(S03E09) "Did you know that Janis Joplin speed walked everywhere and was scared of toilets?" - Frank, editing Joplin's Wikipedia pageOK, so I learned three things from tonight's episode. One, Jack revealed how he left the Bush administration at the end of last season (that gay bomb really did take effect), I never want to see Jenna and Frank make out again, and I'm never going to try any drink with the word "schlong" in it, even if it was inspired by 30 Rock.
I liked this episode, though it's the second week in a row where one of the plots was way too over the top for me. And I'm not even talking about Frank almost tricking Jenna into eating a live cat.
This was another one of those episodes where Liz is out of her element and has to help Jack with his job episodes. I'm not thrilled with episodes that are set away from NBC. I want to see more episodes like we saw the first two seasons, more about TGS and the industry. I like seeing Liz and Jack interact with all the crazies back at the studio, and there wasn't any of that in this episode. So the subplots with Frank/Jenna and the writing staff and Kenneth/Tracy were pretty big, and when that happens it's hit and miss. And that happened tonight too. But it was worth it to see Liz try to come up with a good lie to save Jack. I also liked seeing Tina Fey in a bra.
The plot I wasn't thrilled with was the whole Ken-trying-to-scare-Tracy-into-eating-carrots plot. Sure, a couple of good lines from Dr. Spaceman, but it was way too silly and loud, and what's with the continued use of Halloween imagery and music on this show?
Josh update: still no sign of him.
Some choice quotes:
"Tracy...I don't know how to say this...dee-a-beet-ees?" - Dr. Spaceman
"I suppose, but then you'd have to register it as a motor vehicle." - Dr. Spaceman, about Tracy's plan to get a wheel foot like Rosie on The Jetsons
"You're yelling at me, you're a mess, you're Joplin' down tequila...it's working for me." - Frank, to Jenna
"I'm lovin' it!" - Jack, trying to psych himself up
"There's no link between diabetes and diet. That's a white myth, Ken, like Larry Bird, or Colorado." - Tracy
"N-O-E. No. E!" - Tracy
"Sorry, I dropped it when I was pretending it was my penis. Ro-bot pe-nis." - Liz, about the Lego train
"I'm the one who had to take the Silkwood shower this morning. You're the one who's cool should be!" - Jenna
"I give you business suggestions and you give me the second half of a Judy Blume novel." - Jack
"Like a waitress!" - Jack, telling Liz how to open the door with dishes in her hand
"Now Dog The Bounty Hunter is the second grossest guy I've been with." - Jenna
30 Rock' Show & Cast Photos
Actress Tina Fey arrives at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Dan MacMedan/WireImage.com
Actor Alec Baldwin attends HBO
FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic.com
Actors Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski attend HBO
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com
Actors Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski attend HBO
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com
Actresses Tina Fey(L) and Amy Poehler attend the Governors Ball for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
Writer-actress Tina Fey leaves HBO
Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com
Actress Tina Fey and TV Host Stephen Colbert attend the Governors Ball for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
Actor Alec Baldwin attends the Governors Ball for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
Actress Tina Fey arrives at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards Governor
Jason Merritt/FilmMagic.com
Actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler arrives at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards Governor
Jason Merritt/FilmMagic.com
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2009 @ 11:52PM
stg said...
i thought it was weird that Tracy said Dr. Space-man instead of the correct Spa-che-man.
So, the old dude Jenna banged a long time ago is not in the top 2 ?
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 12:28AM
Mikey H said...
The Tracy calling him space-man is an on-going gag, that started in one of the first episodes
1-23-2009 @ 12:39AM
Zachary said...
Was this episode directed by a Steve Buscemi or the Steve Buscemi?
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 10:19AM
robert said...
Steve Buscemi has directed episodes of several different shows like The Sopranos and Oz so it's a pretty good chance it was The Buscemi and not just A Buscemi.
1-23-2009 @ 1:58PM
Chip Douglas said...
Steve Buchemi was also in the episode where he is investigating Jack before he is considered for CEO. Buchemi uncovers that he is in to antique cookie jars under an alias and Jack has to destroy his collection.
1-23-2009 @ 1:30AM
Amy said...
I agree I thought the Tracy/Kenneth/diabetes was the weakest plot. Though I don't think it was way over the top. Tracy wasn't buying any of Kenneth's tricks. It was like Kenneth was trying to treat Tracy like a child and he wasn't buying it.
And yes Dr. Spaceman helped here. "I don't know how to say this..."
Also it's about time Jane Krakowski got an emmy.
More quotes at http://pregnantcornbread.com
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 2:13AM
Diego M said...
I agree, the dee-a-beee-tees, i don't know how to spell it... plot was weak. i usually enjoy Ken's ol' folk stupidity but this time it was weak i expected more out of there. of course liz dancing in her bra helped a lil bit, MILF...
anyways, favorite line of the night when jack had his speech
"come on jack, is it in you, i'm lovin it"
or Liz's pep speech
"come on you bitch"
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 2:38AM
rkolsen said...
As for the Josh update - he was on the television screen vanity card in Tracy's dressing room.
I also enjoyed seeing Tina in a bra as well.
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 4:27AM
Jitaroo said...
I think alot of people's fantasies are coming true thanks to that.
1-23-2009 @ 4:51AM
Crystal said...
So apparently WIKI moderators have locked the Janis Joplin page for edits for one week due to excessive vandalism. They cited that it's because of the reference made on 30 Rock last night. LOL
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 7:39AM
Cheng-Jih Chen said...
The guys at Wikipedia put in the undos and lock about 1 minute after "30 Rock" edits started to appear on the Joplin page. It was awesome how quickly people started to put in stuff about speedwalking and toilets, and it was awesome how quickly Wikipedia's editors undid the changes.
1-23-2009 @ 5:54AM
DONB said...
"Tracy...I don't know how to say this...dee-a-beet-ees?" - Dr. Spaceman.....lol...this show is ridiculous...
LOL...Diabetes is a white myth..lol...OMG....Diabetes is cause by sleeping on your back....haha
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 8:50AM
const said...
tina fey in a bra is not a turn-on.
As for taking the show away from its NBC element, well it was knee-deep in its GE element. As a GE alum, it was dead-on about what these retreats are like. Croton-on-the-hudson is the main retreat for GE indoctrination. They nail all the inside-GE stuff very well. I am surprised GE let's them get away with as much as they do.
Reply
1-24-2009 @ 7:36AM
Jimmy said...
"tina fey in a bra is not a turn-on."
Yeah, right ... good one!
1-23-2009 @ 12:36PM
JayC said...
don't forget Kenneth and his "Hellwitch"
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 1:37PM
sww said...
Again, another episode that was just "meh" for me. I don't want to be too hard on the series, because it's still better than so much of what's on TV, but the storylines tonight were just too frenetic. Because of that, each seemed shortchanged.
Where's the inspired, controlled, everyone's-involved storytelling like Season Two's "Cougars" or "Someone To Love" or "Succession?" I hope that 30 Rock gets its story-mojo back soon!
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 4:16PM
Kat said...
I don't know, I kind of liked the Kenneth/Tracy subplot. The funniest moment for me was when Jenna ran into the room and scared the both of them and they started crying and eating the vegetables...
Reply
1-24-2009 @ 3:39PM
RG said...
Did anyone else catch the Glengarry Glen Ross dig at Alec Baldwin -- "Always Be Talking!"
Reply
1-25-2009 @ 3:37PM
Pete said...
I caught the Glenngarry reference, too.
As much as I dig Tina, she needs to learn a new dance.
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 7:58AM
lazyPM said...
Now, I have a question.
What means the word “N.O.E” ?
I can’t understand how can you guys laughs at this scene.
Before laugh at me, PLZ let me know.
Thanks to my sucking English skill, I can’t laugh the scene
Tracy says “ Like larry bird or Colorado”.
What is the man doing? What happens in Colorado?
Reply