'30 Rock' - 'Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish': I am a protein
A flawed but funny episode
Will Forte returned to "30 Rock" as Jenna's boyfriend Paul.
A quick review of tonight's "30 Rock" coming up just as soon as I share a problem with the mute elevator operator at my men's club...
"Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish" was an episode filled with things I don't usually enjoy about "30 Rock" these days - Liz freaking out about a relationship for no particular reason, Kenneth stories from home (and a lot of Kenneth, period), Tracy's ridiculous "son" Donald, etc. - and yet one where I kept laughing in spite of that.
Every time Donald was about to reveal his latest idiot business idea with a name stolen from a huge conglomerate, I prepared to groan, and every single time, I laughed. I laughed at Kenneth's story about eating his daddy-pig. (Though much of that, even more than the Donald stuff, was funny because of Jack's reaction; as with Donald Glover on "Community," Alec Baldwin crying is never not funny.) Hell, I even laughed once or twice at the Jenna subplot (the homeless guy's "Get a room!... Whatever that is!"), and I've generally found her relationship with Paul to be a weird, not very funny digression.
And yet the weird thing is that with both that story and particularly with Tracy/Donald/Jack, it felt like there was some real emotion in the closing scenes. Not real "Community" or "Parks and Rec" or "Office"-level emotion, because "30 Rock" operates on a different plane of reality from those shows (yes, even "Community"), but I did actually feel for Jack as he recited his "I am a protein" speech, and I did briefly feel sorry for Jenna that she wasn't able to overcome her hang-ups and keep her perfect man in her life.
And no, I did not enjoy this one simply because Liz made a reference to dating the main character from "Just One of the Guys." But that certainly didn't hurt.
What did everybody else think?
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December 3, 2010 at 12:48AM EST Reply to CommentAlec Baldwin really saved the Tracy/Donald/Jack plot. I was surprised by the emotion too but I realise it's because Alec was selling it.
The show needs Jack and Liz to interact more than an exchange of a couple of lines. And Kenneth cannot have more than a couple of minutes per episode. He makes everybody crazy, like Liz. They need to give Tracy more to do.
Also bummed that Jenna and Paul broke up. Their weird relationship was ironically one of the more stable ones of last season.
srpad
December 3, 2010 at 12:51AM EST Reply to CommentThe Just one of the Guys Reference made the half hour worth it.
Daniel
December 3, 2010 at 12:58AM EST Reply to CommentYour review should have come up just as soon as you crushed it in your mind vice.
medrawt
December 3, 2010 at 1:03AM EST Reply to CommentThe moment after Baldwin stage-whispers: "Please let Harold be human," when he winces in the instant before Kenneth reveals he was a pig, destroyed me. Baldwin actually reacts before the line, could have been accidental, but I think it's funnier that he knows what the answer is before he hears it. And I love that in addition to the voice, and the timing, and the facial expressions, Baldwin sometimes deploys these weirdly stagey expressionistic hand gestures, like he's a silent film actor, as when he brings his hand to his mouth in shock that Kenneth ate his fatherpig.
Also, I can't justify why I laugh so much at everything Donald says, but I do.
Jim
December 3, 2010 at 1:16AM EST Reply to CommentIF it weren't for Alec Baldwin, this episode would have been pretty much unwatchable.
Jeff Except by men with curly hair, and people who wear glasses, I'd expect.
December 3, 2010 at 2:53PM ESTAlf
December 3, 2010 at 1:34AM EST Reply to CommentI thought "father pig-ure" would have been funnier.
r1pvanw1nkl3
December 3, 2010 at 2:00AM EST Reply to CommentI actually thought this episode was pretty great. Usually I groan at the Kenneth stuff but the pig story had me rolling.
The only part that didn't deliver on the laughs was the 'Godzila' fight at 'Staples'. I felt like that could have been funny but they didn't load it up with the ridiculousness.
dollarbin I think it's a matter of taste, because I found the Godzilla fight to be pee in the pants funny. I guess I was in the right mood for it, or perhaps I was reliving the Jet Pack Boy vs. Giant Mole fight over Tiny Town in the Arrested Development episode "Mr. F"
December 3, 2010 at 5:55PM ESTlztouchthedream The Godzila fight was definitely the high point for me. From the lackluster narration (Boom, boom, boom!) to the seemingly unwilling monster fighters.
December 4, 2010 at 4:39AM ESTfloretbroccoli
December 3, 2010 at 2:04AM EST Reply to CommentDoes the mind vice ever disarrange the head suit?
mack Probably not. Maybe when it squeezes the mindgrapes.
December 3, 2010 at 9:31AM ESTChrissy
December 3, 2010 at 10:01AM EST Reply to CommentWhat was with all the emo last night? I sit down for my regular Thursday night comedy-fest only to be made to feel feelings? Unaccepable! Even IASIF had Dee bond with the bunny, and The League's soy-boob enhanced emotions was the topper on the big sad cake of gooey feelings. Do these guys all get together and trade notes or something?
30 Rock was the weakest of the night, I thought, but still pleasant enough. I liked the Donald plot better when Tracy was secretly smarter than he appeared (I like most things better when Tracy is secretly smarter than he appears. "I think I voted for Nader! Nader!"), but it still had its moments. I felt true dread when Kenneth was winding up his story about eating father-pig. (The Liz story went too far into creepyville, though).
Crow3711
December 3, 2010 at 10:08AM EST Reply to Comment"I know it means this conversation is disgusting." as Liz walks away laughing with a mouth full of egg. Hilarious
David Thiel
December 3, 2010 at 10:18AM EST Reply to CommentI laughed harder at this episode than at any other this season, and the Jack/Kenneth scene just about killed me. From "Please let Harold be human" to "I ATE MY FATHER-PIG!" (followed by what sounded like a squeal), it was genius mixed with horror and even a bit of poignancy. Plus, it had "I once ate an entire witch, a pig was nothing!"
I'm wondering where the Godzilla and Mecha-Godzilla outfits came from. They were a little too accurate to be knock-offs created by the show, but not so professional to be actual Toho Studios costumes.
OTL
December 3, 2010 at 12:12PM EST Reply to CommentI so very much would like to see an actual kaiju-themed Medieval Times...
Buddy Griffith
December 3, 2010 at 3:48PM EST Reply to CommentI missed the "Just One of The Guys" reference. When did it happen? I'm guessing during one of Liz's therapy sessions with Kenneth?
Scheer_Power
December 3, 2010 at 3:51PM EST Reply to CommentI think I'd rather see "The Falconer" sketch on a 24 hour loop than another episode of Will Forte dressed like Jenna on 30 Rock once
james
December 3, 2010 at 4:23PM EST Reply to CommentWhat was the quote about kids that go to ASU??
David A parent is the one person who is supposed to make their kid think they can do anything. Says they're beautiful even when they're ugly. Thinks they're smart even when they go to Arizona State.
December 3, 2010 at 6:57PM ESTPeter Villa
December 3, 2010 at 5:36PM EST Reply to CommentMark Zuckerberg begs to difer on that men with curly hair aren't good businessmen line...
Found
December 3, 2010 at 8:10PM EST Reply to CommentQuestion: why is the video quality of 30 Rock so much poorer than just about anything else on? It's dark and grainy and a friend of mine in a different state says the same thing, so it's not my local affiliate or cable company. It appears to be shot differently than most other shows.
Anybody know?
Burbank D It's filmed... but so is everything else. Sitcoms (laugh-track ones) are usually videotaped, no?
December 4, 2010 at 9:07PM ESTFarrah
December 3, 2010 at 8:50PM EST Reply to Commentanyone else notice the MILF Island score in the background haha
December 4, 2010 at 12:43AM EST Reply to Comment"Carol and I are legless sea turtles, rotting on the beach." Line of the episode for sure.
steph
December 4, 2010 at 2:37AM EST Reply to CommentDid I miss previously when it was revealed that Carol's last name was Burnett or was last night the first time?
coldpizza
December 4, 2010 at 3:57PM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Is no one going to comment on the fact that in the last scene, the show digitally erased the red from Alec Baldwins eyes? Go ahead and look, I'll wait.
Trevor Wow thank you. I just watched this episode for the first time and immediately began scouring the internet for any commentary on this.
September 26, 2012 at 11:13PM ESTwykstrad
December 4, 2010 at 7:51PM EST Reply to CommentAnyone else notice that Carol's last name is Burnett? Kenneth refers to him as "Captain Burnett" when he's relaying his message to Liz.
LJA
December 5, 2010 at 2:04AM EST Reply to CommentBaldwin KILLED in this episode. This has to be his Emmy submission for this year.
The JCL
December 5, 2010 at 7:10PM EST Reply to CommentIt was solid no complaints, better than a lot of last seasons episodes. Also Tracy's son just kills me with some of his deliveries ("Boom Boom Boom")Also what happened to the 'new' cast member Jack hired from last year are they still working on developing him or was that all there was of the Canadian?
morris
December 5, 2010 at 11:17PM EST Reply to CommentI haven't read what other people have said here, but this is quite honestly hands down the worst episode ever. And I have been a HUGE fan since day one, have all the episodes, host 30 Rock parties and had a whole relationship with someone based on our love for the show (yeah, no, it didn't work). From the intro, I knew this was going to be difficult, and I hope to never watch this episode again. The only part I thought was funny was Jack telling Liz to stop talking because he'd never talked so much to a woman he didn't have sex with. All the rest - blerg.