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30 Rock Season 2 Episode 13

Succession

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9.1

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/24/08

When Don decides to promote Jack and make him his successor over Devin, Jack decides to give his old job to Liz because she always has his back. However, a turn of events concerning Don's health compromises Jack's promotion. Meanwhile, Tracy thinks that his son is embarrassed of his career because he did not invite him to fathers day at school.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

I never used to find Parnell particularly funny but now I find him hilarious, not only in 30 Rock but also in movies like Walk Hard and Hot Rod.

10

By colten97, Mar 12, 2011

Let's talk about this episode of 30 Rock and also how much it rocked. For the last week or so I've found myself thinking "You know what this season's 30 Rock could really use? More appearances by Dr. Spaceman. That character rocked." He's giving Dr. Nick "Hi, Everybody" Riviera a run for his money as the all-time greatest quack doctor. Low and behold, Dr. Spaceman made a spectacular return to 30 Rock this episode, rushing into service to try to save Rip Torn's corporate King Lear, a makeshift cape waving behind him. He looked like a cross between Superman, Count Dracula and a role-playing nerd at a comic book convention. It was, to use a high-falutin' critical term, awesome.

I've always had a soft spot for movies and television shows about business. That's one of the reasons I love Mad Men and Profit so I was geeked that yesterday's episode was all about corporate maneuvering and office politrix. In this 30 Rock, all the groundwork the show has been laying in terms of setting up Jack Donaghy and Will Arnett's Devon Banks rivalry and Donaghy's father-son/mentor/protege relationship with Rip Torn's epic Don Geiss paid rich dividends in a show that was like a rollicking comic opera, or at least a turbo-charged comic corporate melodrama.

Things at NBC heated up as Geiss prepared to pick his successor and Banks jockeyed for position by marrying Geiss' um, very special daughter as a way of boosting his chances. Meanwhile, Donaghy groomed Liz Lemon for a shot at the corporate high-life and she took to it like a Junior Vice President to three-martini expense account lunches. I know Lemon is ostensibly supposed to be little Miss Quirky McSaddo but I found her embrace of power-suit ruthlessness surprisingly convincing. Lemon's formidable mean streak make her a natural for the Darwinian world of board-room combat.

In a spectacularly silly B-plot Tracy Jordan experienced a profound existential crisis after learning that his son is embarrassed by him by achieving his newfound life's goal of creating the world's first pornographic video game. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but pornographic video games have a long and sordid history. This episode of 30 Rock attained a sort of pleasing comic velocity en route to an extraordinarily satisfying episode-closing capper. It was an extraordinarily well-written, well-acted and clever piece of television comedy that was gloriously cinematic in ambition, look and speed. I was also psyched by the re-appearance of Arnett, Chris Parnell's Dr. Spaceman and brilliant Conan O'Brien supporting player Brian Stack in a minor role.moreless
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Hilarious! This show is just too damn funny!

9.5

By bossdj420, Oct 24, 2008

I wasn't sure about this show in the beginning... maybe it was just too much like SNL. But it keeps getting better. Adding Will Arnett is brilliant, he plays such a great villain in comedies and it reminds me of Blades of Glory. And Tracy Morgan trying to come up with a porn-video game, mixing his two favorite pasttimes... He gets so determined and is a highlight on the show. I loved the part when Liz gets a peak at her starting salary for being the succesor and then SLAP across the face. Great episode, I'm a little behind but I'm catching up thanks to tv.com. Suck it monkeys! I'm going corporate! LOLmoreless
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Never trust Liz with medical issues.

8.3

By Water78, Jul 04, 2008

30 Rock, Succession,

i mess up the name o well. Ok in this episode Jack promotes Liz to a higher job. Since the guy likes Liz Liz makes a good impression But #Devon is marring the guys daughter. Only to get ahead of Jack. At Devons party for his marriage the gguy in charge of the company tells jack that is mosly getting the job and ask liz to go get him something to eat. Liz and jack go to the party. Liz gets the food but it's to late the guy has sorat passed out a sugar less level. The guy is out and jack doesnt get the job since the guy isnt awake. The daughter in the end gets the job. Overall ok episode liked how jack and liz worked as a team and liked the slapping of each other when the find out how much they make,.moreless
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The best episode of 30 Rock this season, and serious contender for best episode so far.

9.8

By goshwow, Apr 26, 2008

Though we are missing Jenna again, Succession is one of those special episodes that does everything so perfectly you'll forget that your favourite characters didn't get to shine as bright. This is an intense episode, parodying seriously intense TV action-dramas. The laughs pour in one after another, with little gaps in-between so that you can safely laugh at each of the silent jokes and ironic scenarios. That said, there is absolutely no filler here. The ending is leaves the show on a hilarious cliffhanger that will put this episode high on the pantheon of great 30 Rock episodes.

It can only get better from here.moreless
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Jack is finally getting promoted to the head of NBC, but who will take his place?

8.0

By Steve509, Apr 26, 2008

Don Geis decided to give his job to Jack Doneghy because his soon-to-be son-in-law, Devan Banks, was going to be family and that was separate. Devan was still going on with his "relationship" with Don's daughter who is a plain-faced woman who would turn any man gay Jack decides that his replacement should be Liz. Liz, at first, is not so sure of the idea, because she doesn't want to "go corporate" but when Jack shows her what her starting salary will be, she slaps him and tells her crew that she's going corporate, monkeys! Liz is taken to the dinner with all of the execs and she shows off because she had been drinking and they all love her. She saves the company 2 million dollars by sticking with the classic microwave start button. Meanwhile, Tracy is trying to figure out what he can do to make his kids proud of him when he realizes that his son did not ask him to come to Bring Your Dad to School Day. So after hours of brainstorming, he decides to invent a porn-centered video game. His idea goes as far as it can and I assume we will see more of this to come! Jack takes Liz to the party where Don is going to announce that Jack is the new CEO but Don has a diabetic attack and needs some sugar, he sends Liz. Oh boy, she gets distracted, because, again, she had been drinking and is too late because when she returns he is a diabetic coma. They call in Dr. Spaceman, who is portrayed brilliantly by Chris Parnell. Dr. Spaceman is completely clueless on how to revive him and can't do anything to help him. All of the execs and Devan come into the room and find Geis passed out and Jack, Liz and Dr. Spaceman over him. Jack tells the execs that Don was going to make the announcement of Jack being the new CEO but now he was unable to, but Liz was able to back him up, as should have Devan, but he played dumb. It ended up that Devan convinced the execs while Don was in his coma that the job should go to only one person, Don's daughter. With her in charge, Devan will be her confidant as her soon to be husband and now Jack is out of a job at NBC. What is going on? What is going to happen?moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Tina Fey	Liz Lemon
Katrina Bowden	Cerie Xerox
Alec Baldwin	Jack Donaghy
Tracy Morgan	Tracy Jordan
Scott Adsit	Pete Hornberger
Judah Friedlander	Frank Rossitano

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Brian Stack	Howard Jorgenson	Guest Star
Tom Toner	Stan	Guest Star
Will Arnett	Devin Banks	Recurring Role
Rip Torn	Don Geiss	Recurring Role
Chris Parnell	Dr. Leo Spaceman	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Frank's trucker hats read "Trap Do r" and "Rescue Team".
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QUOTES (7)
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- Devin: (to Jack) There is no meeting today. See, I convinced the board to have an emergency meeting last night. I tried to call you, but not on a phone, so you may not have heard me.
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- Liz: Hey, nerds! Guess who has two thumbs, speaks limited French, and hasn't cried once today. (points to herself with both thumbs) This moi!
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- Tracy: My genius has come alive! Like toys when your back is turned!
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- Tracy: I was destined to create a video game were players get weird with each other for golden points. My genius will not be denied. I'm like Mozart, and you're like that guy who was always jealous of Mozart.
  Frank: Salieri?
  Tracy: No, thank you. Already ate.
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- Liz: I'm feeling pretty drunk.
  Jack: Well, it's 'business drunk'. It's like 'rich drunk'—either way it's legal to drive.
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- Liz: (to the TGS crew, after being offered Jack's Job) Suck it, monkeys! I'm going corporate!
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- (after Tracy creates a successful concept for a pornographic video game, Frank rips up everything in his office in rage)
  Frank: AAAH!! WHY!! I dedicate my whole life to porn and he does it in one day! One day!! AAAH!!
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NOTES (4)
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- The German episode title is "Karriereaussichten", meaning "Career Prospects". The French title is "Succession", the Italian title is "La successione", and the Spanich title is "Sucesión".
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- International Airdates: Czech Republic: April 13, 2010 on Prima COOL
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- Music: "Lacrimosa", the last movement of the Requiem by Mozart
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- Though credited, Jane Krakowski, Keith Powell, and Lonny Ross don't appear in this episode.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Tracy's storyline is a parody of the 1984 film, Amadeus, which chronicled the relationship between Mozart and Salieri. Tracy represents Mozart's prodigal character, while Frank represents Salieri's jealous character.
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- The last five minutes are a play on the Stanley Kubrick movie, Eyes Wide Shut.
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