“I’m fighting a losing battle.” – Liz Lemon
The first few episodes of 30 Rock Season 6 saw Liz (Tina Fey) and Jack (Alec Baldwin) struggling with the same dynamic that they’ve established over the past five seasons. Liz&’s new boyfriend Criss (James Marsden) is everything Jack has conditioned her to avoid – right down to his name – and so she’s trying to keep them apart.
Jack has intervened, however, and given him a cheque to jumpstart his hotdog truck, prompting a confrontation between the three of them, plus the Jack and warrior princess Liz that exist in Liz’s mind.
Tracy Jordan, much like his real-world counterpart Tracy Morgan, is once again under fire for some unsavory remarks about the homosexual community. When Liz tries to play it off like an “idiot’s” move, Tracy forms his own movement of self-proclaimed morons, and with the help of Denise Richards, lashes back against Liz and NBC.
30 Rock is never short of guest stars – either willing to make fun of themselves with highly exaggerated personas, or playing memorable recurring roles. Will Arnett, reprising his role as Jack’s gay, cold-pizza-loving nemesis Devon Banks, is leading the gay-rights community stirred up by Tracy, using it as leverage over Jack in order to further his kids’ education.
Kelsey Grammer, too, continues 30 Rock’s ability to utilize guest-stars properly, by playing himself trying to be James Bond trying to be Austin Powers. Jenna and the mysteriously ageless Kenneth called in Kelsey for his cleaner-style abilities in erasing all evidence of them breaking into the storeroom and breaking the fluorescent light bulbs which caused Pete to pass out.
Somehow, all the mayhem gets resolved mostly thanks to Liz. Her ability to see parts of what’s going on – a gift amidst so much obliviousness that surrounds her – sets off a chain of resolutions after choosing to get back together with Criss against Jack’s advice. Jack is too busy to notice, however, as he is able to put the reins back on Devon by flaunting his daughter’s supremacy over the Banks babies.
Some stats and info about 30 Rock, “Idiots Are People Three”
TV SHOW – 30 Rock
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 6, Episode 3
AIRED ON – January 26, 2012
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
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.