Dolls and Dolls

In the episode, Karen (Megan Mullally) is prompted to meet "real people", and finds a peculiar office worker named Liz (Madonna), and becomes her roommate.

Meanwhile, when Will (Eric McCormack) sprains his ankle, he develops a habit of taking too many painkillers, and his drastic personality change prompts a concerned Grace (Debra Messing) and Jack (Sean Hayes) to intervene and interfere.

According to the Nielsen ratings system, the episode was watched by 17.7 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 9.3 rating/23 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.

His friends, Grace (Debra Messing) and Jack (Sean Hayes), begin seeing changes in Will's personality, including him not going to work, and not reacting to a messy apartment as he is compulsively obsessed with cleanliness.

[2] NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker announced at the annual Television Critics Association news tour in January 2003, that singer Madonna would be appearing in an episode of Will & Grace.

[7][8] In an interview with the entertainment news program Access Hollywood, the singer revealed that her manager gave her tapes of the show to watch.

[9] Executive producer Tim Kaiser told TV Guide that he sent Madonna arrangements of English roses with an invitation to make an appearance on the show, as he was informed that she did not own a television set, and had no idea what Will & Grace was until tapes of the show—with past guest stars—were sent to her.

"[25] Entertainment Weekly writer Ken Tucker noted that the singer's appearance was "one of the worst, if most fascinating, celebrity cameos I've ever witnessed."

Tucker said that "Madonna-as-TV-actress" defeated "Madonna-as-movie-actress" primarily because "she was paired with a pro like [Megan] Mullally and had less screen time than she did in her most recent movie dud, Swept Away.

[11] According to David Kronke for the Whittier Daily News, "Madonna may have put the kibosh on her video, but not on her guest appearance as Karen's ... new best bosom buddy.

"[26] While Charleston Daily Mail's Kevin McDonough reported that Madonna appearing on Will & Grace was "clearly a reprise" of singer Cher's guest stints on the episodes "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" and "A.I.

[28] Writing for The Times publication, Lisa Verrico noted that Will & Grace was becoming the "new" Friends opining with all the guest stars in season five—Demi Moore, Minnie Driver, and Madonna—that have been featured on the show.

[33] Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk was complimentary in his review of season five, writing, that the cast were involved in a lot of "fun situations" with the guest appearances from Kevin Bacon, Rip Torn, Elton John, Andy García, Madonna, Demi Moore, Macaulay Culkin, and Gene Wilder.