TVSquad

This ensemble show was responsible for some of the best and most groundbreaking comedic television of the past ten years. It brought "gayness" front and center in a way that was more prominent than any show before or after it. But, as with most things, it started to show its age as the seasons wore on. By the seventh season, many critics considered it way past its prime and far too reliant on stunt casting. While reviewing this DVD set, coming tomorrow to a shelf near you, I have to agree.

I'll start by saying that I was a huge fan of Will & Grace and watched it pretty heavily its first four or five years, but somewhere along the way it lost some of its glister. Sure, I still checked in from time to time to see what my "friends" were up to, but most of the magic was lost. And there's something sad about seeing legends like Lily Tomlin phoning it in on her guest spot. That's not to say that all of the guest actors were as lackluster in their roles, just that the series seemed to be more about "who do we get to see this week" than about the main cast or what they're up to.

In watching through these episodes, I will say that while the sparkle of those early seasons was able to shine through from time to time, too much it was overshadowed by bad writing and distracting guests. The cast was still strong and their chemistry amazing; Jack and Karen could create a laugh with nary a word spoken; but man, the laughs were too few and too far between.

Bad writing and awkward direction (let's cut to a shot now of Grace staring off to the right not paying attention while Karen laments how lonely she is) made some episodes downright painful to watch. Nevertheless, there were good dramatic points and significant steps forward in the characters lives. If you're a Will & Grace completest, by all means pick this up, but if not you'd do better to pick up one of the first several seasons instead. Back then they remembered that the funniest thing about this show was the four main characters (and Rosario!).

Packaging:
Matching the first six seasons, there's nothing special in the packaging. Four discs with six episodes each on the first three and five and the extras on the fourth. I will say that I prefer the gatefold presentation, which is still utilized here, over the double-sided plastic "pages" most of the newer sets are doing. I've yet to open one of these awkward booklets without at least one of these "pages" falling completely out of the package. I don't know what kind of glue they're using, but it's definitely not holding up. There are no booklets or any additional materials, but nice episode synopses in the packaging itself, even listing the two hundred and fifty four guest stars who appeared this season.

Audio/Video:
There's nothing to complain about here, though it's always disappointing to me when a DVD set doesn't have widescreen presentation, instead maintaining standard television ratio. Of course, this probably wasn't even filmed in the widescreen aspect, but it doesn't mean I can't wish everything was. Nevertheless, the picture quality is very sharp and the sound is clear and balanced as well. Or at least there weren't any problems that I could discern. I don't have a $900 audio/video system, but I've certainly noticed weaknesses in the A/V of other sets (I'm talking to you Soap!).

Extras:
"Themed Featurettes"
Wow, really? Is this the best you can do for a DVD extra? Sixteen one and a half to two minute montages of clips from the season, broken down into arbitrary themes? Combined they run about thirty minutes and may contain the funniest moments of the entire season. The themes are clothing, food, money, hugs & kisses, insults, entrances, dancing, pop culture references, work, melodrama, noises, gayness, physical comedy, names, breasts, and singing.

"Outtake Reel"
Sadly, I think I laughed more here than in any single episode in the set. The comedic brilliance and chemistry of the cast really shines as we watch them screw up both intentionally and accidentally in various scenes. You can tell this is a group that's worked together and grown really close over seven successful seasons. It's just a shame that the screw-ups are far funnier than the scripted takes that made it into the final episode cuts.

Bottom line is that this was, for me, a very weak season of a good show. I put Will & Grace among the best comedies of the modern era, but this season is not a good example of why. And in an era where you know you're going to be putting out a DVD set of the season, the extras are sadly lacking. No director's cuts, commentaries, interviews, featurettes (that are more than just clip shows). One blooper reel and call it a day. It's lazy and if you have a lackluster season, you really should supplement it with some goodies to entice more buyers. Maybe a couple twenties to offset the cost? Is that too much? A fiver?