30 Rock: The Moms

30 Rock: The Moms
NBC
May 6, 2010
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Cannon & Carlock episode, some of the mothers of the performers and writers show up for a special Mother's Day episode of TGS.  It's the backstage drama, including in one scene between Frank and his mom (I'm omitting Patti LuPone and Judah Friedlander from the overcrowded tags),  that is the real focus here.  Note that Colleen Donaghy meets Avery and she pushes Jack to choose between his two girlfriends.

Frank Anello continues his streak as a member of the Production Staff.  John Anderson plays Astronaut Mike Dexter again, and Will Ferrell is back as Shane Hunter.

30 Rock: The Natural Order

30 Rock: The Natural Order
NBC
April 30, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Liz scolds Tracy, so he brings in a gibbon as his stand-in, behaves professionally, and makes some muddled point about how Liz also wants special treatment because she doesn't like changing the water tank and going to strip clubs.  (Both of these done funnier on Ellen.)  Meanwhile, Jack deals with the 35th anniversary of his father's final abandonment, and finds out that the first abandonment coincided with Jack's conception! 

Dancer #1 Semar Ghebremichael would later be Dancer #2.  Frank Anello gives under-appreciated contributions as a member of the Production Staff.

30 Rock: Señor Macho Solo

30 Rock: Señor Macho Solo
NBC
January 8, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B

This episode written by Ron Weiner introduces the gorgeous and very funny Salma Hayek as Colleen's nurse and Jack's new love interest, Elisa Padriera, who'd appear six times more.  Jack is cynical about lasting love, to the point that he encourages Tracy, who's wasting his money very frivolously (see attached photo), to sign a post-nup with Angie (Sherri Shepherd).  And Liz's baby-craziness leads her to meet and then date a little person (Peter Dinklage, later of Game of Thrones).

Frank Anello obviously plays part of the Production Staff.  Nancy O'Dell would return later that year as herself, while her co-host Billy Bush wouldn't be back till 2012.

30 Rock: Christmas Special

30 Rock: Christmas Special
NBC
December 11, 2008
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Even though this Fey & Cannon story includes Jack accidentally hitting his mother with a car, it's one of the funnier episodes of the series.  Out of guilt, Jack flies his injured mother from Florida to New York, where she ends up staying with him and ruining his Christmas, until Liz makes him see that his mother really does love him, in her crusty way.  Before this discovery, however, Jack throws together a last-minute Christmas special, just so he can avoid his mother.  Meanwhile, Liz's faith in Christmas is shaken by what seems to be a scam, but Kenneth turns out to be right that everything is OK.  And Jenna gets to sing.

Series composer Jeff Richmond again appears onscreen as musician Alfonso Disparioso.  Audience Member Michael E. Bell would be an Intoxicated Star the next year, while Nilaja Sun would not reprise her role as Irene till 2012.  Sue Galloway not only appears as Sue but shows off the bra that the other writers chipped in for.  (Still not a speaking role yet though.)  And Frank Anello of course is a member of the Production Staff, while Teddy Coluca is again the Stage Manager.

30 Rock: Ludachristmas

30 Rock: Ludachristmas
NBC
December 13, 2007
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In Tami Sagher's first of two 30 Rock stories, Liz's parents, Dick and Margaret Lemon (Buck Henry and Anita Gillette, and, yes, we haven't seen her in my TV collection since Match Game '73), and her brother Mitch (Andy Richter, who would not return) visit her for the holidays.  Jack finds himself charmed by their naivete, including Mitch being stuck in 1985, but his mother's cynicism causes the Lemons to turn against each other.  Meanwhile, Kenneth's Reverend Gary (John F. Mooney) tries to teach the TGS staff the true meaning of Christmas, which they of course misunderstand.

Frank Anello is a member of the Production Staff for the last time that year.  This time writer Kay Cannon appears as a Human Table.  I'm omitting Keith Powell and Judah Friedlander from the overcrowded tags.

30 Rock: Hiatus

30 Rock: Hiatus
NBC
April 26, 2007
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Although this story written by Tina Fey introduces Elaine Stritch as Jack's outspoken mother Colleen and has some nice platonic chemistry between Fey and Baldwin, the Tracy held hostage by Kenneth's even more redneck cousin plot doesn't really work.  Emily Mortimer makes her last appearance as Phoebe, since it's clear Jack doesn't love her.  And Liz and Floyd accidentally break up over Skype.

Justin Smith returns as a Black Crusader and Lester Holt again appears as himself.  Matt Dickinson this time is nameless as Jack's Assistant, although he was Matt previously.  Frank Anello wraps up the season as a member of the onscreen Production Staff.  And in her last role on the show for awhile, Rachel Dratch is Dr. Beauvoir.  Most of the writers are absent again.

As the title implies, both TGS and 30 Rock went on hiatus.  This 21-episode season ranges from C to B+, with just over half of the episodes earning a B-, so it's not surprising that it averages out to a B-.  The show takes awhile to find itself, and I'm sorry but the Tracy character just doesn't appeal to me most of the time.  Still, there's some good stuff here, and I recall the second season as being sharper and funnier.