Husbands and Trophy Wives is the 3rd episode of the third season and the 49th episode overall.
Will and Jack prepare to party with old friends Joe and Larry but instead find out that they have become domesticated parents of a baby girl. Grace believes that Karen is jealous of her romantic relationship with Ben.
Synopsis
The black man and the Jewish girl
Ben takes Grace to his yacht club where Karen and Stan are also members of. During a party, Grace notices that Karen seems irritated by her affectionate relationship with Ben. Rosario tells Grace that in a week, Karen will the same age as Stan's first wife when they separated and she is "plagued by feelings of insecurity, wondering if she's still attractive to men".
Grace, in an effort to restore Karen's confidence, compliments Karen on her beauty and instructs Ben to hit on her. This plan, however, backfires when a jealous Stan sees Ben flirting with his wife and he and Grace are thrown out of the club.
I don't know nothin' about burpin' no babies
Will and Jack get invited to party at the Hamptons by their friends Joe and Larry, a couple who are known for their wild parties. Expecting another weekend of unrestrained fun, Will and Jack are disappointed that the party is actually a get-together with Joe and Larry's newly adopted baby, Hannah. Although Jack remains unsupportive of the couple's decision, Will expresses how his admiration for their new family and mentions that he himself wishes to become a father someday.
As a gift to Joe and Larry, Will offers to take care of Hannah while the couple go out to see a movie and bribes Jack to stay with him. Will soon regrets the idea as Hannah would not stop crying. When Will lashes out, Jack angrily tells him it is because Will's frustration is because he is bad at being a father.
On their way home, Will is clearly upset thinking what Jack said might be true. Jack apologizes by telling him he is going to be a great dad because he has been one to Jack for the last 10 years.
Cast
Main
- Eric McCormack (Will Truman)
- Debra Messing (Grace Adler)
- Sean Hayes (Jack McFarland)
- Megan Mullally (Karen Walker)
- Shelley Morrison (Rosario Salazar)
Guest
- Gregory Hines (Ben Doucette)
- Jerry Levine (Joe)
- Tim Bagley (Larry)
- Richard Livingston (Bartender)
- Christopher Randolph (Man)
- Yvans Jourdain (Jon "Captain Hornblower")
Notes
- The episode's title is a reference to the 1992 film Husbands and Wives.
- This episode originally aired back-to-back with Fear and Clothing on October 19, 2000.
- Kari Lizer's first writing credit for the show. She later appears as Connie.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Joe and Larry. They were only supposed to appear once, but went on to become recurring characters. This is also the only appearance of Hannah, Joe and Larry's daughter, though she is mentioned in future episodes.
- Will and Jack sing Lady Marmalade by Labelle to Hannah by her crib. Similarly, in the episode The Kid Stays Out of the Picture, the two burst into singing Close to You by the Carpenters while fixing Will's old cradle.
Cultural references
- Grace mentions being called "Bozo Adler" after the character Bozo the Clown who also had red hair.
- Grace describes Will and Jack's wild weekend with their gay friends as "couple of days of lube and Liza", a tongue-in-cheek joke about anal sex and gay icon Liza Minnelli.
- Rosario implies that her diagnosis of Karen's behavior is the result of watching the daytime talk show The View where a panel of women discuss sociopolitical and entertainment news.
- Thinking Grace is a lesbian, Karen refers to her as "Lezzy Borden" a play on the infamous murderess Lizzie Borden.
- In this context, Karen also mentions that Grace often wear "chunky shoes" and carry keys, which have been long associated with lesbians.[1]
- When Will tells Jack off for not helping him burp Hannah, Jack says "I don't know nothin' about burpin' no babies", a reference to the simple-minded maid Prissy's line in the film Gone With The Wind "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!".
Quotes
| Jack: | Gosh, it's been so many years. I hope I can pull off a thong. |
| Grace: | Isn't the point of these weekends to pull off someone else's? |
The black man is taking the Jewish girl to the Yacht Club. You two are so out, you're in. — Will, about Ben and Grace
Well, well, well. Look what the cat cleaned up, showered, exfoliated, powdered, lipsticked, Gucci'd and dragged in. — Karen
I think I'll go say hello to your husband. You remember him, the one you married in sickness and in wealth? — Ben, to Karen
| Rosario: | I'm gonna tell you something, and if you repeat it, I'm gonna wash your mouth out with toilet cleanser. |
| Grace: | You're lovely. |
| Karen: | Oh, my god. You're a big lez. |
| Grace: | Karen— |
| Karen: | You know, people have always said you were, but I said, "No. That's just the way she walks." |
| Grace: | I have a sturdy gait. |
| Karen: | Honey, come on. Finally, an explanation for the chunky shoes and all the keys. |
We still have our Friday night movie club. We sit in the back row, and every time straight people kiss, we hiss. — Jack
References
- ↑ "Lesbians and Key Rings: a Cultural Love Story" Christina Cauterucci
