‘Call Me Kat’ gives Leslie Jordan the goodbye he deserved

“Love. Gentle. Leslie.”

That was the ultimate want from the solid of “Name Me Kat” as they wrapped up the Thursday episode that honored the late actor Leslie Jordan and his character, Phil. Jordan’s pal Dolly Parton additionally appeared with particular needs for her “The place the Soul By no means Dies” duet accomplice.

Jordan died early on Oct. 24 when the automobile he was driving crashed into the side of a building in Hollywood. He was 67. Although no reason behind loss of life has been decided but, some suspect he skilled a medical emergency earlier than the crash.

Thursday’s “Name Me Philliam” episode began with Phil and boyfriend Jalen (John Griffin) off on trip in Tahiti, solely to have his mama, performed by Vicki Lawrence, present as much as do his baking work on the espresso store whereas he was gone. And sure, mama revealed that his character’s given title was Philliam.

“It was speculated to be William,” mama drawled, “however his daddy was fairly drunk when he stuffed out the delivery certificates.”

Jordan’s character, although unseen, infused almost each second of the episode. And mama proceeded to drive everybody on the espresso store bonkers (the squirrel roasting within the oven appeared to be the clincher). Kat (Mayim Bialik) and her mother, Sheila (Swoozie Kurtz), tried to fireplace her — solely to return throughout mama within the kitchen, lamenting that she simply bought a name from her son.

“I simply bought off the telephone with Phil. He and Jalen are staying in Tahiti,” she mentioned. “They’re gonna open a bakery and get boy-married.”

Over a field of Kleenex, the ladies (together with Kyla Pratt’s Randi) lamented Phil’s choice and remembered moments with him and contours that he mentioned. Mama mentioned, tearfully, “Why can’t they only go to Miami like common gays?”

In the meantime, Max and Carter (Cheyenne Jackson and Julian Gant, respectively) wound up delivering a calf — don’t ask, simply settle for — and named the child cow “Little Phil,” as a result of he was “small, fuzzy and form of recent,” identical to their diminutive pal.

The present reduce to “two weeks later,” and it seems the gang flew to Tahiti for Phil’s marriage ceremony. They admired a marriage slideshow, unseen on a laptop computer and commented on how comfortable the newlyweds look within the photos.

“This place gained’t be the identical with out him,” Sheila mentioned.

“Kentucky gained’t be the identical with out him,” mama mentioned.

“Nothing would be the similar with out him,” Kat mentioned — and the scene went quiet as Lawrence exited and Jordan’s empty director’s chair was introduced out into the highlight. Gant positioned a sequined jacket on the again of the chair, and the 5 primary gamers gathered round.

“What we’ve accomplished right here is we’ve given Phil a contented ending,” mentioned Bialik, who wrote the farewell episode. “What we’re actually doing is mourning the lack of our pricey pal Leslie Jordan. He’s irreplaceable. We are going to miss him very a lot.”

“Love. Gentle,” Bialik added, earlier than everybody joined in saying collectively, “Leslie.” That expression was usually how Jordan signed off on his social media posts, a lot of which went viral and made the “Will & Grace” star a late-in-life sensation in the course of the pandemic.

And right here’s the place Parton joined the combination.

After talking a couple of traces from “The place the Soul By no means Dies,” which was featured on Jordan’s 2021 country-gospel album, she mentioned, “I do know normally, at a memorial, folks discuss someone. Effectively, I’m going to speak to you, ‘trigger there may be that place on the opposite facet. I’m definitely going to see you there, little brother.

“You left lots of people right here with a variety of valuable, valuable recollections. Everyone cherished you, however I doubt that a lot of ‘em cherished you greater than I did,” Parton continued.

“Anyhow, I simply needed you to know that all of us love you, all of us miss you and I guess you’re having an enormous snigger over all of us being unhappy and sorrowful and I do know that may be the very last thing you’d need us to be. So, anyway, you made us comfortable whilst you had been right here, and we’re comfortable that you just’re at peace, and I simply need you to know that I will always love you.” (She sang that final little bit, by the way in which.)

“Goodbye, my candy Leslie,” Parton mentioned. “See you over there.”

Then their duet performed over a montage of scenes that confirmed Jordan in character, dancing round in varied scenes, driving a motorcycle by way of a room whereas carrying a pink helmet embellished with a unicorn horn, dressing as Child Yoda and getting a kiss from a drag queen, amongst different issues.

Lastly, the digital camera closed in on a shot of Jordan, sitting on a mechanical bull, waving goodbye and smiling.

Goodbye, Leslie.