I Love College!
Liz had a brief taste of popularity with her crew. However, along with everyone else, they discovered her real personality and there went Liz’s cool points. Like Jenna said everyone has a role in college, and Liz was, is and will be the RA Liz and never cool Liz. Poor friendless Liz.
There was a nice sub-plot involving the writers, who haven’t been heard from in while, which was good. Once they discovered Jack’s voice is used for pronouncified.com, the pranks began. Pete was their main victim as they convince him, he was now friends with Jack (over the phone of course). The climax of their prank was convincing Pete to meet Jack in his office with beer, pizza, a guitar, and a poncho. However, luckily for Pete, Jack was in a vulnerable place that actually created a nice bonding moment between the two of them.
Jack had problems letting go the microwave division. After learning the new division has built a perfect microwave without him, Jack tried every practical and ridiculous way to destroy the microwave. Jack eventually learned it was time to let go. On the plus side, he had his first real college experience with Pete.
Overall, this was a solid episode continuing with a lot of previous plot lines. It also remained its classic sense of humor. Two things I loved from this episode: Liz soaking in the crew’s hate while she high fives a million angels. Also, watching Tracy and Jenna holding mirrors up to each other’s face, so they could stare at their own face. Hilarious.
My only complaints: Where are Grizz and Dotcom? They seemed to have been replaced by Jenna, which is great to see Tracy and Jenna friends, but I desperately miss the old entourage. My second complaint, where the heck is Danny the new cast member?! Josh, the old guy, never disappeared this much. He’s only been in one episode this season so far and that’s not okay. Characters should just disappear.
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DIE WEREWOLF ZOMBIE!!!
“Sometimes you gotta do the right thing, even when the wrong thing would be a whole lot easier…It’s like the thing I said in another movie I made, compromises are for lesser souls. Die werewolf zombie.”
So far I’m really enjoying the character development for Liz’s character this season. I feel like she has been having different conflicts that aren’t strictly work related so much. This week she found the perfect pair jeans! Which as every woman knows is basically impossible. But these jeans were a liberal woman’s dream come true, they fit her body perfectly (boy on bottom, girl on top), but they were also made by local artisans and from organic cotton. Of course, nothing can ever be perfect with Liz as she later finds out that a big corporation, Halpert, owns the store and isn’t as honest and pure of heart as she thought. So, for the remainder of the second act, Liz struggles with the idea of compromising her values for the perfect jeans. Eventually, by the third act, she realizes the jeans aren’t worth it and suffers through the rest of the today wearing a pair of short overalls. Ew.
Jack also had a major moral conflict. A liberal congress woman is up for reelection, which is bad news for Jack and Kabletown as she is oppose big business. However, Jack believed to have found the perfect alternate that is just as conservative as he. After meeting the man though, Jack realized the man is crazy and has extreme, out-dated beliefs. Jack is determined to make this man work. So, he sets up a fundraiser dinner and hides the crazy in the back. Once again, by the third act he has realized he can’t compromise his moral, not even for money, and sets the crazy free to sink his own ship.
Jenna and Tracy had the comical plot for the episode, as Tracy held a lunch for the members for the foreign associated press. Jenna decided to help to Tracy by convincing him to bribe the judges for a better chance at winning a Golden Globe- an obvious bad idea. As it turns out, Jenna was only trying to sabotage Tracy, sad. However, as the theme went, she couldn’t go through it either; apparently, Tracy can actually act…well! After watching his film, Hard to Watch, she sees he actually has real talent and believes he will the award the right way. yay.
Overall , I thought it was good episode. I liked the political commentary and couldn’t help but feel they were mocking the Tea Party a bit. It also show relevance to the pop culture of today, which is nice to see a show do well. I also like how they show problems with all sides as if to say to no side is perfect; what’s more important is doing the right thing even when the right thing would be a whole lot easier.
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30 Rock Soundtrack!!!!
Next Tuesday, November 16th, a 30 Rock Soundtrack will be avaible for purchase! It will be TWO discs!!! I’m so excited! Now I can listen to all my favorite 30 Rock songs whenever/wherever! I can’t wait to bust out laughing in public as listen to Kenneth and Tracy sing, “I Will Always Love You”. It’s going to be great!
The album release is very exciting for the show. It’s not often a sitcom releases, which to me only shows how diverse and versatile 30 Rock is. They not only produce a sitcom full of running gags and one-liners, but they can also be musically funny as well. Yay for them!
Here is a list of the track names:
CD1:
01 Jeff Richmond: “Page Off Intro / Theme From ’30 Rock’ Kenneth Chokes”
02 Jeff Richmond: “Carol”
03 Jeff Richmond: “Frenchy / Slummin’ It”
04 Jeff Richmond: “Restaurant / Snowy Night / Light of Day”
05 Jeff Richmond, Jason Sudeikis, and Tina Fey: “Jack in Four / Cha Cha / Cleveland”
06 Jeff Richmond: “My Funny Valentine”
07 Jeff Richmond: “Boys in Gayland / Halloween / Chicken Killer / Jack Attack”
08 Jeff Richmond: “Meet Donny / Spanx / Dirty 30’s / Liz Taylor”
09 Michael Bublé: “Mr. Templeton”
10 Jeff Richmond: “Sunset Rounds”
11 Jeff Richmond: “Lizzie’s Blues / Sad Clown”
12 Jeff Richmond: “Claire / Handkiss / The Getaway”
13 Jeff Richmond: “Colleen / Dumb Moon / Headlights”
14 Jeff Richmond: “Dad / Pieces of Wood”
15 Jeff Richmond: “Ave Maria as Played by Kathy Geiss at the Cryogenic Freezing of Her Father / Blind Love”
16 Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Alec Baldwin, Edie Falco, Jack McBrayer, Kevin Brown, and Grizz Chapman: “Midnight Train to Georgia”
17 Jeff Richmond: “30 Rock – Long Play Version/ The Bitenuker”
CD2:
01 Jane Krakowski: “Make a Pizza”
02 Katreese Barnes and Kyle Gordon: “That’s Her”
03 Jane Krakowski: “Muffin Top”
04 Tracy Morgan and Donald Glover: “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah”
05 Alec Baldwin and Jeff Richmond: “Simple Things”
06 Jane Krakowski: “Tennis Night”
07 Cheyenne Jackson: “Danny Boy”
08 Jane Krakawski and Cheyenne Jackson: “The Christmas Waltz”
09 Jane Krakowski, Elaine Stritch and Alec Baldwin: “The Christmas Song”
10 Jane Krakowski: “The America Song & the Mob”
11 Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer: “I Will Always Love You”
12 Tina Fey and Christopher Cross: “All My Nights I’ve Been Waiting” “Lemon’s Theme”
13 Anita Gillette, Jan Hooks, Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch and the Cast: “Don’t Go to Bed With a Frown”
14 Jeff Richmond: “What Do You Say to Cleveland (The Demo of the Unused Cleveland Song)”
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Gentleman’s Intermission
“I need dihc Avery, and I’m going to get wherever I can find it.”
This is just a sample of one Jack’s hilarious one liners from last week’s episode. Check out the video below other hilarious quotes from Jack.
This week’s major conflict for Jack was Avery’s announcement that he can no longer be Liz’s mentor. She finds the relationship unusual for a boss and his employee to discuss personal issues…ugh women…especially pregnant ones. Although the news is upsetting to jack, he understands that it’s best to keep his hormonal live in girlfriend happy. Through out the episode, Jack searches for a new mentee yet everyone fails short of one of his requirements. None have enough drive, intelligence, humility, or chaos, or dihc for short.
Liz, who has plenty of dihc for Jack, also had to deal with her father taking a gentleman’s intermission from his marriage. This obviously upsets Liz, who wants nothing more than for her 80 year old father to return home to his wife. However, without her mentor, Liz has to find a solution by herself, which fails quickly. After a rational talk didn’t work, she tried to hit on him in a club, which rightly led to everyone thinking she was creepy and her father leaving for another club.
In the end, both characters are able to resolve their problems as Avery allows Jack to continue to mentor Liz, which allows Jack to fix Liz’s problem. Yay for that solutions that fit nicely into 22 minutes!
Meanwhile, Tracy and Jenna dealt with shallow problems about their obituaries. Tracy once again has a problem with his public image, where as Jenna just wants to be noticed.
I enjoyed the plot line with Liz and Jack facing questions about their relationship, but it’s also nice to see a strictly platonic relationship between a man and a woman exist on television. I was a little unimpressed with Tracy’s plot line, because I feel as though it’s a reoccurring problem with him and never seems to make any progress with it. Maybe that’s the point…I don’t know. However, the one benefit to his story line was a mentioning of his potential Oscar nomination, which is exciting to see. I do hope they pick up his story line of an egot again cause i think that would be hilarious to see him go through that process. Hopefully, the writers can work in more Grizz and Dotcom in his story line too.
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Reaganing
The first act of the episode begins with Jack’s unstoppable problem solving skills. He is having the perfect 24 hours and hasn’t made a single mistake. However, conflict quickly arises when Liz reveals her problem with intimacy. Meanwhile, Tracy must spend all day filming a Boys and Girl commercial for community service. Although he only has one line, “boys and girls of america, be great!”, nothing is ever that simple with him. The crew is forced to back up traffic all afternoon to get just one shot of Tracy saying his line properly that the key with him.
The second begins with Jack leaving Lemon to discover the source of the traffic jam. He finds Tracy filming the commercial. At first he tries to leave the set because he can’t handle two crazies-especially in the midst of his reaganing! However, genius strikes with the idea of putting jelly beans in the mouth of Tracy and minics his voice. It works perfectly. While still hot, Jack runs back to Lemon to help her find the source of her problem with sex. The final act concludes with Jack and Lemon find the source of her intimacy problem (darn you Tom Jones!) even though it cost Jack his perfect 24 hours.
The other subplot included Jenna and Kenneth scamming Cravel. After the ice cream shop misspelled Jenna’s name on a ice cream cake that was meant to bring attention back to Jenna and away from a the birth of worker’s baby, Jenna sends Kenneth to return the cake. The shop gives Kenneth cash even though it was bought with Jenna’s unlimited ice cream card.This leads to the two characters reselling cakes back to the shop. However, they are caught, but Kenneth can’t quit because his family desperately needs the money. So, they perform one last scam with the great Kelsey Grammer.
I like the different direction the writers took with Liz’s character by giving her a slight more serious conflict. Viewers rarely get to see her in a dramatic light, dealing with a real problem and out of her comfort zones. Rather than angry, we got to see a vulunerable side of Liz which was nice. It provided a deeper character development. Also it shown how Jack and Liz really are good friends to one another despite the jokes. The same can be said for Kelsey Grammer’s guest spot. It was nice to him play a different light than his well-known Frazier character.
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Happy Halloween!
Sadly there will be no new 30 Rock episode this week….or at all due to NBC’s Halloween Special. I’m hoping it’s, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!, or is that shown on ABC??? Meh, doesn’t matter. I won’t be watching either of them.
In honor of Halloween, here is one of my favorite 30 Rock songs/in general, and it fits perfectly for the upcoming holiday! It’s hilarious!!! Enjoy!!!Werewolf Bar Mitzvah performed by Tracy Jordan!
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30 Rock did their first live episode!!!! Naturally with most of their actors having live television experience, the show was able to maintain its natural flow and give a rocking performance!
The first act immediately begins with Jack telling Liz his conflict: Avery has asked him to quit drinking since she can no longer drink during her pregnancy. At first the request seems manageable yet quickly becomes unbearable for him. Through out the show, Jack continues to struggle with his sobriety yet eventually given sweet relief, when Liz asks him to grant her her final birthday wish for him to have a drink with her. As he takes a sip of alcohol the show immediately returned back to its usually filmed look. Liz’s conflict is also quickly introduced as she realizes no one has remember its her 40th birthday and is forced to deal with Tracy constantly and purposefully breaking each skit.
Since it was a live episode, each characters’ plot seemed to have fun and play with its new live setting. For example, Jack immediately drew attention to the show’s new live look, when he asks Lemon if his office looks different, more like a Mexican soap oprea. Also during flashbacks, different actors were used to portray Liz and Jack, which allowed the characters to mock the difference versions of themselves. Ahhh, so lovely and self-deprecating. Also, with Tracy’s new inspiration by the Carol Burnett Show, the show was able to avoid the fear of breaking and just use it to its advantage.
During the episode, the audience also saw how great the actors are live as well as taped as well as see how a TV show can break through the wall that usually separates the audience’s world from the actors. 30 rock occasionally likes to break through that wall for comedic purposes as was seen through this episode. For example, Jack’s vision of life without alcohol, Tracy breaking during each skit, and shameless plugging like with Capitol One. Another bonus of a live show, was two versions of the show. One for the east and west coast. Both episodes were very similar and had the same plot, but the actors were able to improv little and add different jokes which was refreshing and one of the great perks of watching live performances. Not to mention, the cast did a pretty great job too but it’s whatever.
Check out the clip below to see the behind scenes of their live show!!!
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Let’s Stay Together
Last Thursday’s episode of 30 Rock perfectly exemplifies how creative and detailed the writing of the show usually is especially through its social commentaries. For example, the main conflicts of the characters are problems many face in society such as the overworked, unappreciated staff member, the politics in media, and the intensely competitive job searched filled with overambitious and qualified youths.
Liz Lemon represents anyone at their job that feels like they are overburden and unacknowledged. Over the years, we have seen Liz sacrifice her health, social life, and chance at love for the sake of the show. However, she is constantly undermined and disrespected by her employees and given work than she can handle. This week was no different. Each morning she arrived to her office to find a new insulting name on her door. Her lack of respect continued to increase when James was promoted to co-head writer and received all the praise and admiration for the work done for the show. Sad face for Liz no one likes her. Eventually, Liz was able to receive her proper gratitude once a congresswoman visited and saw through the false promotion. Yay for Liz!
Jack’s problems were far worse than Liz as he was force to appease the agenda of the congress woman in order to complete the deal with Kabletown. Many people struggle with having to suck up to other demands to complete their own agenda, and Jack is no different. After being prosecuted as a racist network due to its lack of diversity, Jack quickly put Tracy in charge of writing a TV show geared towards black audience. He also promoted the only black writer of the show to co-head writer. However, Jack’s quick fixes fell through and chaos ensued as the bathrooms and food tables seemed segregated and James’s promotion was seen as an obvious band aid to a real problem. Luckily Jack has three months to fix the problem.
On a lighter note, Kenneth was official hired back!!! With the help of Jenna, this turned into a creepy pageant like interview mocking the over ambitious and competitive job market, as she became more and more like her mother and Kenneth like her little puppet to mold. Needless to say, it was pretty fun.
Dotcom felt the pressures of Liz Lemon as he and Grizz helped Tracy make the more diverse TV show. Although his ideas were bright, he was often ignored or rejected. Any of his ideas or work that was noticed was acknowledged however only as though Grizz completed the assignment.
So far, I’m enjoying the direction of the show and looking forward to see how Jack will solve the network’s diversity problem. I am also loving how the writers are not afraid to comment and make fun of their own problems like the lack of diversity on their network as well as how the network’s agenda pushing especially to satisfy others. The show also displays an honesty view of being a writer and the little value attached to it. 30 Rock has returned to what is does best and I couldn’t happier. Actually I lied. Where is the new, cast member Danny? He hasn’t been seen or even heard from since last season. I hope he is at least on the live episode this Thursday!
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When It Rains, It Pours….
Kenneth has returned in only a way he could manage! Even though, he hasn’t officially been hired back, it is clear he will be returning. His hilarious one-liners have been missed, and I can’t wait for his official return. I wish the show would create a whole episode around him….it would be magical.
Alas this was not a strictly Kenneth episode. In fact, I found this episode to be pretty cliché; at least with Liz Lemon’s plot line. She dealt with the repercussions of being a happy, confident person in a relationship. With her new security, she finds herself being nice to all-even to the dreaded editors. Conflict quickly arises as one of the editors decides to spread a rumor that he sleeping with Liz. Eventually it is learned that the editor was trying to get the attention of another woman. So, the two publicly ‘break up’ in front of the other woman. Sound familiar? It should, because it’s an idea that’s been done by basically every sitcom ever! Although, I will admit the situation was done in a very 30 Rock way with awkward situations and odd personalities that did create some funny moments.
Although I was a little disappointed with the lack of originally of Lemon’s story line, I did like Jack’s and Tracy’s stories. After realizing his old age probably won’t let him see much of son’s life, he sequesters himself in his office all day to make videos for him. It provided nice, comedic breaks between the other plot lines. Meanwhile, Tracy has problems of his own. Tracy’s conflict was getting to the hospital in time to see the birth of his daughter. However, things were complicated when his werewolfing session was interrupted by a fire drill. He is separated from his bodyguards and learns his wife is in labor. So, he catches a cab to go to the hospital. Of course, it isn’t just any ordinary cab, it’s the cash cab! Luckily for Tracy, he is able to answer all the questions correctly in a slight Slumdog Millionaire way-meaning his knowledge of the correct answers where only logical to Tracy but funny.
Observation during the show:
Elizabeth Banks’ character, Avery, was actually seen in an episode that was kind of unnecessary. She didn’t have a lot of dialogue nor did she help move along any plot besides twice announcing the birth of their child. Such information could have easily been talked about over the phone with Jack or simply mentioned in conversation. It’s interesting that during last week, Jack’s entire conflict and story was centered on her yet she isn’t seen. This week she wasn’t that extremely vital to anyone’s plot. Her actual screen time seemed pointless. She wasn’t utilized very well.
Hopefully, the writers will be able to better utilize their guest stars. It is a shame to waste money on a well-known actor and to only show them for two minutes. I’m also hoping for more creative plots with Liz and more interaction with the writers, but I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow night!
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Clip of the Week!!!
As a tribute to my hero, here is every Liz Lemon flashback from the show!!!
30 Rock perfectly exemplifies how the use of flashbacks can add development to a character in a creative way. I am always in favor of a television showing us a character’s past rather than talking about their past….I mean it is a TV show right? If you don’t believe me, then watch this clip and hopefully you’ll be converted. If you already agree with me, then you should still watch this clip and enjoy how funny Liz Lemon’s past is.
Still need more Tina Fey?
Then watch this interview with Tina Fey on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live. Through out the interview, you not only see how hilarious Tina is but also how much she is like her character. Loves it!
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