Connick Jr. as Dr. Marvin "Leo" Markus Michael Angarano as Elliot Jane Lynch as Roberta Andrew Rannells as Reggie Max Greenfield as Eli Wolff Leslie Jordan as Beverley Leslie Minnie Driver as Lorraine Finster Nick Offerman as Jackson Boudreaux Molly Shannon as Val Bassett Tim Bagley as Larry Jerry Levine as Joe Bobby Cannavale as Vince D'Angelo Jennifer Lopez as herself Leigh-Allyn Baker as Ellen Cheyenne Jackson as Michael Vanessa Bayer as Amy Alec Baldwin as Malcolm Robert Klein as Martin Adler Blythe Danner as Marilyn Truman Mary McCormack as Janet Adler Sara Rue as Joyce Adler

Guest cast Kyle Bornheimer as Lenny Charles C Stevenson Jr as Smitty Eddie Matos as Congressman Steve Sandoval Kate Micucci as a page at the White House Ben Platt as Blake Laura Kightlinger as Nurse Sheila Chris Redd as Alvin Ramone Hamilton as Jordan Jordan Julian as Tasha Jet Jurgensmeyer as Skip Natalie Dreyfuss as Emma Derek Gaines as Theodore Brian Posehn as Pete Mitch Silpa as Maitre D' Emilio Borelli as Mario D'Angelo Sterling Sulieman as Ryan Rose Abdoo as Aunt Rita Jack McGee as Officer Murphy Mackenzie Marsh as Angela Lauren Weedman as Cheryl Andy Buckley as Hank Barry Bostwick as Professor Jerry Wise Matt Letscher as James Wise Andy Favreau as JJ Wise Dan Bucatinsky as Neil Danielle Weeks as Morgan Carly Dutcher as Ilana Katarina Demetriades as Brianna Brian Jordan Alvarez as Estefan Gloria

Episodes

See also: List of Will & Grace episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
195	1	"11 Years Later"	James Burrows	David Kohan & Max Mutchnick	September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)	10.19[5]
After both going through recent divorces, Will and Grace end up once again living together in Will's apartment. The gang ends up at the White House, where Grace has landed a job through Karen to redecorate the Oval Office and Will has brought Jack to meet the gay Congressman to whom he has been flirtatiously writing.
196	2	"Who's Your Daddy"	James Burrows	Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally	October 5, 2017 (2017-10-05)	7.14[6]
Will and Jack are faced with the harsh reality that they are much older than they used to be when they begin to date younger guys. Grace comes to the realization that she needs Karen more than she thought she did.
197	3	"Emergency Contact"	James Burrows	Nina Pedrad	October 12, 2017 (2017-10-12)	6.72[7]
After having a breast biopsy, Grace is reunited with her ex-husband, Leo, when he's brought in as her emergency contact. While Jack teaches theater to kids at the community center, Karen helps a girl become a young woman.
198	4	"Grandpa Jack"	James Burrows	Alex Herschlag	October 19, 2017 (2017-10-19)	6.69[8]
When Jack gets reunited with his son, Elliot, he learns he has a grandson, Skip, who happens to be gay. While Will and Jack try to bail Skip out of reform camp, Karen helps Grace get her sexuality back.
199	5	"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying"	James Burrows	Suzanne Martin & John Quaintance	October 26, 2017 (2017-10-26)	6.79[9]
Grace tries for her biggest job yet: decorating a string of boutique hotels for an obnoxious mogul. Meanwhile, Will is surprised at his reaction to making Senior Partner, Beverley Leslie discloses a secret to Karen, and Jack fights for his half of a winning lottery ticket.
200	6	"Rosario's Quinceañera"	James Burrows	Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally	November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)	5.74[10]
After Rosario passes away from a heart attack, Karen decides to throw the party for her that she never had: a quinceañera. While Jack struggles to know how to be there for Karen, Lorraine Finster makes a surprise return to show her support. Will upsets Grace when he leases the office space next to Grace's office without her permission.
201	7	"A Gay Olde Christmas"	James Burrows	John Quaintance	December 5, 2017 (2017-12-05)	7.18[11]
On Christmas Eve, Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen stop at a historical museum so Grace can use the restroom; however, the museum requires them to take the tour before she's allowed to use it. All four find themselves on a more "interactive" tour than they anticipated.
202	8	"Friends and Lover"	James Burrows	Suzanne Martin	January 4, 2018 (2018-01-04)	4.90[12]
Will and Grace take a bread-making class and both end up falling for their celebrity teacher, Jackson Boudreaux. Jack and Karen struggle to get a catchy jingle out of their heads.
203	9	"There's Something About Larry"	James Burrows	Alex Herschlag	January 11, 2018 (2018-01-11)	4.17[13]
Will and Grace learn that Larry has a major crush on Will and Jack and Karen fight off the craziness of Val, who's after Karen's friendship.
204	10	"The Wedding"	James Burrows	David Kohan & Max Mutchnick & Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally	January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18)	4.39[14]
Vince, Will's ex-boyfriend, invites him to his wedding, prompting Will to reevaluate their relationship and why it ended. A cop exploring his sexuality falls in love with Jack, but his wife is none the wiser. Karen goes on a scavenger hunt.
205	11	"Staten Island Fairy"	James Burrows	Story by : David Kohan & Max Mutchnick Teleplay by : John Quaintance	February 1, 2018 (2018-02-01)	4.12[15]
While Will and Grace venture into their next business move selling bed linens on QVC, Jack's new love interest outs himself to his wife.
206	12	"Three Wise Men"	James Burrows	Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally	March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01)	4.00[16]
Grace is shocked when she realizes she slept with three men (the grandfather, the father, and the son) from the same family. Will and Karen spy on her staff at the mansion and produce a telenovela of them.
207	13	"Sweatshop Annie & the Annoying Baby Shower"	James Burrows	John Quaintance	March 8, 2018 (2018-03-08)	3.92[17]
Will and Grace go to Ellen's niece's baby shower. While Jack is shooting scenes with Jennifer Lopez for Shades of Blue, Karen is put in charge of the kids in his acting class and unexpectedly bonds with one of the girls.
208	14	"The Beefcake & the Cake Beef"	James Burrows	Suzanne Martin	March 15, 2018 (2018-03-15)	4.71[18]
Grace and Karen cause commotion at a bakery that refuses to make a cake for the President. Jack cautions Will about moving too fast in his new relationship with his ex, Michael.
209	15	"One Job"	James Burrows	Suzanne Martin & Alex Herschlag	March 29, 2018 (2018-03-29)	3.73[19]
Will and Grace go to Schenectady to celebrate Bobbi Adler's birthday. When Jack gets dumped by Drew, he goes to Karen for support, only to find that she's cheating on Stan with Malcolm.
210	16	"It's a Family Affair"	James Burrows	David Kohan & Max Mutchnick	April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)	3.63[20]
Will and Grace end up in an awkward position after Grace invites Will's mom, Marilyn, over as revenge for Will inviting Martin, Grace's dad, to move in with them. While Malcolm makes Karen choose between him and Stan, Jack gets over Drew by romancing a flight attendant, Estefan. A double proposal ensues.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the season has a rating of 88% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 6.98/10. The website's consensus reads, "Will & Grace reunites its ever-hilarious cast for a revival season that picks up right where the show left off 11 years ago -- adding a fresh relevance and a series of stories that make sharply funny use of the passage of time."[21] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Will & Grace

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"11 Years Later"	September 28, 2017	3.0/10	10.19[5]	2.0	5.65	5.0	15.85[23]
2	"Who's Your Daddy"	October 5, 2017	2.0/7	7.14[6]	1.7	4.36	3.7	11.50[24]
3	"Emergency Contact"	October 12, 2017	1.8/7	6.72[7]	1.5	3.90	3.3	10.62[25]
4	"Grandpa Jack"	October 19, 2017	1.7/6	6.69[8]	1.6	3.90	3.3	10.59[26]
5	"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying"	October 26, 2017	1.8/7	6.79[9]	1.5	3.76	3.3	10.55[27]
6	"Rosario's Quinceañera"	November 2, 2017	1.6/6	5.74[10]	1.3	3.48	2.9	9.22[28]
7	"A Gay Olde Christmas"	December 5, 2017	1.8/7	7.18[11]	1.2	3.24	3.0	10.43[29]
8	"Friends and Lover"	January 4, 2018	1.4/5	4.90[12]	0.9	N/A	2.3	N/A
9	"There's Something About Larry"	January 11, 2018	1.1/4	4.17[13]	1.3	3.25	2.4	7.42[30]
10	"The Wedding"	January 18, 2018	1.3/5	4.40[14]	1.1	3.06	2.4	7.46[31]
11	"Staten Island Fairy"	February 1, 2018	1.2/5	4.12[15]	1.0	2.89	2.2	7.01[32]
12	"Three Weiss Men"	March 1, 2018	1.1/4	4.00[16]	1.1	2.97	2.2	6.97[33]
13	"Sweatshop Annie & the Annoying Baby Shower"	March 8, 2018	1.0/4	3.92[17]	1.1	2.96	2.1	6.91[34]
14	"The Beefcake & the Cake Beef"	March 15, 2018	1.2/5	4.71[18]	1.0	2.79	2.2	7.50[35]
15	"One Job"	March 29, 2018	0.9/4	3.73[19]	1.0	2.73	1.9	6.46[36]
16	"It's a Family Affair"	April 5, 2018	0.9/4	3.63[20]	1.0	2.85	1.9	6.47[37]

References

1. "NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates for New 2017–18 Season". The Futon Critic. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
2. Andreeva, Nellie (August 3, 2017). "'Will & Grace' Revival Renewed For Season 2 By NBC; Series' 10th Overall – TCA". Deadline. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
3. Webber, Stephanie (March 7, 2017). "'Will & Grace' Cast Gears Up for Reboot at Photo Shoot: Pics – Us Weekly". Usmagazine.com. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
4. Webb Mitovich, Matt (August 3, 2017). "'Will & Grace' Revival Already Renewed for Season 10". TVLine. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
5. Porter, Rick (September 29, 2017). "'Will & Grace,' 'Superstore,' 'Good Place,' 'Gotham' adjust up; 'How to Get Away' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
6. Porter, Rick (October 6, 2017). "'Grey's Anatomy' and NFL adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
7. Porter, Rick (October 13, 2017). "'Will & Grace,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Gotham' and NFL adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
8. Porter, Rick (October 20, 2017). "'Gotham' and 'Supernatural' adjust up, final NFL numbers: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
9. Porter, Rick (October 27, 2017). "NFL adjusts up, scripted shows all unchanged: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
10. Porter, Rick (November 3, 2017). "'Will & Grace' adjusts up, 'Sheldon' and other CBS shows adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
11. Porter, Rick (December 6, 2017). "'Chicago Med' adjusts up: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
12. Porter, Rick (January 8, 2018). "'The Four,' 'Will & Grace,' everything else unchanged: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
13. Porter, Rick (January 12, 2018). "'Big Bang Theory,' 'Young Sheldon' and 'The Four' adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
14. Porter, Rick (January 22, 2018). "'Grey's Anatomy' adjusts up, 'The Four,' 'Scandal' and 'Great News' down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
15. Porter, Rick (February 2, 2018). "'Big Bang Theory,' 'The Four' adjust up, 'Mom' and 'AP Bio' adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
16. Porter, Rick (March 2, 2018). "'Superstore,' 'SWAT,' 'Scandal' and 'AP Bio' adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
17. Porter, Rick (March 9, 2018). "'Young Sheldon,' 'SWAT,' all NBC shows adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
18. Porter, Rick (March 16, 2018). "'AP Bio' adjusts up, NCAA Tournament adjusts down but ahead of 2017: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
19. Porter, Rick (March 30, 2018). "'Big Bang Theory,' 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Chicago Fire' adjust up, 'SWAT' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
20. Porter, Rick (April 5, 2018). "'Big Bang Theory,' 'Grey's Anatomy' adjust up, 'Mom,' 'Supernatural,' 'Arrow' down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
21. "Will & Grace: Season 9 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
22. "Will & Grace reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
23. Porter, Rick (October 13, 2017). "'This Is Us' and 'The Good Doctor' score big in premiere week broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
24. Porter, Rick (October 18, 2017). "'The Orville,' 'Once Upon a Time,' 5 more shows double in week 2 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
25. Porter, Rick (October 25, 2017). "'The Good Doctor' is the most-watched show on TV in week 3 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
26. Porter, Rick (November 2, 2017). "'Chicago PD,' 10 more shows double in week 4 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
27. Porter, Rick (November 9, 2017). "'Grey's Anatomy' keeps rolling along in week 5 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
28. Porter, Rick (November 11, 2017). "'SWAT' premiere breaks into top 25: Week 6 broadcast Live +3 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
29. Porter, Rick (December 21, 2017). "'Agents of SHIELD' gets a good bump in week 11 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
30. Porter, Rick (January 26, 2018). "'The Brave' goes from low to … less low: Week 16 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
31. Porter, Rick (February 1, 2018). "'This Is Us,' 'The Good Doctor' both double in week 17 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
32. Porter, Rick (February 15, 2018). "Closing the book on the Super Bowl 'This Is Us': Week 19 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
33. Porter, Rick (March 15, 2018). "'Agents of SHIELD,' 16 other shows double in week 23 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
34. Porter, Rick (March 22, 2018). "'This Is Us' leads the week 24 broadcast Live +7 ratings – by quite a bit". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
35. Porter, Rick (March 29, 2018). "This Is Us' goes out on top: Week 25 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
36. Porter, Rick (April 11, 2018). "'Roseanne' premiere sets a record in week 27 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
37. Porter, Rick (April 19, 2018). "'Will & Grace' finale, 11 other shows double in week 28 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 19, 2018.