Review: '30 Rock' - 'St. Patrick's Day': Duffy man
Dennis and Criss meet, Hazel struggles to manage Tracy and Jenna, and Jack plays a game
James Marsden as Criss and Dean Winters as Dennis on "30 Rock."
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A quick review of last night's "30 Rock" coming up just as soon as my yak has smallpox...
Of the many recurring characters "30 Rock" has introduced over the years, none makes me quite as happy to see as Dennis Duffy. Other characters may be crazier (Dr. Spaceman), or have sillier names (Dr. Spaceman again), but Dennis remains a perfect foil for Liz, because he's ridiculous enough to be funny (his new business involves burning DVDs onto laserdisc) and yet just real enough that you believe that Liz dated him once upon a time, and that she's still capable of being sucked back into his cheeseball life. Dean Winters(*) always embraces the obliviousness — I liked the reveal that the "lez movie" he was so excited to watch was "The Kids Are All Right" — and bringing Dennis in allowed the show to move Liz and Criss' relationship forward. I fear that eventually James Marsden will have to go away in the same way that Jon Hamm, Matt Damon, Jason Sudeikis, etc. have had to in the past (hence Liz never having a relationship last more than 9 months), but Liz's "I love you" in the midst of all the caricatured Irish-American tomfoolery of St. Patrick's Day was a funny, sweet moment. ("Is now the time on St. Patrick's Day when we talk about our feelings?") If you can't say "I love you" while wearing Hulk fists, when can you?
(*) I know Dennis has made a number of appearances on the show since Winters started playing Mayhem in those Allstate ads, but last night felt like the first time where NBC presented more than one of them during an episode where he was a guest star. I like how both Dennis and Mayhem are these malevolent, destructive forces, though Mayhem is much more self-aware.
The other stories were more of a mixed bag. Tracy and Jenna's jealousy of each other has never been among their more entertaining traits. And dressing that old conflict up as an example of Hazel's learning curve just wound up dragging Kenneth back into page business, when I was looking forward to him being done with that.
Jack getting sucked into a role-playing game with the writers at least gave us the homage to the "Game of Thrones" opening credits(**), but felt a little slight overall, rehashing Jack's feelings about Kabletown without doing much new with them. (Unless he decides to start selling glass in the real world, as well.)
(**) Though it wasn't as great as either the recent "Simpsons" main titles or the kids in the cast singing the theme. We may have already reached oversaturation on clockwork riffs.
Still, Liz/Criss/Dennis and all the over-the-top St. Patrick's Day stuff was enough to carry the half-hour.
What did everybody else think?
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March 16, 2012 at 9:48AM EST Reply to CommentMegan!
Conor Ashby
March 16, 2012 at 10:14AM EST Reply to CommentCompletely dull! I watch 30 Rock out of habit rather than appreciation now. I feel that none of the characters are allowed to progress and that they just keep being brought back to the same points. Wish the writers would allow for some character progression as the show seems so stale and repetitive.
Hooper THIS is the episode where you complain about the lack of character progression?? Did you not watch the end where Liz says "I Love You"?
March 16, 2012 at 10:28AM ESTConor Ashby But how long have we taken to get there? This is now Season 6 and she's only now been allowed to say 'I love you'! I'm sure that as Alan says 'James Marsden will have to go away' so that Liz can return to being single and lonely. Which characters have really progressed since season 1? I can't think of any.
March 16, 2012 at 10:46AM ESTTed Schmoesby yeeaaahhh..."character progression" is one reason shows like the office stink after 3 seasons. a much better paced show is one that can allow you to experience multiple seasons of characters at their peak of what makes them funny. what exactly would be so funny about fully developed versions of THESE characters? it's a sitcom...and one that's doing a DARN fine job of aging well in comparison to many others
March 16, 2012 at 12:26PM ESTalbatross Why do characters on a show that amounts to a live-action cartoon have to progress? Funny is all that matters here. I give you the progression of Radar O'Reilly as a cautionary tale.
March 16, 2012 at 12:28PM ESTbeet I admit I find this show dull also. I tune in because I think there is a lot of talent here. But I often find myself wanting it to be over.
March 16, 2012 at 1:24PM EST
March 19, 2012 at 5:47PM ESTJack and Liz are the only characters who we generally see being self-reflective and I believe they are the only ones for whom character progression really matters on the show
Cthulhu
March 16, 2012 at 10:15AM EST Reply to CommentIt was such a half-assed "Game of Thrones" homage that initially I wasn't even certain it was that. Sometimes I wish they would either commit to a gag or drop it entirely.
qrter Was that what that was supposed to be? Completely missed it. Very poor.
March 19, 2012 at 2:08AM ESTDezbot
March 16, 2012 at 10:29AM EST Reply to CommentI was giggling a lot, when I wasn't outright laughing, during this ep. Even Tracy & Jenna's rivalry cracked me up. "Don't you fade out on me!"
Jim I'm scared J-Mohr.
March 18, 2012 at 3:41AM ESTDezbot
March 16, 2012 at 10:30AM EST Reply to CommentI also loved the way Dennis had his legs splayed open with his hand on his junk. Dean Winters is made of win.
Asta77
March 16, 2012 at 10:46AM EST Reply to CommentIf for nothing else, I loved the episode for Liz's "You Solo'd me." Perfect moment for Liz and Criss.
Viewer12345
March 16, 2012 at 11:00AM EST Reply to CommentThat was a Game of Thrones homage? I think you guys are wrong. I'm pretty positive that was a take on the Settlers of Cataan game.
I loved the 'Megan!" part. I was dying. Don't love the storyline with Kenneth though I love Kristen Schaal. Her comedic timing sometimes just puts me in stitches.
sepinwall I'm talking specifically about when we come back from commercial and the camera pans over the map of the game in the style of the GoT opening credits.
March 16, 2012 at 11:10AM ESTgladly I, too, love Kristen Schaal, but I hate how she's being used here. I'm not even sure what exactly doesn't work for me about it; there's definitely comedy in Kenneth seeing someone else do his job. She was so great in Flight of Conchords, there's no reason why I wouldn't like her here.
March 16, 2012 at 1:10PM ESTI did love the rest of the episode, especially the Hulk Hands!
Viewer12345 Oh ok. Thanks for the clarification Alan.
March 16, 2012 at 2:28PM ESTLindsey
March 16, 2012 at 11:02AM EST Reply to CommentIt was not a Game of Thrones homage. It was a Settlers of Catan homage. MUCH geekier and well-played.
DavidW but as Alan mentioned, there was some Game of Thrones thrown in with the view of landscapes of Lamar, I mean, Malar.
March 16, 2012 at 11:04PM ESTI also considered Sue's "And you would presume to wield the scepter of Thalbain?" and the reference to "The Throne of A Thousand Kings" as oblique GoT references.
DavidW Not to mention that Jack's "by the scepter of Thalbain!" was a great twist on Liz's classic "by the hammer of Thor!"
March 16, 2012 at 11:11PM ESTPennywise
March 16, 2012 at 11:05AM EST Reply to CommentAnyone else have an overwhelming desire to watch The Quiet Man now, thanks to the incidental music? Just me?
M.A.Peel YES!! Loved that they repeatedly used the music from the donnybrook.
March 16, 2012 at 1:49PM ESTPeter
March 16, 2012 at 11:32AM EST Reply to CommentHow many holiday-themed episodes can they get away with in one abbreviated season? We are at three and counting even though the season started after Christmas and New Years.
Aside from that, loved the episode, especially the Liz/Criss/Dean/Megan storyline. Bonus points for the cuts of Liz avoiding saying "I love you": "Scooby-doo!"
sepinwall They've all been pretty close to the calendar, though. It's not like they tried to come back with a Labor Day episode in January, then Halloween, etc.
March 16, 2012 at 11:33AM EST
March 16, 2012 at 12:19PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode made me laugh out loud more than any other recent episode and for that it gets a big kudos from me but I really hate how they are presenting Liz Lemon this season. She HAS grown since the pilot but the writers this year still treat her like shes in season 1. From hiding Criss from Jack bc she knows Jack will disapprove to her being the bad guy in this episode, I don't like it. And after all Dennis has put her through she deserves to be mad at him and act the way she did. Dennis is not good news
Ted Schmoesby I think the point of the comedy there is that by the time she finally has grown enough to "stand up" to dennis (aided of course by the strength of her current relationship as opposed to where she is usually single when dennis comes around), it is completely unnecessary and throws a monkeywrench in her current relationship. that's where the COMEDY comes from. sometimes people ask for "fixes" to things you would rather see the characters do because they "like" them, but if they do that, there's NO COMEDY. also, in reality - many, many even highly functional adults carry self-destructive tendencies, character traits or "old habits" they can never quite break or even accept as needing to break
March 16, 2012 at 1:12PM ESTed w I don't think she cared much about what Jack thought in season 1. He was a new guy she barely knew. And I didn't view her as the bad guy in this episode, she was too kind letting Dennis stay for as long as she did. Most people would have thrown him out within seconds.
March 17, 2012 at 2:11PM ESTM.A.Peel
March 16, 2012 at 2:07PM EST Reply to CommentI loved it, all the little details, like having the parade on the monitors.
I don't think they mentioned it, but this year's Grand Marshal is none other than Francis X. Comerford, the Chief Revenue Officer and President of Commercial Operations for the NBC Owned Television Stations.
I loved that Liz was in orange, tip to toe. Not just a simple orange top, but ridiculously orange. It signifies the Orangemen of Ulster, and it's a fighting color.
Chris I thought the Orangemen thing was slightly offensive. I grew up in (Southern) Ireland and sectarian violence wasn't really something to joke about.
March 17, 2012 at 11:09AM EST
March 19, 2012 at 9:34AM ESTVaughn
March 16, 2012 at 2:10PM EST Reply to CommentI MUST have Dennis Duffy's sneakers. Someone PLEASE find them. I beg of you.
Prettok
March 16, 2012 at 2:27PM EST Reply to CommentI'm sure Baldwin's Capitol One ads, Jane's Tropicana ads, and even the Dr. Pepper commercials featuring Dr. Spaceman have all been broadcast during 30 Rock episodes.
Pete and his wife even did commercials in character for some SUV. I think NBC does it deliberately to trick you into stop fast-forwarding your TiVo during the commercials.
J
March 16, 2012 at 7:05PM EST Reply to CommentThe most satisfying line of the ep came from Siri: "I just killed Jenna Elfman, is that right?" I was hoping to see a follow-up in the form of a background news report or, better still, a cameo.
Helene Yes!
March 18, 2012 at 12:44AM ESTdave I wonder if I was the only one who didn't understand why he would order Cerie to kill Jenna at first...
March 19, 2012 at 12:56PM ESTgeoff_rose
March 19, 2012 at 9:32AM EST Reply to Comment"Irish Pride! Go Celtics! Celtics Suck! Go Knicks!"
Dean Winters, ladies and gents :)
Chris
March 19, 2012 at 11:35AM EST Reply to CommentI'm not one of the people who complain about 30 Rock regularly, and as a matter of fact I've enjoyed most of this season's episodes. But this one was their worst in a while, at least in my opinion. The only joke I found clever in the whole half-hour was the "Kids Are All Right" reveal. The "Megan!" bit was stupid but funny as well. Other than that, I wasn't really laughing during this episode. The Jenna vs. Tracy storyline just made me groan, and the Jack/writers storyline was dull and never went anywhere. (Perhaps my perspective would be different if I was a fan of Game of Thrones or a player of that Catan game.)
March 19, 2012 at 5:51PM ESTLJA
March 19, 2012 at 2:00PM EST Reply to CommentNo love for the Bang Brothers joke?
GREAT episode!
seenonflickr
March 20, 2012 at 12:21PM EST Reply to CommentBelatedly, I thought this was the funniest episode of 30 Rock in a while. Dean Winters is cringe-inducingly awesome as Dennis Duffy.
And Jack playing not-Catan was great, too.