Review: '30 Rock' - '!Que Sorpresa!': Standing in the white shadows of Kabletown
Jack gets a new boss in an uneven but funny-enough episode
Ken Howard stopped by "30 Rock" as the head of Kabletown
A quick review of last night's "30 Rock" coming up just as soon as we go to Branson to take in a Yakov Smirnoff show...
I talk sometimes in these reviews about how "30 Rock" (which for the most part doesn't ask you take its characters seriously and will sacrifice any piece of characterization for the sake of a joke) can at times be at a disadvantage to shows like "The Office" (which want you to care about these people at the same time that you're laughing). On the other hand, "30 Rock" has an advantage over those shows, as well: because it's so single-minded in its pursuit of gags, odds are that even a sub-part episode will included at least 2 or 3 big laughs, whereas an episode of "The Office" that isn't funny isn't funny all the way through, and then affection for the characters can only take you so far. (Case in point: last night's show.)
And yet... I had to go back and rewatch the hilarious "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" voice-activated remote joke three times before I could continue on, I loved Liz's explanation of why she couldn't be pregnant ("Because I have had my period for the last 61 days") as well as the name Rufus T. Barleysheath, and I did, again, quite enjoy Ken Howard. Hell, I even laughed at the discussion of Frank's "armpit thing" and "thigh thing."
Not a great episode by any means, but a reminder of the value of the jokes-jokes-jokes approach.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupAlex
February 4, 2011 at 11:11AM EST Reply to CommentAlan,
Your reviews of TV shows always are written as though you know what the writers are thinking. You praise the VERY average Parks and Rec, yet talk about how 30 Rock wasn't your favorite. It's the only show you EVER say you genuinely laugh at. This season of 30 Rock has been as good, if not better, than any other show on TV, yet all you do is nitpick. I guess they set the bar so high that you have to just swat at it to keep a job. Speaking of, didn't you used to work for an actual newspaper? What happened to that?
sepinwall Hi, Alex. Thanks for the thoughtful and friendly commentary. Much appreciated.
February 4, 2011 at 11:14AM ESTTo answer your questions: 1)I laughed more at last night's Parks and Rec and Community than I did at last night's 30 Rock. 2)The actual newspaper is still there, and many of my stories still appear there. I just took a different job. That's allowed on occasion in this country.
sepinwall Also, thanks for using the "all you do is nitpick" argument. It's been too long. I've missed it.
February 4, 2011 at 11:15AM ESTOtto Man What's MORE annoying? Alex's inability to UNDERSTAND what a critic does, or Alex's inability to CONTROL his use of CAPITAL LETTERS?
February 4, 2011 at 11:27AM ESTTA I'll take an average Parks & Rec over an above average 30 Rock every day of the week.
February 4, 2011 at 11:31AM ESTBlake Alex is a jerk.
February 4, 2011 at 11:53AM ESTThat said, I don't understand what you see in Parks and Recreation.
February 4, 2011 at 12:00PM ESTAmazingly enough, intelligent critisism (Alan's wheelhouse) is not an apples to apples comparison. Each show has different things they do well, a different mood they try to achieve, a different gag/heart/non-sequiter ratio and the key is to critique them not only objectively from show to show(i.e. - Community if funny/Bleep My Dad Says stinks) but also to critique each show in comparison to its goals and prior efforts (i.e. - this episode of 30 Rock, while not as funny as 'Reaganing' still did XYZ right, but misstepped on ABC) AND how each individual show compares in relation to their sweet spot (i.e. - this episode of Community was a very strong one for it's show, whereas this episode of 30 Rock wasn't, even though the chuckle ratio may have been close).
chuchundra I would also like to add that Alan is ugly and his mother dresses him funny.
February 4, 2011 at 12:11PM ESTNicole Yeah Alan, how dare you not share my exact same opinions on TV shows! If I like a show- you better like every single second of the show! If not, you must be bad at your job.
February 5, 2011 at 12:03AM ESTAdam B.
February 4, 2011 at 11:15AM EST Reply to Comment"By the law of verbal traps, you have to do it."
Yes I liked this episode, even though (as Alan corrected me on Twitter) it technically does not expand the Tommy Westphall Multiverse as I had initially thought.
OrphanFunkhauser
February 4, 2011 at 11:30AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...
OrphanFunkhauser
February 4, 2011 at 11:33AM EST Reply to CommentI loved the Kardashian joke. It was not only funny, but a perfect payoff to the voice-activated television idea. However, I found much of the episode lacking. Over the last couple of years, I've began to tire of 30 Rock a little bit. I think it's becoming more and more absurd and I rarely enjoy Jenna/Tracey sub-plots. I used to think it was brilliant, so it's sad to see my enjoyment dwindle.
Michael
February 4, 2011 at 11:35AM EST Reply to CommentNo Love for Tina Fay going for broke on the preggers photos? I had to rewatch the oiling up portion 5 times. That woman was on fire last night.
confused
February 4, 2011 at 11:42AM EST Reply to CommentWhat was the Kardashian joke? Is that a reference I don't get because I don't watch that show? Or was Jack actually watching an episode of the Kardashians? Because that's not what I saw... when they showed the remote gag here- I'm watching from Chicago- it was an episode of Law & Order SVU that kept activating the remote.
sepinwall At the end of the scene, when the meeting has gone badly, Jack says "Crap," and the TV immediately switches to the Kardashians.
February 4, 2011 at 11:55AM ESTCraig Ugh, I thought that joke was lazy. The gag that kept me going for the entire episode, even though I also thought it was generally not that funny, was the thing about where Tracy thinks dinosaurs come from.
February 4, 2011 at 12:33PM ESTOtto Man Lazy? I thought that joke was brilliant.
February 4, 2011 at 12:59PM ESTChrissy I thought the joke was a little weird, because the first part of the joke (the TV taking commands from the characters on the TV) was just based on the machine not being able to distinguish who was talking (my dad and his best friend have had very long, very not-interesting-to-me conversations about whether or not the thing the people on Star Trek talk into should have this same problem). But then the second part of the joke (The Kardashians = Crap) was based on the machine having opinions. There's no real through line there.
February 4, 2011 at 4:39PM ESTBut then I just relaxed and laughed, cause the Kardashians are taking over the world and if we don't laugh, we'll cry.
chuchundra I thought it was lazy, but it made me laugh like crazy. Maybe it's the Alec Baldwin factor.
February 4, 2011 at 4:41PM ESTCrusader79 I laughed out loud at the Kardashians. But I think they could have gotten a lot more out of that gag, by showing the TV in the background, jumping from program to program as they talked.
February 5, 2011 at 2:43AM ESTmack
February 4, 2011 at 11:48AM EST Reply to Comment" will sacrifice any piece of characterization for the sake of a joke"
I don't really get this. Aren't 30 Rock jokes heavily based on characterization? Kenneth - elderly, Lutz - Loser, Jack - GE man etc.
I know this show can never impress as much as the infallible Parks and Rec here but for me, it was the first time in a long time that I enjoyed Kenneth. Jack's troubles under new management is possibly one of the strongest plots the show has done this season; the writers have gone to the complete extreme of GE's managerial style with success. And pairing Jack off with Kenneth has brought back that character's relevance. I wonder if they are brave enough to truly pull off the 'dead by his hand (in 5 years)' continuity.
Plus the Jack & Liz relationship took another step forward with the pretend pregnancy. And I am not sure if there can be a bigger payoff than Tina Fey mocking famous poses in a pregnancy photoshoot in nothing more than a bra and pants.
It just seems odd that of all episodes, this one gets criticized as employing a 'joke-joke-joke' approach when the writers are clearly steadily moving the characters forward in the main arcs that they have set up this season ie the Kabletown takeover & daddy!Jack & how it affects Liz.
pamelajaye having lived in Boston in the 80s thru whenever, hearing "Jack & Liz" takes me to an entirely different place whenever I hear it.
February 4, 2011 at 11:13PM ESThttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP4g2OXN8pE
velocityknown
February 4, 2011 at 11:54AM EST Reply to CommentDoes anyone else enjoy Brian Williams' appearances on the show as much as I do?
"...And then I take off my mask and I'm a Lizard too, episode cuts to black."
cgeye Now you see, *he* could fix V -- what? nevermind....
February 4, 2011 at 3:38PM ESTChrissy "Break a story, Williams!"
February 4, 2011 at 4:41PM ESTNo, you are not alone.
Ed G.
February 4, 2011 at 12:07PM EST Reply to Comment10 second hugs? Ewwwwwwwwwww!
ChicagoGator
February 4, 2011 at 12:22PM EST Reply to CommentDid anyone recognize whether the the SVU scene was an actual scene from an episode, or a piece they shot just for the show? I ask because if it's the latter, this would be the ninth different television series in which Belzer has played John Munch.
dave Given that Ice-T and Belzer got guest star credits in the end credits, I think it was new footage. I'm sure there is precedent to prove me wrong but I think most archival footage use doesn't credit the actors. Go Belzer!
February 4, 2011 at 1:00PM ESThmm2 It looked like a previous episode, but with new dialogue recorded over.
February 7, 2011 at 4:47AM ESTJ
February 4, 2011 at 12:50PM EST Reply to CommentSome good lines ("the patio is still full of hooker bones...") and all, but this was flat in weird ways. It's the first time I thought Alec Baldwin was bad in an episode. Tracy/Jenna was awful, whoever decided that Lutz needed more airtime should be canned, Kenneth had some good lines ("Isn't that Easter?") but has become more creepy than earnest and innocent.
As much fun as Howard was having, I spent every one of his scenes wondering if he wasn't Matt Millen.
The Liz story should have worked so much better, but they wasted time worrying about stuff like announcing her pregnancy to her co-workers and abusing the subsequent emotional gains than pursuing some farcical escalation between her and Chao (whose ethnicity was a good idea, the only laugh was the bloodhound joke). I didn't think the photo shoot was funny at all; Fey has never been a good physical comedian -- she's failed at that part of the show since the pilot -- and she's so considered a certain kind of sex symbol that a shirt-off montage felt like the wrong kind of desperation. Compared with Jenna's Maxim photo shoot in the classic "Hardball," totally lacking.
cgeye If Liz wants a baby (note Kenneth's mention of the mailbox stuffed with adoption literature), why would she freak about being thought of as pregnant?
February 4, 2011 at 3:41PM ESTAnd if Jack needs her to pretend, why didn't she extract the tribute required through her leverage -- you know, the issue he harped on all episode, because Kenneth didn't take it? Points to ponder....
ed w
February 4, 2011 at 1:23PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode had a few good moments but mostly felt slapped together and fell flat a lot.
You can usually tell right off when its not going to be a good episode, Tina's body language gets all loose like she thinks she's hilarious and in high school. Her character works best when she's the resident adult.
I agree with Alan that Ken Howard acquitted himself well.
Charles
February 4, 2011 at 2:29PM EST Reply to CommentTina Fey doing a sexy photo session in her underwear!
Oh, be still my pounding heart...
fritanga
February 4, 2011 at 2:32PM EST Reply to Comment"The Seahorses of Warwickshire Abbey?" Jack having Michael Kors make wizard clothes fashionable to hide Avery's pregnancy? Liz having her period for 61 days? I think you have to be a woman to really appreciate 30 Rock, just as you must be a marginalized geek to adore Community and a very white person to think Parks and Recreation is hilarious.
FoundNemo Wow--now I know why I love all these shows! Super white, check, geek, check, chick, check. :D
February 5, 2011 at 4:55AM ESTAngie Yeah, I'm a black chick from Detroit with lots of friends and I both adore Community and think Parks and Rec is hilarious. But hey I also liked most of the things on Stuff White People Like in it's heyday, so I guess I'm an anomaly.
February 7, 2011 at 7:33PM ESTDerrick No, Angie, you're not an anomaly. I'm a huge fan of both "Parks and Rec" and "Community." And last time I checked, I'm far from a marginalized geek and I'm still Black. Funny is funny.
February 9, 2011 at 12:26AM EST
February 4, 2011 at 4:59PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode was very good with one liners, but there were not any jokes that were caused by the situation. The ones you mentioned as well as a few mentioned already in the comments (I personally liked the "actors deserve gifts, because without actors who would give awards to actors" joke) made the show very watchable, but it was far from good.
February 4, 2011 at 5:35PM EST Reply to CommentI'm pretty sure Carmen was assigned to cover hurricanes because Jack knows he has enough pull in the new company. He mentioned earlier in the ep that he couldn't just send her away because Avery was up for the job at NBC news and there couldn't be any clue that he was doing her any favors. Once she got the nbc job, Jack sent Carmen away for Avery's sake.
alynch
February 4, 2011 at 6:30PM EST Reply to CommentBelzer's appearance creates an interesting distinction. Since he was appearing as Munch in footage shot specifically for 30 Rock, it does expand his record. He has now played Munch on nine different TV shows. But since he was also appearing as a fictional character within the 30 Rock world, the Tommy Westphal universe remains unaffected.
pamelajaye
February 4, 2011 at 10:59PM EST Reply to CommentCrap!
Made me wish Baylink would answer the phone. (My roommate doesn't quite think these things are funny (couldn't get him past "mute"))
February 4, 2011 at 11:26PM EST Reply to CommentNot to get political, but those who think Sarah Palin is hot might wanna take a look at her doppelganger in this episode.
Tonight, Tina Fey was not... what Tracey Morgan said.
Queue
February 7, 2011 at 11:32AM EST Reply to CommentI loved the crap/Kardashians joke; the only way it could have been funnier would have involved jumps to the other horrid Kardashian show titles while Jack kept muttering "crap". And even though they would probably face legal constraints, any cut to either Khloe or Scott Disick while using thatword would be both hilarious and justified. Elsewhere, I like that they've dropped any notion that Liz and Avery should be enemies; Vanessa Minnillo was OK for a one-shot deal and hopefully she won't return because she's not a good enough comic actress to fit into a show this good; and who would have thought Brian Williams could be this consistently funny--although his awesome part in that Judd Apatow video for Jewish World Services should have made it clear "B Dubs" has the comic gift.
February 8, 2011 at 11:38AM EST Reply to CommentJust watched this one. Liz Lemon's baby photos were terrifying.
Brad
February 10, 2011 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentGreat Jack lines:
"Carmen's very sneaky and that's not racist because I don't know what she is."
"I'm Jack Donaghy. Don Geiss gave me this watch for firing a guy on his death bed."