We were served a double-helping of 30 Rock last night, with a Kenneth-centric chaser following up the second half of last week's "cliffhanger"—not that there were too many dangling threads, though we did finally learn how Pete wound up in the incredibly compromising position that kicked off the two-parter. The good news is that Pete is neither dead nor a breath-control enthusiast, and Liz finally came to her senses and ran back into the arms of her cute, sausage-merchant boyfriend (James Marsden). The second episode, "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell," kicked off with a movie trailer that parodied those holiday-titled romantic comedies starring everyone in existence. (In this case, Martin Luther King Day's cast includes Abu Ghraib prisoner abuser Lynndie England, Inflatable Tube Man, and the 1995 Quebec Nordics.) If you missed it, here it is:
The movie also stars Jenna, which set the plot in motion: Jenna had gone above Liz's head to secure promotion for the movie on TGS, sending Liz storming into Jack's office. He informed her that the America's Kidz Got Singing judge had not only become a huge star whose demands must be met, but that he'd also eliminated the page program as a cost-cutting measure. Both plots—Liz and Jenna's rift and the computer that replaced Kenneth—were strong, but once again, Tracy's material was sub-par. He was left with a meager C-plot in which the "man who has everything" suffered an existential crisis.
Then there was the question of what happened to Liz's boyfriend, whose disappearance seemed strangely timed to coincide with her hunt for a new best friend. But it was a funny sequence that first saw Liz trying to cozy up to an obnoxious quartet of Sex and the City rejects, then eventually finding her doppelganger inside a Barnes & Noble bathroom—a natural Liz Lemon habitat. There were also quite a few great moments involving the NK, or Not Kenneth—a voice-activated computer meant to replace the page program that possessed a Wikipedic knowledge of NBC programming history. ("My Fault: a short-lived NBC game show in which homeless people win money by admitting to crimes they didn't commit.")
BEST LINES:
Jenna: "Did you hear how my fecalist murdered my Kabbalaist?"
Jenna (defending her use of leeches): "Demi Moore does it."
Jack: "I have bad news and I have good news. The bad news is I'm shutting down the page program. The good news is for another group of people."
Kenneth: "I know about another story that turned out to be true. It's about a virgin who gave birth to a man who had some funny ideas. That virgin was my sister, and her son Lyle has a learning disability."
Jenna: "Charlie from 'Charlie Bit My Finger' and Knob Kardashian just texted me. They're my new besties!"
Philly Fanatic: "Please help me! I'm an undersea king. I must prevent my daughter's marriage to the Squid Lord!"
QUESTIONS:
... What do you think of the season so far? Is 30 Rock sustaining its former quality or is the show beginning to strain under its age?
... Have you been disappointed with Tracy's plots?
... What past guest-stars would you like to see back?
Comments (24)
I'm a 30 Rock fan, I really like every episode.
But episode 3 was the first time I really laughed in several episodes.
OH, and more Jon Hamm
Definitely!
I was upset that the episodes really didn't make me laugh and I love 30 Rock. When are they going to acknowledge that Kim Jong Il is dead already and get Avery back? Tracy needs to get more funny, because Denise Richards is NOT! This room is moving?? lame elevator joke.
The show's just as great as it used to be. Tracy may not be getting all the big plots but there are other funny characters on this show as well who deserve more screen time.
can wait for it ....
This was a "meh" episode. The best part was the MLK movie. I miss Community!!!
I've always liked (even loved) this show. It's witty and the humour is right up my alley: dry, subtle and sometimes just plain flagrantly HIL-AR-I-OUS. I will never forget the episode where, while Jenna was performing on stage, the fireworks that were suppose to be part of the show misfire and look like blazing swastikas. I couldn't believe that NBC took that kind of a risk with such an early episode!
But watching this season, I haven't laughed out loud once. Maybe it's because I'm dead inside, jaded by the fact that there doesn't seem to be anything good on TV lately, or 30 Rock is losing its edge. And who knows, it very well might the case; 6 seasons in, any show would have a hard time remaining fresh and relevent.
But I think what bothers me the most, and what has maybe made me so bitter towards the show, is the fact that it replaces an already brilliant and absolutely fresh show: Community. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how NBC wasn't able to broadcast both shows. Community in my mind just has the advantage between both shows. What I'm starting to dislike about 30 Rock I'm realizing is that the characters on the show are only funny because they're annoying. You love to hate them and that's the comedic genius behind it. But It gets tiring so fast. How much more of Tracy's antics and craziness are the writers going to milk for jokes? How much more of Liz's "patheticness" are we going to have to endure? On the other hand, every character on Community is genuinely funny. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: NBC needs to get its head out of its @$$ and continue to support this show.
As for 30 Rock, I'm still going to be watching and hope that somehow the characters become intrinsically funny again.moreless
I was going to give you a thumbs up, until I read that you like Community.
The scene with Tracy listening to his depressed thoughts CD made me giggle.
I'm totally going to make my own depressed thoughts CD now. It's odd how my depression makes me happy. Oh, life.
they need to bring elizabeth banks back!
They've already filmed nine episodes where she's still in North Korea, so it's going to be a while.
The writers need to give Tracy some better things to do... even if it's what he usually does on the show. It's been a weird season so far, but I'm sure things will get better.
no matter how old the show gets and whether there are or aren't any sub-par plot line like Tracy's, this show still never fails to make me LOL. It's extremely smart and witty. Tracy's depressed thoughts CD? hell ya. Mick Foley's cameo was ugly though.
30 ROCK knows comedy! It was, is and will be one of the smartest and most hilarious comedies of TV. For the guest stars question, I would like to see back, Julianne Moore, Jenifer Aniston and Steve Martin!
- I think 30 Rock has simply matured and managed to find its own style. That has both pros and cons. The pros are that it is recognizable and the fans know what they'll get. But the cons are that people might find it boring. They'll say "30 Rock is always the same". But you can't have it both ways. Either every episode goes for something different making the show surprising but erratic, or it sticks to its own style making it unique but slightly safe and predictable. All shows suffer from this when they gain seasons on their backs. Even Community is accused of having become "strained under its age". The show is constantly going for crazy plots, to avoid becoming predictable. But now people feel the craziness is becoming predictable! I belong to the group of people who think the pros of 30 Rock outweigh the cons. The humour is still flowing nicely, and I appreciate that the show is sticking to it's own style. That's what I fell in love with in the very beginning.
- Slightly. But Jenna's plots have compensated for that. She has really had the best lines throughout this season.
- I would rather have them bring in new faces instead of bringing back old ones. But let's say James Franco. He and Kimiko were a perfect couple. And I would like to see more of Katrina Bowden.moreless
- While Episode 1 was the strongest one of the season so far there's no reason why the season can't attain greatness.
- I'm OK with Tracy not having a meaty subplot the episode. You can't expect a Kenneth and Jenna centric episode to have engaging subplots for all. The idiot plot was pretty good and I'm sure he'll get better one's later on.
- I can't wait to see how Elizabeth Banks has married Kim Jong-Un in real life. It's been awhile since Dr. Spaceman showed up. That'll do for starters but Al Gore would also be good.
I loved it when crazy Liz stalked her new best friend by the bathroom.
The sixth season is indeed showing its age and last season was particularly uneven, too. Tracy's existential plot was subpar but his idiots protest in response to his jokes was particularly funny. A good guest star to bring back would be Hank Hooper's granddaughter (Chloe Moretz) so that we can see more of her ongoing rivalry with Jack.
This season (like all others, IMHO) is just hilarious.
Best line: "You don't say cholesterol right." - "CHLORESTEROL?!"
...Oh, and Jenna's leeches... LOL had to pause the show to keep on laughing.
Also agree with others, Tracy is my least favorite character.
Oh, forgot to answer the other two questions.
-Tracy has always been my least favourite parts of the show. But to make comedy apply to everyone there are jokes that'll miss with you. I know people who think that he is the funniest part of the show, so I can forgive his part, but it's not my big thing.
-I would LOVE to see Brad Pitt on the show. Up to this point, the show has gotten just as fantastic guest stars and some of the most popular people in Hollywood, from TV to big movies, and I think he would complete the set. As for returning stars, I always love Chris Parnell and Elizabeth Banks, and Elaine Stritch is fantastic, but I'd love to see Alan Alda some more. Funny man.
Seasons 1-3, fantastic. Season 4, good. Season 5, fantastic. This season, too early to tell.
Given that the first seasons came out so strong, season 4 was a bit of a let down. But any show that in its worst season gives me moments where I actually do laugh out loud in every episode is still way ahead of the curve. As for season 5, I don't know why people get down on it. Robert De Niro saying "these super-intelligent sharks"? Awesome.
Ahem... you meant "Phillie Phanatic"
Also, it's "Quebec Nordiques" not "Nordics." Go watch some sports Seth Abramovitch.
Eh, the show stopped being really great around season 3-4, it's still alright though. And I loved this two parter, if only because this version of Kelsey Grammer is really hilarious. The second episode was alright in my opinion, nothing that really blew me away.
I don't think I've ever really loved a Tracy plot. The only two Tracy-related things I really remember are Tracy's introduction or whatever I should call it, (when he was naked, yelling that he was a Jedi) and his initial meeting with Dr. Spaceman, which is more because of Dr. Spaceman than Tracy himself. I feel every Tracy plot is pretty much the same.
I wouldn't mind seeing more Kelsey Grammer, and I'd always love more walk-and-talk moments from Aaron Sorkin, and maybe more Emma Stone, seeing as she was only in like 3-4 seconds of this episode.moreless