Crouching Father, Hidden Husband is the 3rd episode of the fourth season and 74th overall.
Jack tries to make Elliot's dance special while Will gets tired of Karen ordering her around like one of the help.
Synopsis
Elliot's school dance
Elliot gets turned down by her crush Nancy at the school dance so Jack asks Grace to be his son's date. During the dance, Jack encourages Elliot to ask Nancy to dance, forcing Grace to relive being left out again at a seventh grade dance.
As upbeat music starts playing, Jack could not help but dance and take the spotlight. Embarrassed, Elliot storms out of the dance hall where he bonds with Nancy, after finding out she has lesbian parents.
Serving the evil queen
Karen, who is one of Will's firm's biggest clients, calls him in for help. Upon arriving he learns that Karen has called him out of a business lunch just to fix her fax machine. Annoyed, Will tells her he is not her servant and explains to her his job using mini-liquor bottles.
Karen however, calls him in again to open a jar of olives for her. Will vows never to be tricked into doing something for her again.
For God's sake, put your pants on. You're my lawyer, not my dentist!
Later, however two FBI agents come over Karen's office asking about her husband Stan, who gets arrested for tax evasion. She calls an exasperated Will but he refuses to come and hangs up.
The agents later visit Will (being Karen and Stan's attorney) though he believes they are actors hired by Karen, even dropping his pants to make them break character. Karen comes in and turns on the TV, after which Will finally believes and starts addressing the FBI agents as her attorney.
Cast
Main
- Eric McCormack (Will Truman)
- Debra Messing (Grace Adler)
- Sean Hayes (Jack McFarland)
- Megan Mullally (Karen Walker)
- Shelley Morrison (Rosario Salazar)
Guest
- Michael Angarano (Elliot)
- Landry Allbright (Nancy)
- Lauren Schaffel (Girl #1)
- Sydney Berry (Girl #2)
- Kari Lizer (Connie)
- James Healy, Jr. (Agent Pembleton)
- Hep Jamieson (Agent Korn)
Notes
- Jack dances to 'NSYNC's Pop (2001).
- Title is a play on the Ang Lee wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).
Cultural references
- Grace mentions dancing to the song Bette Davis Eyes (1981) and the part of the song where the singer "Kim Carnes starts to talk".
- When Elliot has doubts about his dancing, Jack likens the situation to saying "Chastity Bono can't wear Bob Mackie". Mackie is a designer famous for unconventional gowns worn by celebrities including Chastity Bono's mother Cher.
Media
Quotes
I'm a lawyer, which means that unlike you, I have passed a bar. — Will, To Karen
| Jack: | His date should be stylish, special, beautiful. A non-smoker who loves to laugh. |
| Karen: | Wait a minute. |
| Jack: | You've got someone special, stylish, beautiful? |
| Karen: | No. But how about Grace? She's got big feet. And you know what they say about girls with big feet. Ha ha ha ha! |
Ok, I get it now. You're comin' in loud and queer! — Karen
Today's weirdos are tomorrow's daytime talk show hosts and sensitive singer-songwriters. — Jack, To the 'weirdos' on the benches
Agent Korn, Agent Pembleton. My name is Agent Poopy Pants. — Will, to the FBI agents