The Charge

Trivia: Originally the show's creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan pitched a straightforward couples comedy in which a gay man and his straight female roommate were supporting characters. NBC liked the supporting characters better. Way better! As in eight groundbreaking seasons better.

The Case

Tonight on Will and Grace (18 May 2006):
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 who 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.

And now an open letter to the show Will and Grace:

Dear Will and Grace,

I never thought after Ellen was canceled in a storm of protest on both sides that a network would take a chance on a series about a gay guy and his female best friend. And who knew, eight years later, it would still be on the air as a bona fide ratings hit and critical darling? My how things change in less than a decade, and you guys should be proud we've all come this far thanks to you.

People enjoy picking on you, Will and Grace. Some say you've overstayed your welcome, or you only promoted stereotypes. Well in the immortal words of Rosario: "Shove it bitch!" You've made many lives happier, changed the way the world sees itself, and proved that gay people have a place on television on their own terms. You made people accept a gay man, his straight roommate, his gay best friend, and his wealthy, drunken, married friend. They all became real people thanks to your unwavering commitment to keeping them in character over eight years.

The season finale was a bittersweet affair with glimpses far in to the future of everyone on the show. You did a great job of hitting a funny and sweet good-bye to all the friends we've come to love. I didn't agree with all the conflict and strife, but it was like a real relationship over the years. Friends come and go, and you captured that so perfectly. And thanks for the Queen song over the last images.

Will and Grace, it was nice of you to release a DVD of the episode so soon after airing. Now I don't have to wait years for the season releases to catch up to it. Thank you for putting some nice extras like a featurette about filming the last episode, and interviews with your cast and crew. It's rare to see such meaty extras about a show, but you deserved it. The picture looks good, the sound is fine, and I love the packaging with the cast taking a bow. It's a great souvenir for fans of the show.

You made us giggle, cry, and opened up the mind of America by using the strongest weapon ever created—laughter. You are a show that broke down walls, showed us celebrities that were willing to poke fun of themselves, and captured hearts and minds. But most of all, you made a lot of people proud to accept who they were. And that is your real legacy. Laughter and self acceptance are a heady thing to deliver. And you did it. Congratulations! You're a class act all the way. See ya' around in syndication old friend.

Thanks,
A loyal grateful fan

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