Finding a good will and grace episode guide used to be easy back when we only had eight seasons to worry about. You’d pop in a DVD, see the list on the back of the box, and you were good to go. But then 2017 happened. The revival changed everything. Suddenly, characters who were supposed to have grown-up kids in the series finale were back in the same apartment, single, and acting like the last decade of their lives was basically a fever dream.
If you're trying to navigate all 246 episodes, it's a lot. You’ve got the high-speed banter of the late '90s, the star-studded middle years where every Hollywood A-lister wanted a cameo, and then the politically charged revival that basically hit the "undo" button on the original ending.
The Early Years: Finding the Rhythm (Seasons 1-2)
When the pilot aired in 1998, nobody really knew if a show about a gay lawyer and his straight best friend would actually work. Honestly, looking back at Season 1, the show was still finding its legs.
It started with Will trying to stop Grace from marrying some guy named Danny. Classic sitcom stuff. But the magic wasn't just in the Will and Grace dynamic; it was the sidekicks. Karen Walker and Jack McFarland weren't even supposed to be that big, yet by the time we get to episodes like "Das Boob" (Season 2, Episode 3), they were stealing every scene. That's the one where Grace wears water-filled bra inserts to impress a guy, and they inevitably leak. It’s pure slapstick, and it’s arguably where the show figured out exactly what it wanted to be.
The Peak Era: Must-See TV (Seasons 3-6)
This is the sweet spot for most fans. If you’re using a will and grace episode guide to find the absolute essentials, you’re looking at these middle seasons.
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The Thanksgiving episodes became a tradition. "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (Season 3, Episodes 8 and 9) is a massive standout. It’s a flashback to the '80s showing how Will finally came out to Grace. It managed to be genuinely moving while also making fun of their terrible college hair.
Then you have the guest stars.
- Cher appearing when Jack is playing with a Cher doll.
- Gene Wilder as Will's eccentric boss (he won an Emmy for this, by the way).
- Jennifer Lopez performing at Karen's wedding because, well, why not?
By Season 5 and 6, the show was a juggernaut. We saw Grace marry Leo (Harry Connick Jr.), which was a huge shift. For a show built on the codependency of its two leads, bringing in a husband felt risky. Some people hated it; others loved the "Last Ex to Brooklyn" episode in Season 6 where Leo’s ex-girlfriend turns out to be the only woman Will ever slept with.
The Great Retcon: How the Revival Changed the Guide
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The original 2006 series finale.
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In that episode, Will and Grace have a massive falling out, don't speak for twenty years, and only reunite because their kids meet at college. It was polarizing. Most fans found it depressing.
So, when NBC brought the show back in 2017, the creators basically said, "Never mind." In the first episode of the revival (Season 9, Episode 1), Karen wakes up and says she had a crazy dream where Will and Grace had kids and weren't friends anymore. Just like that, years of continuity were wiped out.
The revival seasons (9 through 11) are a different beast. They’re shorter—usually 16 to 18 episodes instead of the old 24-episode marathons. They also lean much harder into 2020-era politics. While the core four—Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally—didn't miss a beat, the vibe changed. It felt more like a stage play at times, but the "Bathroom Humor" (Season 10) and the return of Beverly Leslie kept that old DNA alive.
Hidden Gems You Might Have Skipped
Most guides tell you to watch the big ones, but there are some weird, smaller episodes that deserve a rewatch.
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Take "Bed, Bath and Beyond" from Season 4. Most of the episode just takes place in Grace’s bedroom while she’s depressed over a breakup. The gang stays in bed with her to cheer her up. It’s small, intimate, and actually shows why these four people are friends. It’s not all just martini jokes and "Just Jack!" jazz hands.
Then there’s the live episodes. Doing a sitcom live is a nightmare, but they did it twice—once in Season 8 and once in the revival. Watching them break character because they can't stop laughing is probably the most "human" the show ever felt.
Making Your Own Watch List
If you're going to dive back in, don't feel like you have to go chronologically. The show is episodic enough that you can jump around.
Start with the Season 1-3 essentials to get the origin stories. Then, pick a "guest star" theme night. Watch the Matt Damon episode ("A Chorus Lie"), then the Michael Douglas one. If you want the heart-wrenching stuff, watch the arc where Karen deals with her husband Stan’s "death" (and eventual return).
The real beauty of a will and grace episode guide is seeing how the comedy evolved. It went from a "groundbreaking" show about gay identity to a show about four deeply flawed, incredibly codependent people who just couldn't live without each other.
If you’re looking to get started, the best move is to pick a "Best Of" list and then fill in the gaps. Most streaming platforms have them organized by season, but pay attention to the production codes—sometimes the order they aired isn't the order they were filmed, especially in the later seasons of the original run. Grab a drink (preferably a Karen-sized martini) and start with the Season 2 physical comedy peaks; that's where the show truly found its soul.