30 Rock: Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001

30 Rock: Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001
NBC
December 3, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
C

Devon Banks calls Jack and makes him insecure enough to make Liz insecure about her new talk show.  And meanwhile Tracy decides to go for EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).  This Kay Cannon story would've been a C- if not for Frank becoming Liz in her absence.

Ali Reza's last 30 Rock appearance is as Yakov.  John Anderson makes his first of five appearances as Liz's fantasy husband Astronaut Mike Dexter.  Sherri Shepherd returns as Angie.  Sue Galloway plays Sue.  And Kristian Alfonso, here in her most famous role of Days of Our Lives' Hope Brady, had had a series-changing role on Who's the Boss?, playing Tony's girlfriend Frankie, who makes Angela realize her love for Tony.  And I'm unable to tag Whoopi Goldberg this time.

30 Rock: Into the Crevasse

30 Rock: Into the Crevasse
NBC
October 22, 2009
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Considering this has Jenna filming an Icelandic werewolf movie, Kenneth popping up in an American Bandstand episode from the early '60s, Tracy making Liz's life into a porno, and the return of Devon Banks, this isn't as funny as it could be.  Note that Liz's "Dealbreaker" book shares space in the bookstore window with Dr. Spaceman's "sex book for couples" and Milton Greene's Jimmy Carter biography.

Subhas Ramsaywack makes his debut as Subhas the janitor, while Seth Kirschner first appears as Shawn here.  John G. Pavelec, an Attorney here, previously played a Congressman.  Frank Anello is in a rut as a member of the Production Staff, while Sue Galloway continues in the role of Sue.

30 Rock: Do-Over

30 Rock: Do-Over
NBC
October 30, 2008
Sitcom
DVD
B

Fey wrote this season-opener that sort of picks up where we left off.  Jack returns to GE but Banks makes him start in the mail room, although Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot) seemingly offers to give Jack his old job back in exchange for sex.  He has to fake a romance with Liz, making Kathy utter perhaps her only line, urging Jack and Liz to kiss.  (They don't.)  Meanwhile, Liz tries to impress a lady from an adoption agency, getting a do-over when Frank hits the lady with the golden nunchucks that Tracy bought for him, after Liz prodded Tracy to reward the people who helped work on the now very successful porn video game.

Frank Anello's fans will be pleased that he continues his role as part of the Production Staff.  Megan Mullally would actually reprise her role of Bev, the lady from the adoption agency, in the final season.

30 Rock: Succession

30 Rock: Succession
NBC
April 24, 2008
Sitcom
DVD
B+

John Riggi's story, co-written with guest writer Andrew Guest (OK, he was script coordinator that season, but he didn't usually write scripts), is a great one, where actions rise and fall, against an Amadeus theme, musical and symbolic.  Although Devon Banks is engaged to Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot), Don Geiss chooses Jack as his successor, although he can't make the announcement until the board of directors approves.  Jack confides in Liz, promising to make her his successor.  She at first resists and then he shows her the salary.  The sequence of her reaction is hilarious: her mouth falls open and she slaps Jack, then she goes down to the writers' room and says, "Suck it, Monkeys!  I'm going corporate!"  When Pete worries about her abandoning him, she says he'll be promoted, too, and shows him the salary.  His mouth falls open and he slaps her.  She grins and says, "I know, right?"

However, although Liz quickly learns how to charm other executives, while "business drunk" and coming up with "Button Classic" for the microwave, Jack actually feels sorry for Banks, who looks miserable at the bachelor party.  And then Geiss goes into a diabetic coma, with a caped Dr. Spaceman called in to (mis)diagnose.  Banks maneuvers almost mute Kathy into her father's position as head of GE, so that Banks will be the puppetmaster.  And meanwhile, Tracy (we never learn how) conquers Uncanny Valley and invents a porn video game that is realistic without being disturbing, with Frank as his Salieri, and this is one of the best Tracy subplots I've seen.

Brian Stack again appears as human punching bag/punchline Howard Jorgensen.  This is the 2800th of my shows I've reviewed and I don't know if we'll hit 2900.  (Three thousand is very unlikely.)

30 Rock: Jack Gets in the Game

30 Rock: Jack Gets in the Game

NBC

October 11, 2007

Sitcom

DVD
B+

This Robert Carlock story has some great threads and, yes, even the Tracy subplot works.  In order of my preference:

• Devon Banks (the still wonderful Arnett) returns, claims to have had the gay prayed away, announces his engagement to Don Geiss's plain and silent daughter Kathy (Marceline Hugot, who was a Nurse on Ellen), and tries to flirt with Kenneth, who reveals Jack's secret heart attack, so then Banks tries to "make Jack's heart explode," but Jack is a worthy opponent and wins this round;
• Kenneth decides that the way to reunite the estranged Jordans is by flirting with Angie, who plays along with this, but then Tracy wants Kenneth to have sex with Angie to make up for all the times Tracy cheated*;
• Liz, after Jack's nagging, decides to get her life together, partly symbolized by her ordering a piece of Ikea furniture called "Blerg," with an umlaut;
• and Liz wants Jenna to embrace her weight gain and change America's attitude about body image, but instead Jenna finds popularity with the catchphrase Jack came up with for her: "Me want food!"

There are a lot of funny, quotable lines, but also some good acting, as with Torn's performance as Don Geiss.  Donald Glover's second of four 30 Rock roles is the voice of a nameless Producer.  Frank Anello of course plays a member of the Production Staff.  Much of the regular cast is absent.

*This is another thread that would become ironic when we find out the truth about Tracy's "adultery."

30 Rock: Fireworks

30 Rock: Fireworks
NBC
April 5, 2007
Sitcom
DVD
B+

This episode introduces Will Arnett as one of my favorite recurring characters, Devon Banks.  But that's not the only reason why this is the first great episode of 30 Rock.  

• Arnett is awesome though, from his double-entendrous exchanges with his rival Jack to his flirtation with Kenneth, he is fun to watch;
• Banks come up with the 15-second sitcom, and we get to see an entire webisode;
• Jack believes that television shouldn't be smaller but should embrace the spectacle, so he offers live fireworks, not a good idea in midtown Manhattan only five and a half years after 9/11;
• For once the Tracy plot is good, with Tray finding out (from Dr. Spaceman, but no one questions this) that he's descended from Thomas Jefferson, who's played by Baldwin in Tracy's dream;
• Pete is staying at Liz's while his wife is mad at him, which leads to such funny moments as him dressing like Liz one morning;
• Liz pursues Floyd into an AA meeting and claims to be an alcoholic, but she does confess when she doesn't have to;
• And Tootsie jokes!

Frank Anello and Sue Galloway return as respectively a member of the Production Staff and Sue.  Matt Dickinson, who's Matt here, would return as Jack's Assistant (possibly the same character).  Dave Finkel, who plays the Husband in the Makin' It Happen episode, had previously played the 2nd AD and wrote two episodes, including this one (with Brett Baer), while Kay Cannon, who plays the Wife, would have two more roles and wrote the "Black Tie" episode and would do eleven more.  Al Roker would return as himself, but Maury Povich would not.  And Jenna is absent.