Head Case

Head Case is the 3rd episode of the first season.

Grace tries to deal with Will's controlling nature while living together. Karen tries to do actual work in the office.

Synopsis[]

Grace complains to Will how small her bathroom is compared to his so they decide to fix it and share one big bathroom instead. When Jack hears about it, he expresses his surprise because of Will's controlling nature. Jack reasons that this attitude of Will has prevented him from ever sharing his things, even with his boyfriends.

Will however feels invaded as Grace starts the renovations and tears down the wall between the two bathrooms. She, on the other hand has taken Karen's advise to take up more space so Will can realize that she now lives in the apartment as much as he is. Will and Grace end up in an argument as they prepare for Harlin coming over for dinner.

While Grace is in the bathtub, Will corners her to apologize and explain that he acted out of fear that his controlling nature is going to prevent him from making any of his relationships work. They compromise and decide to move the wall a little so they can have two separate but equal bathrooms.

Cast[]

Main[]

Guest[]

Gary Grubbs (Harlin Polk)

Notes[]

Will sings and dances to Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" (1978).
Grace and Harlin meet for the first time.
Jack is mentioned running the man tan booth at Le Spa as well as being a chorus girl and a Broadway usher.
Will mentions Grace's stoner days. This is referenced again in later episodes.
Grace does her "whoa" reaction for the first time.
As he barges in Will's office, Jack sarcastically tells Will's assistant Ellen "you're my new best friend. Call me every 10 minutes." He told the same thing to Will shortly after they met, as seen in the flashback episode "Lows in the Mid-Eighties".

Karen tells Grace that she has been married twice. In later episodes however, we learn that she already had two husbands before Stan, meaning she would have been married thrice by the first season. However, she may only be referring to her marriages which ended in divorce.

Cultural references[]

When Grace tells Will to open the cabinet, he jokes it might be a "zonk", the loser prizes in the game show Let's Make a Deal.
When Grace sees herself in the mirror wearing the hat at work, she calls herself the "cat in the hat", after the Dr. Seuss book.
Will insults the pillow cases Grace used, saying they are from the "Benihana Home Collection," referencing the Japanese-themed restaurant Benihana.
Jack voices out his disdain on living with women by saying "Women. Can't live with them... End of sentence," a reference to the popular quote "Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them."
After Will shouts at Jack for wasting his time, Jack describes it as a scene from "Mr. Bitch Goes to Washington," after the play Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Media[]

Quotes[]

Ellen, honey, could you bring in Will's denial file? I think we have a little something to add. — Jack, after Will claims he has no problem

Jack, she's just doing her job. I think that's the first time I used the words "Jack" and "job" in the same sentence without "needs to get a" in between. — Will

Will, why don't you just share your bathroom? My God, I think that's the first time I used "Will" and "share" in the same sentence without "doesn't know how to" in between. — Jack

Will:	You're going to wear that?
Grace:	How about, "Grace, you look like crap?" That's much more concise.

—Preparing for dinner with Harlin

Will:	Did you just call me a queen?
Grace:	If the tiara fits.

Women. Can't live with them... End of sentence. — Jack

Karen:	Gay, straight, bi, Thai, they don't like change.
Grace:	What is that? An Upper East Side haiku?

—On men not liking change

Just F.Y.I. The first 3 letters in "assistant" spell "ass," so please, get off yours. — Grace, asking Karen for help in the office