“Even you can’t pull this off, Jack. Mrs. Doubtfire shimself could not do this.” – Liz to Jack
Contrary to some critics (see From Around the Web below), I found this episode of 30 Rock back to form. I’ll admit it, I’m into the Jack and Nancy Donovan (Julianne Moore) storyline, and have been waiting earnestly for the supah Boston-accent wielding Nancy to get her divorce so that she might make a run at Jack.
And that plays nicely against Jack’s seemingly ideal relationship with Avery (Elizabeth Banks). That relationshipyness (did I just make that up?) plays well against Liz’s (Tina Fey) goofy and awkward excursion into thirty-something singles world (single’s line dancing looks depressing).
I enjoyed the ease with which Jack (Alec Baldwin) and Liz play off each other at this point. Liz walks into Jack’s office, and Jack is splayed on his couch deep in thought. “How’s your episode of Three’s Company going?” Liz asks, both curious to see how Jack is handling juggling two relationships, and jealous of the fact that Jack has serious and multiple prospects. “Like Three’s Company, it’s titillating and anxiety producing,” Jack / Baldwin retorts.
And meanwhile, the rest of the staff “wrestles” with issues of racism. This storyline is a little weaker, but it’s funny when Tracey (Tracey Morgan) explains how racist dolphins speak. Toofer (Keith Powell) quits and then comes back, but I honestly wasn’t that engaged with this part of the proceedings.
If anyone was on the fence on this episode, I’d have to think that Will Ferrell as “Bitch Hunter” would put you on the side of the righteous.
More thoughts on this ep of the 30 Rock:
- “You look like a prison weed dealer.” – Jack to Liz
- “Even you can’t pull this off, Jack. Mrs. Doubtfire shimself could not do this.” – Liz to Jack
- Love that Nancy busts out half-open beers that are left over from the Amtrack ride.
- I like how’s there a youth karate class going on during the single’s event. Also cool to have Fey and Moore in a scene together.
From Around the Web: 30 Rock, “Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter”
- TV Squad: OK, so we’ve established that Jack’s saddled with the high-class problem of choosing between Avery Jessup (a.k.a Derek Jeter, because she called Jack from his posh pad) and Nancy Donovan (a.k.a. Lee Marvin, because she and Jack planned to hang around and watch his movies on TCM). I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I just can’t wrap my head around Julianne Moore as tough-talking Nancy, when everything about her screams Ritz-Carlton. Just sayin’…
- TV with Alan Sepinwall: I don’t want to be the crank making the same complaints about episodes week after week, and it’s entirely possible that if I can step away from having to write about each episode – a process that requires me to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and why – I might start to enjoy “30 Rock” again.
Some stats and info about 30 Rock, “Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter”
TV SHOW – 30 Rock
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 4, Episode 17
AIRED ON – April 22nd, 2010
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – NBC/Peacock
GENRE – Comedy, Office Culture
CREATED BY – Tina Fey
CAST – Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, Chris Parnell