Courtesy of NBC
Do my eyes and ears deceive me? Is that character growth I see for Kenneth? I never once thought I would need to say this, but thank the good Lord for Suze Orman!
Let’s announce the winners of this week’s 30 Rock-Does-Things Awards…
Most Welcome Change that Makes Kenneth Actually Seem Human: After learning that his coworkers at TGS literally see him as a trash bin and a broom, Kenneth gets a dose of tough love from Suze Orman and quits the page program for a better job at NBC. 30 Rock’s writers have finally confronted the issue of Kenneth’s (Jack McBrayer) place on the show, and this development comes not a moment too soon. It’s been a while since the inbred page/cult-member was actually funny (his one-liners haven’t been updated since the show’s first season: oh, jokes about Kenneth’s relatives drinking dog’s milk, how you slay me!). Is it possible that by giving Kenneth a job with even a bit more authority, he might gain some personality and power, thereby making him interesting again?
Cutest and Least P.C. Replacement for Kenneth: Kristen Schaal’s Hazel Wassername. She is only in this episode for a few minutes, but I am already excited to see more of her over the next few episodes. Only Schaal – with her adorable bug eyes and impeccable comedic timing – can get away with giving a side eye to Toofer (Keith Powell) when he asks why his coffee is labeled ‘the black one.’
Most Descriptive Email Handle I Wish I Had Thought Up First: tatertotfreak@hotmail.com
Best ‘Jack-Off’: Jack (Alec Baldwin) squaring off against himself through proxy Liz (Tina Fey) over her contract after Liz watches a video he made on the art of negotiation. Liz and Jack fighting over something happens every day that ends in ‘y’ (or a day in which Liz eats ice cream alone in her office and Jack sits on a power pillow with Jack Welch’s handsome visage). For what seems like the millionth time, Jack learns that his friendship with Liz isn’t a burden but a benefit (seriously, how many more comedic misadventures is it going to take before the Harvard grad remembers this particular lesson?!). But like with most 30 Rock conflict, it’s the details that make it worth watching. Most of the best jokes of the episode were based on how Liz interpreted Jack’s negotiating techniques: she tried to buy time during their fight by pretending to make a phone call to speak to ‘Pizza,’ and picked a chunky orange plastic watch as the one accent for her power suit.
Courtesy of NBC
Most Original Rendition of “Who’s on First?”: At their accountant’s son’s Bar mitzvah, Jenna (Jane Krakowski) and Tracy (Tracy Morgan) transform the subtle wit of “Who’s on First?” into… a piece of work entitled “What’s the Guy’s Name Who Plays First Base?”
Jenna: “Who’s on first?”
Tracy: “Uh-oh, we’re gonna get confused.”
Jenna: “The guy who plays first is who?”
Tracy: “No, thank you!”
Jenna: “I mean the fellow’s name.”
Tracy: “Everybody!”
Jenna: “The guy on first!”
Tracy: “His wife’s name is Don’t!”
Abbott and Costello would be so proud.
All right, Rockers, the time has come to make your once-in-a-lifetime interruptions and sound off below. What did you think of ‘Today You Are a Man’?