30 Rock: The Ones

Sue in a Slanket

30 Rock: The Ones
NBC
April 23, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B

The Ones:

• Elisa is The One for Jack, so he goes with Liz to pick out an engagement ring;
• Jack es El Uno para Elisa, pero ella es La Viuda Negra;
• Angie is The One for Tracy, who confesses to Jack that he's never actually cheated on her, but he does worry that getting her face tattooed on his back will make him less popular with women;
• And a handsome EMT might be the one for Jenna, but is she willing to kill off Kenneth to get the guy back?

Frank Anello is keeping it real as a member of the Production Staff.  Brian Williams makes his first of eight appearances on 30 Rock, usually as himself.

30 Rock: Larry King

30 Rock: Larry King
NBC
February 26, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B

This Matt-Hubbard-written episode takes awhile to get going, but it's worth it to see how the threads cross over and pay off.  Tracy goes on the title character's talk show and for some reason is treated as an expert on economics (OK, he is wealthy, but that seems to mostly be dumb luck), and then he induces a worldwide financial panic, and he gives clues to where he's hidden money at 30 Rock, so Pete calls up for more specifics, is identified as "Peter Frampton, Guitar Icon," and still can't figure the puzzle out, but Kenneth, who's helping Liz retrieve her phone from a blackmailing cabbie, figures out that he himself is the safe place.  And meanwhile Jack must choose between love with Elisa (at this point, Liz has had sex twice in '09, Jack not at all) and saving the world's economy, especially GE.

Brian Berrebbi plays Reynolds here and previously was Dave.  Bill Walters is "ND Background" and would later be "Soup Kitchen."  Brian Stack makes his last appearance as Howard Jorgensen.  Frank Anello's fans will be pleased to see him appear as a member of the Production Staff.  And Meredith Vieira makes her second cameo on the show.

30 Rock: St. Valentine's Day

30 Rock: St. Valentine's Day
NBC
February 12, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Fey & Burditt story, Jack and Elisa have religious differences; Tracy helps Kenneth woo a blind girl; and everything that could possibly go wrong on a first date, from Liz twice accidentally exposing herself to Drew's mother (actually grandmother) dying, goes wrong.  Isn't it romantic?  Note that the seemingly throwaway line about Dot Com being in love with Grizz's girlfriend would in fact have a pay-off down the line.

Jeff Richmond again plays Alfonso Disparioso.  Frank Anello incidentally is a member of the Production Staff.

30 Rock: Generalissimo

30 Rock: Generalissimo
NBC
February 5, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B

This Robert-Carlock-written episode has one hilarious thread and two weaker ones.  Jack meets Elisa's grandmother Concepcion (Teresa Yenque, who previously was Teresa), who turns out to hate him because he looks like the title character, the villain on her favorite soap opera.  Not only does Hayek get some great lines that she just nails (I had to pause and rewind when she casually replies to Liz's "You're a nurse?" with "Yes, some of us are hot"), but I had to pause, laugh for several minutes, and then rewind when Jack and his doppelganger parodied the Patty Duke theme.  Meanwhile, Tracy has trouble keeping up with partying interns, and Liz uses underhanded methods to woo her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Jon Hamm in the first of seven cameos in the role), although she does realize that accidentally roofying him is a bad idea.

Matt Lauer makes his first of five appearances as himself on the show.  This time "30 Rock regulars" just means Maulik Pancholy as Jonathan.  Todd Holland would direct another episode the following year.

30 Rock: Flu Shot

30 Rock: Flu Shot
NBC
January 15, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Jon Pollack wrote this story where Liz initially refuses a flu shot when she finds out that there are only five available and thus the crew won't be able to receive any.  However, when, as Cerie puts it in text, "UR VAC8SH1 IS BAGON," Liz sells out and gets a shot, even dancing for Dr. Spaceman.  Meanwhile, in the weakest thread, Tracy and Jenna want to do something nice for the crew but have absolutely no idea how.  And Jack, having learned from his experience with C.C., decides to make time for Elisa, even if it means they have to take a feeble old man along on their dates, with Michael Bublé providing the "Mr. Templeton" song as background music.

Scott Bryce, who was Steve Barton on Who's the Boss?, is Michael Templeton here and would later be a character named Dave.  The Dave in this episode is played by Joseph D'Onofrio, who would later be a nameless Crew Guy.  Intoxicated Star Michel E. Bell had recently played an Audience Member.  Jimmy Palumbo, playing Matt Dowd here, would later be Enzo.  Staff writer Jack Burditt makes an uncredited appearance as Man in Donut Shop and in 2013 would twice play the Colonel.  Seventy-five-year-old George Bartenieff didn't work on any of my other shows, but he was Nitro in the campy movie Hercules in New York almost forty years earlier.  This time "30 Rock regulars" really only covers Lutz and Cerie, as much of the supporting cast is absent.

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.