30 Rock: Believe in the Stars (But feel free to be skeptical about this season so far)
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- November
- 12
I might be the biggest booster of 30 Rock out there. I was blogging about it from episode one and have seldom had a negative word to say. Follow any of my rantings on other shows, and you’ll see that’s not a given. I was supporting this show when no one was watching, and I’ll keep supporting it if anyone ever does. (That’s a little ratings humor there.)
With all that said, though, I’ve been underwhelmed by the first two episodes.
I’m just not feeling it. What used to be an intriguing and impressive lineup of guest stars has morphed into stunt casting, pure and simple. From guests who used to make every episode they appeared in better—from Will Arnett and Chris Parnell to James Carville, Buck Henry and Andy Richter—the show has developed a troubling trend of seemingly booking guests for guests’ sake. They make little impact—Megan Mullally—or take the viewer out of the show—Oprah Winfrey.
Worst of all, the last two weeks it’s felt like Tina Fey has become the least inspired guest star of all. Her Palin-ride to the celebrity stratosphere has stifled the Liz Lemon of old, for me, and that is an egregious turn of events. It was the flawed appeal of Liz that gave the show its human appeal even as Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin established its comic cred as the funniest show on TV.
The funny is still there, thankfully. I’m not taking anything away from that. And maybe it’s just me seeing Fey more than her character the way you see spots after staring at the sun too long. The spectacle of her comic political campaign may take some time to fade. But while Rock supporters hoped it would help the show, I can’t help but feel it’s detracting a bit.
Anyway, here’s the summary for tomorrow night’s “The One With the Cast of Night Court”…
Free-spirited, “Fatal Attraction”-like stalker Claire Harper (Jennifer Aniston) randomly shows up in New York to visit Liz and Jenna. Claire zeroes in on Jack upon first sight and claims him for her own. Kenneth, distressed and let down over the new page uniforms, turns to Tracy for some cheering up. To make Kenneth smile again, Tracy has a surprise involving the cast of “Night Court.”
So we get a Friend as well as Night Court regulars Harry Anderson, Charlie Robinson and Markie Post? Sweet. I loved that show. Was John Larroquette really too busy? Whatever, now those are what I call guest stars.
There’s been some speculation that Aniston could become a regular (also see here ). I’ll withhold judgment on that idea until after the episode, but let’s just say I’m not optimistic.
By the way, Ben Silverman is steadfastly determined to make 30 Rock NBC’s most popular show.
OK, so I leveled my criticism at the show so far this season. Here, in lieu of an overdue recap of “Believe in the Stars” is my rambling recap of what made me laugh the most:
- The side effects to Jack’s flight medication: May cause dizzyness, sexual nightmares and sleep crime. It’s very good.
- Tracy’s been arrested in three different Chuck E. Cheeses.
- He watched Boston Legal nine times before I realized it wasn’t the new Star Trek.
- Adrian Brody kissing Halle Berry at the Oscars was apparently sexist and racist.
- Jazz, Will Smith and heart disease were all stolen from African Americans.
- Not only did NBC fake Olympic tetherball, but beer pong, jazzercize and women’s soccer are all in question.
- If not for Jenna’s people, Tracy would still be in beautiful, stable Africa.
- “I don’t really think it’s fair for me to be on a jury because I can read thoughts,” Princess Leia told the court.
- “One time at summer camp I kissed a girl on a dare,” Liz tells Oprah, “but then she drowned.”
- Tracy as a white woman: frightening.
- Kenneth doesn’t believe in hypotheticals. It’s like lying to your brain. Also, there are 10 commandments?
- Oprah plays Dr. Phil: Wearing youself thin is bad for your bowel movements personal life.
- Jenna as a black man looks like a cross between Tommy Howell in Soul Man and Toofer.
- Kenneth is technically a inner city Latina, socioeconomically speaking.
- So it wasn’t really Oprah but a spunky little t’ween named Pam. That’s OK. Jonathan wasn’t M. Night Shyamalan, either.
- …and last but not least, this exchange:
Jack: “Good job Lemon.”Liz: “Good job Pam, really.”
Jack: “Be a white man. Take credit.”
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 1:23 pm by Brian Howard.
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