He stole the show when he turned the tables on Karen in the season 10 finale, and Will & Grace’s favorite ill-fated bartender made a welcome return to the sitcom on Thursday in an unexpectedly religious encounter.
Accidentally on Porpoise
Smitty stepped out from behind the bar for his comeback in Accidentally on Porpoise, the 11th episode of the sitcom’s final season.
The episode saw Karen and Will accompany Jack to church, where the mere presence of the notoriously unscrupulous Karen is enough to snuff out every holy candle in the vicinity.
On her way to the toilet, a hilariously irreverent Karen finds herself in the confessional box where she’s finally forced to confront her many sins.
With the confessional likely to take quite some time, Karen orders some alcoholic refreshments. But when the Postmates delivery driver arrives at the Lord’s House with her cocktail in hand, it turns out to be none other than Smitty on a scooter.
He tells Karen he lost his job at the Old King Cole Bar after falling down an over-polished flight of stairs, shattering his pelvis so badly he “no longer has a lap for his grandchildren to sit on.”
Right on cue, Karen greets the old man’s misfortune with unsuppressed glee.
Who is Smitty on Will & Grace?
Fans will remember accident-prone Smitty – played by veteran actor Charles C Stevenson Jr – from recurring guest appearances in seasons 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 of the show.
The relationship between Karen and the calamitous barman has delivered some of the funniest lines in the entire series, with the misfortunes of the painfully unlucky OAP continually landing Karen in hysterics.
Smitty’s tragic life stories have so far included losing his sister in a tornado, his twin in a fire, and his wife on Christmas Day – all of which have sent Karen into wicked fits of giggles.
But on Thursday night, the priest forces Karen to confront her treatment of poor Smitty over the years, and she tries to make amends the best way she knows how – by writing the pensioner a hefty check.
Elsewhere in this week’s episode, Grace miraculously gets another (unlucky) shot at love with her neighbor James (Matt Letscher).
This is despite a history of unforgivable transgressions that include bedding both his father and his son and nearly destroying his apartment with a colossal bowel movement.
Matt Letscher and Charles C Stevenson Jr join an impressive line-up of guest stars in season 11 of the sitcom, which includes Chelsea Handler, Demi Lovato, Miss Coco Peru, Aileen Quinn, Joel McHale, Ryan Philippe, and Billie Lourd.