Stakin' Care of Business

Stakin' Care of Business
Episode	4.11
Written by	Bill Wrubel
Directed by	James Burrows
Release
Original network	NBC
Original airdate	December 6, 2001
Chronology
Previous	Moveable Feast
Next	Jingle Balls

Stakin' Care of Business is the 11th episode of the fourth season and 82nd overall.

Grace tries to get a loan from Karen for the expansion of Grace Adler Designs. At the gym, Will finds out that he has become a rebound guy in a discontented love triangle. Jack decides on his catchphrase at the gym.

Synopsis

Cuddlebum

"Either that or I'll pants you in public. Let's go with that."

Will and Jack run into Mitchell, Will's rebound guy after his break-up with Michael. Ashamed for not returning Mitchell's calls, Will apologizes and they catch up. He learns that Mitchell is now happily in a relationship.

At the same gym, Will also meets Curt, who agrees to go out on a date with him. After their date, Will realizes that Curt is suddenly avoiding him. Will confronts him and finds out that he has become Curt's rebound guy on his recent break-up with a guy who turns out to be Mitchell. He learns that after their date, Curt "came running back" to Mitchell, much to Will's embarassment.

The Grace Adler Designs Expansion Project

Grace decides to expand her office but gets denied of a loan by the bank. Karen says she will help provided that Grace does a presentation of what she does because she might just "buy Ms. Pac-Man machines and pizza ovens".

However, as soon as Grace is finished the tedious presentation, Karen denies her as well and abruptly leaves, leaving Grace shocked and angry. Karen however gets stuck on the faulty freight elevator and Grace leaves her there to go to the movies. When she returns she asks Karen why she made her go through all the trouble just to be rejected. Karen in a fit of business knowledge reasons out that she thinks Grace's business will fare better with a smaller office space, and that she did not want to ruin Grace's dream of expansion.

Cast

Main

• Eric McCormack (Will Truman)
• Debra Messing (Grace Adler)
• Sean Hayes (Jack McFarland)
• Megan Mullally (Karen Walker)

Guest

• Patrick Breen (Mitchell)
• Dan Gauthier (Curt)
• Bess Meyer (Marcy)
• Ashley Borden (Personal Trainer)
• Josh Temple (Guy)

Notes

• Grace mentions that she has been running her design firm for 5 years, meaning she started it in 1996.
• First of the few episodes not to feature Will's apartment.
• According to Sean Hayes, the phrase "stake it!" came from when he was in Hawaii with friends, including producer Max Mutchnick. After smoking pot, one of them ordered steak and held it to someone's mouth and said "stake it". It was subsequently written as a workout term in this episode

Cultural references

• When Karen tells her labor union story, she tells the plot of the film Norma Rae (1979).
• Jack insults Marcy's catchphrase "Ooh yeah!" by asking if she got it at "Lame Phrases R Us", after the Toys R Us retail company.
• Jack describes Macy as a "female version of Liz Smith", the openly bisexual gossip columnist on Live at Five (1979–1990).
• Curt calls using Will as rebound a "gay catch and release program", after the immigration policy in the US where illegal immigrants caught are released until their court hearing.

Quotes

Oh, yeah? Well, I know that in today's uncertain economic climate, people are taking a long, hard look at any purchase that could be considered a luxury item, e.g., interior design. Then, when you factor in the leading economic indicator i.e., winter housing starts, the negligible impact of the recent interest rate cuts, decline in occupancy rates in corporate office space, it just seems to me that a smaller company will be better equipped to respond to shifting market forces, but I guess you probably already knew that! — Karen, her knowledge on business

Will:	Who's that guy?
Jack:	That guy? Um, I don't know. He's that guy. You know, what's-his-name... Generic McPlain-Wrap.

—Seeing Mitchell at the gym

Come on, Karen. I'm listening. Why do you deserve to be out in the world among decent people? — Grace, looking for a reason to release Karen

Stake it! — Jack, his gym catchphrase

Don't do that. Don't lie. Not here. This is a gym. This is gay church. — Will