I Never Cheered for my Father

I Never Cheered for my Father is the 21st episode of the sixth season and 143rd overall.

Jack's son Elliot asks for help at the cheerleading tryouts. Tina is suspicious George is cheating on her so she asks for Will's help.

Synopsis[]

Ever been in a limo?[]

After repeatedly refusing to watch his son Elliot's basketball games, Jack is surprised when Elliot suddenly asks him for help trying out for the school's cheerleading team. Happy to finally help in an area he is good at, Jack agrees to teach him how to cheer. However, Elliot still fails to make the team, and is now afraid kids at the school are going to bully him for even trying out.

Jack and Karen go to the school to confront head cheerleader Melanie, saying Elliot is being denied his "birthright" to cheer. Embarrassed, Elliot confesses he does not actually want to cheer, but only tried out to get Jack to pay attention to him and spend time together.

The meddler in the mini-robe[]

Tina, Will's father's mistress, asks him for help, as she feels George is no longer interested in her sexually and is seeing someone else. Will tries to help and finds out his father is actually seeing his mother Marilyn, claiming "cheating is fun", because they are no longer married. Tina breaks up with George, so Marilyn blames Will for meddling.

Cast[]

Main[]

Guest[]

Notes[]

Title is a reference to the 1970 film I Never Sang for My Father, which was based on the 1968 play of the same name.
Debra Messing does not appear in this episode due to her pregnancy. Grace was written to be "out of town".
Though Will's father George plays an important role in the episode, he does not actually appear on screen.
Tina and Marilyn meet for the first time in this episode.
This episode is Elliot's only appearance this season, though he was mentioned in Courting Disaster. He was last seen in Season 5's Field of Queens.

Cultural references[]

Will compares his father's recent singlehood to that of actor Ben Affleck's. Affleck started dating his future wife Jennifer Garner months after this episode aired.

Quotes[]

I'm Elliot's father. Okay? That boy can cheer. Okay? He comes from a long, proud line of cheerleaders. His great-grandfather came to this country with nothing but a tattered pom pom in his hand, and a dream that one day he'd see his children stacked in a perfect pyramid. And now, you're telling me you're gonna deny my son his heritage? Refuse him his birthright? — Jack

Marilyn:	Will! We have to talk.
Will:	Mom! What if I'd come out here wearing nothing?
Marilyn:	You mean it's possible to wear less than you're wearing right now?

Will:	I'm staying out of this! Just call one of your other sons.
Marilyn:	Oh, your brothers can't help me. They're straight. They have no finesse for the details of manipulating petty dramas.
Will:	Gee, what a sweet way of voicing your support for your gay son.