(S01E13) Marry. Boff. Kill. Tina Fey. Jane Krakowski. Rachel Dratch. Scratch that. Marry. Boff. Kill. Alec Baldwin. Tracy Morgan. Judah Friedlander. Man, I could play this game all night. Markie Post. Shelly Long. Tina Yothers. I only wish I had the cojones to make that my entire review. Five hundred words - all of them "marry, boff, kill." I'm always looking for an easy, gimmicky way to approach this review because, like I said last week, it's hard to not just recount the funny lines, comment on Alec Baldwin's genius and compare Tina Fey to Mary Tyler Moore. It's never easy to write about something that's just plain solid week-after-week, and well, my job didn't get any easier this week.The episode was crammed with nice moments. An alternative to the Vagina Monologues. Rachel Dratch as, I'm guessing here, an Eastern European prostitute. Isabella Rossellini's Arby's obsession. Tracy and his wife's role-playing. Dr. Laura ("Dr. Pepper") and Charlton Heston (Greek for "to poop on") slams. Kenneth producing Cerie's "panties." And, the sad visual of Pete with the balloons in the revolving door.
I was most impressed by the montage of Jack on the town drinking - with each drink signaling the setting had changed. 30 Rock has carved out a nice little niche for itself with these clever scene transitions. It reminded me of the scene a few weeks ago when Liz had a baby in her hands at the studio, spun around and was suddenly in her apartment. The writers and directors of 30 Rock are great technicians. If you're studying writing or television, in general, the show is a joy to watch. You can almost see the constituent parts clicking into place - the jokes, the sight gags, the building momentum, etc. Textbook - just a really goofy textbook.
It looked like the writers were trying to give Liz and Jenna a little depth this week - giving Liz a potential love interest and letting Jenna get real with Frank. And, by "get real," I mean "farting." The character development moments were all well and good, but Liz's most endearing moment to me was when she took her bra off under her shirt after working all night. Tina Fey always puts these nice gestures in that I feel like most women completely identify with and never see on TV. I'm identifying with her so much right now that I think I'll finish this review up, remove my bra, whip up a martini and finish this thought, "My vagina is like a convenience store..."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-09-2007 @ 4:47AM
Melanie said...
Good God, Jason Sudekis has the kind of Nice Guy Smile that would make me melt into a puddle if I were into that sort of thing. He (like Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig, for those of you up on new SNL cast members) has something incredibly normal about him that I just love. Totally believable. I hope they bring him back. :)
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2-09-2007 @ 9:21AM
whawha said...
...clean, reliable and closed on Christmas day...
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2-09-2007 @ 9:34AM
Christian H. said...
Cool episode! Funny as hell and although nothing really did happen there was some nice little character establishing (on a comedy show keep in mind). I'm starting to like the Cherie-character for more than her good looks, she's a sweetheart. And Kenneth is the funniest minor character I've seen in a long time...
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2-09-2007 @ 9:46AM
meeno said...
Does anyone know why Donaghy's ex-wife keeps calling him Johnny, when his name is Jack?
this show is probably the second funniest show on tv (the office is the first)
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2-09-2007 @ 10:41AM
Adam Cohen said...
Speaking of television comedy, here's a bit about TLC's "Take Home Chef"
http://thejacksack.blogspot.com
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2-09-2007 @ 11:16AM
Borat said...
Some of the lines:
-"This would have worked in Ugly Betty."
-"I have to be at the hotel by 10 dressed as a ninja"
-"I'm sorry I said I'll kill you."
Another hilarious scene was the one where Lemon calls the flower shop and asks them who sent the flowers. "I know who it was, it was your mom. It was your gay whore mom."
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2-09-2007 @ 12:09PM
Michael Canfield said...
Glad you mentioned the transitions in Jack's drinking, that was a very witty touch. Just reading your review I'm chuckling again over so many moments in the episode. The big grins on Kenneth's face when he tries to pass off his tighty whities to the writers as Cherie's panties -- priceless. I'm glad people seem to be noticing and liking this show, it deserves the audience.
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2-09-2007 @ 1:25PM
TomB said...
What a great episode! Lots of laugh out loud moments.
Rachel Dratch plays a great skanky whore. I could almost smell her. When she put the eggroll in her purse and Jack snipped the tongs and smiled at her I just about died. I love that they're using her so often - I miss her on SNL.
I think this was the first fart joke on a sitcom that I actually laughed at (I'm usually above that sort of thing).
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2-09-2007 @ 4:11PM
Angela said...
For #4: Because Jack is a good Irish lad (Donaghy), his Christian given name is probably John or Jonathan, which the Irish people traditionally shorten/nickname to Jack or Jackie.
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2-09-2007 @ 9:32PM
Bill said...
Jason Sudeikis was pretty great in that little part. I almost always hate the romantic parts of comedies, but he was so instantly likable in there, and that scene was just great, so I'm really hoping he comes back.
Those guys don't really know how to play "Boff"/Marry/Kill (the version I've played is a touch more colorful). They were giving ones that were too easy... Liz, Jenna, and Cerie is as obvious as it gets. Post/Long/Youthers is a good one. Is it them now, or in 1985? I guess that doesn't work, cause Tina Youthers was like 12, so she'd default to kill... somehow in my mind that that is slightly less sick than the other options, if that makes any sense. That came out slightly more insane than I intended it.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com
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2-09-2007 @ 11:27PM
TomB said...
Happy Valumtimes!!!
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2-10-2007 @ 4:13AM
tiffany said...
As a female myself, I was wondering why she didn't take the bra off earlier the night before.
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