For the record, 30 Rock is my favorite show on TV. Minute for minute and joke for joke it is the sharpest, funniest, and fastest paced sitcom on the air today (although ABC’s Modern Family is very quickly giving Liz Lemon a run for her money). The writers brilliantly blend wildly irreverent humor, hilarious non-sequitors, and even a handful of sweet moments together to give us one of the best character driven comedies of the decade. Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy are reason enough to keep anyone glued to their sets every week, but throw in fantastic supporting players like Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer and you’ve got yourself one of the best sitcom ensembles in recent memory. Liz Lemon grounds the show with all her self-deprecating glory, and it’s her relationship with boss Jack that is the real meat and potatoes of 30 Rock. Morgan’s Tracy, Krakowski’s Jenna, and McBrayer’s Kenneth take the show in all sorts of crazy directions but it's Liz and Jack that always bring us back to center. In just three short seasons, 30 Rock has given us countless quotable lines (I want to go to there!), indelible and iconic characters, and lest we forget 3 consecutive – and much deserved - Best Comedy Series Emmys.
That said, 30 Rock is also uneven and unpredictable at times. The writers constantly tango between crazy funny and just plain crazy and occasionally they take a few too many steps in the wrong direction. Some story lines haven’t worked as well as others and - last season in particular - a cavalcade of guest stars was met with varying success (Steve Martin and Salma Hayek = great; Jennifer Aniston = not so great).
This unevenness was apparent in the season premiere, which to me felt like it never quite got off the ground. The episode - which is a very obvious jab at parent network NBC – involves Jack pressuring the cast of TGS to become more relatable to the average American and he insists Liz secretly search for a new, more mainstream cast member. In lieu of the tough economy, Jack also eliminates overtime pay for Kenneth and the rest of the NBC pages, yet still keeps a huge bonus for himself.
The social commentary is clever, yet the story never quite gains enough momentum to become thoroughly enjoyable. Kenneth, who is best used in small strategic doses, dominates too much of the episode and his interactions with Jack never seem to really work. For me, it just seemed like a hodgepodge of situations that should have been hilarious but never quite got there.
Episode two (“In the Crevasse”), which aired this week, more resembled the 30 Rock we all know and love. Liz is starting to receive backlash from her co-workers for writing a book based on the “Dealbreaker” sketches, and the advice she’s dishing out is ruining relationships left and right. Tracy’s wife ends up kicking him out because of this and he is forced to stay with Liz until they resolve their problems. Meanwhile, Jack must find a way to outsmart arch rival Devin Banks (the HILARIOUS Will Arnett) once again. Jack and Devin steal the show here, and the cut to Devin hanging out with Sasha Obama wins the honor of funniest moment of the night. Liz and Tracy’s co-habitation should have been ripe with all sorts of comedy but it ended up being just so-so. And the porn shoot? I could take it or leave it. All in all “In the Crevasse” was a much better episode than the premiere, but it feels like 30 Rock still needs to find its footing in season four. Let’s hope the third episode’s the charm.
So what’s the verdict? Am I being too tough on 30 Rock or does this season feel a little like some of the air has been let out of our beloved sitcom?
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