The Finale

Season 8, Episode 23, Aired
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Episode Summary

The culmination of eight seasons ends tonight with a one-hour series finale - will Will and Grace raise a child together and find ultimate happiness? Will Jack find anyone that loves him as much as he loves himself? Will Karen find true happiness with the absence of Stan? All these questions and more will be answered as this groundbreaking series concludes eight amazing seasons.moreless
8.9
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Cast & Crew

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Fan Episode Reviews (66)

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  • The essence of the series was put into this episode.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By SpanishPeanut, Oct 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    There was little that anyone could do in order to make the series finale more spectacular than the show. The one thing that the writers were able to do was return to the main theme of the show: fate and friendship. The idea that Will and Grace were destined to be a part of each others lives is a common theme, and shows up numerous times in the finale. The idea that they always considered themselves to be family but never were was solved in the marriage between their children. Even Jack and Karen wound up together, and things worked out. I love happy endings and I love that this show tied up lose ends and was definitely a happily ever after.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    4 0

  • This ending RUINED the ENTIRE series for me.

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By kyravon, Mar 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    I have never seen such a bad ending to a show!
    I felt insulting having watched it. It actually made me angry.

    The last episode basically makes a mockery of and negates the entire series! It insults the very idea of the close bond of friendships.

    I enjoyed watching the series because of Will & Grace's decades long and very close friendship. They were there for each other throughout everything and to think they would just "forget" each other and never make any time to see each other in 18 years just because they each find a spouse is incredibly sad. It makes a mockery of and devalues their friendship. Honestly it's like it went back to every previous episode and said no, none of this depth and emotion actually meant anything. That true friendship doesn't matter if you find "the right mate". Knowing the ending where they just "fall out of touch" as if they were mere aquaintances, I have a hard time watching reruns. I'm certainly no longer planning to buy any of the seasons on DVD now, I'm so angry. Seriously, still angry after all these months since I watched the finale.

    I've had friends who I've known for over a decade and despite having separate lives, living in other states and some of them having kids -- we all still try to stay in touch at least in some way. So it was extremely painful and sad to see that these close friends just let each other completely go -- and not even through a fight -- just from being too apathetic to set up an occasional lunch date?moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    5 4

  • bye bye will and grace

    10
    "Perfect"
    By csino1fan, Mar 03, 2011 Report Abuse
    OMIGOD!!!!!! love the 'unforgetable' song between jack and karen. This was just the best end to any series. The last bit where there taking shots on the bar and hey turn younger and they are laughing. The best bit of the finale was how it happend to will and grace's kids and how they got together the same way grace and will did oooooooooooo just love it. Also loved the way that they all aged and karen hadnt changed a bit you've got to love karen, goodbye will and gracemoreless

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    1 0

  • Good but not great

    8.3
    "Great"
    By angelspinknose, May 16, 2010 Report Abuse
    The show ended on a sweet note. It picked up where last week's episode left off. The episode moved two years in to the future after that showing Will and Grace not speaking and realizing their friendship came to an end. It ended with Grace's daughter and Will's son meeting and getting married. A sweet ending to a good show.

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    2 2

  • 22 years apart? I won't stand for it.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By WB4Charmed, May 16, 2010 Report Abuse
    I will admit, this was much better than the disappointingly predictable "Friends" finale. But, how could they be apart for that long? I can't believe that Will and Grace would just let their friendship lapse like that and not see each other for sooooo long. Like Will said, in that French film they saw in college the man and woman kept missing each other and then they met on a plane because that was how it was destined to be, but why would destiny want Will and Grace to be apart for that long?
    The Jack and Karen storyline was really great. They ended up in a role reversal where Jack was rich and he supported Karen, which was sweet and it showed that he really does love her, he wasn't just there for the money as it sometimes seemed. It was also so great when they sang together- when they touched stomachs after the song I burst into tears :'(
    Another great moment was when Will and Grace were on the phone at the end and the way it parallelled with the pilot: they were both alone, watching TV, George Clooney was mentioned. If only there had been a "Say 'Goodnight, Gracie,'" then it would have been perfect.
    One thing that I choose to take out of the finale is that it may not be true. After it said "two years later" and they weren't speaking I kept thinking "maybe this is just Will's nightmare- they can't be apart like that, it makes no sense." But of course, it wasn't. However, in the very last scene when they toast, it goes back to them at the ages they were at the beginning of the episode, so I choose to believe that it wasn't real (of course, it's a TV show, but I mean it wasn't how Will and Grace ended up) and that the producers/writers were saying "this is how we see them ending up, what do you think?" It's a strange analysis, I'm aware, but it makes me feel better. In my mind, they'll always be together- they'll end up how Karen and Jack did, together and happy. Or at least if Will and Grace are with Vince and Leo, respectively, then maybe they can just live across the hall again and still be best friends. If Will and Grace can't stay together...
    Also, could there be a more perfect song? Oh, Queen...moreless

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    4 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • James Burrows directed every episode of the series, including the pilot and the series finale. Edit
    • Karen made a joke about knowing Marlo Thomas, which is a running joke which began in the season 1 episode, "The Truth About Will And Dogs". Edit
    • Allusions to previous episodes: The scene at the end with Will and Grace on the phone is intentionally reminiscent of the opening scene of the pilot, including a reference to ER and George Clooney. The final scene is held at what appears to be the same bar in "The Pilot (Love and Marriage)" where everyone thought Will & Grace had just been married and got them to kiss each other. Jack and Karen touch tummies just like they did when they first met in the season 1 episode "A New Lease On Life". Edit

  • Notes

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    • Regarding the finale, Mutchnick stated, "We wrote about what you want to have happen with people you love. All the things that matter in life, they end up having". Edit
    • The Finale was filmed over a period of three days-- 4/10, 4/11 and 4/13 of 2006. This was due to the fact that they had to use over 10 sets and it would have taken much too long to do it all in one day. Edit
    • This is the first episode written by show creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan since the season 4 episode, "A Buncha White Chicks Sittin' Around Talkin'". Edit

  • Quotes

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    • (In the final scene, in the same bar as in the first episode) Grace: On three. Jack: One. Two-- Will: Wait. Jack: Uh, why'd you stop me? I was gonna say three, four, slam it whore. Grace: (to Will) C'mon, the glass is clean. Will: No, I was gonna propose a toast--to family. Family that loves you, and accepts you for exactly who you are. Jack: Boring. Karen: Too real. Will: Ya know what's funny? We haven't changed a bit. Grace: It's kinda nice, isn't it? Edit
    • Grace: (to her pregnant belly) Would you like to hear a song? Will: Yeah, Grace--could you do me a favor? Could you not sing to the baby anymore? Grace: Why not? Music makes them smarter. Will: Okay, well if you're gonna sing, have a glass of wine 'cause he--he's gonna want to be drunk for this. Edit
    • Karen: Jack? Jack: Yahh..? Karen: I think I feel a song coming on. Jack: Then a song, we shall have. (They walk to the piano) Jack: And might I say, your knockers are looking particularly full tonight. Karen: And might I say, you have the balls of a thirty-year-old. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Vince: Look at this...Terri Hatcher buys her own produce. That's normal. Even though Vince is reading a People magazine, the feature he's reading comes from The Star called Normal/Not Normal. Edit
    • Jack: I'm sure you have places to go, a magic ring to protect. A jab at Beverly Leslie's size, referring to Frodo from Lord of the Rings always having to protect a magic ring. Edit

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