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.