30 Rock Episode Recap: "The One with the Cast of Night Court"
This week on NBC's 30 Rock, Liz's old Friend got very Friendly with Jack, while Kenneth coped with sartorial change by hanging with some (some!) of the cast from Night Court. Read on for the full recap!
Here she is, Ms. Jennifer Aniston, and she's playing an utter nut job from Liz Lemon's younger days. A sexy nut job, but make no mistake, someone who is crazy... like, "grab-a-cop's-gun crazy." (And we even saw proof of that.) I thought "Jen" (as the tabloids affectionately call her) looked sweet, but the role was juuuuust a bit much. Just a hair over-the-top.
So, Liz and Jenna's old pal, Claire, comes for a visit, and inside of 10 seconds she's "getting directions to the F train" from Jack (as they apparently say). Little does Jack know that "taking that ride" (if I may continue the metaphor) is going to cost him — and a lot more than the increased $3 fare they're talking about here in the New York City papers. Yeah, Claire is a staunch advocate for Cocoa Puffs, so much so that she earned the nickname "Crazy Putty" (or words to that effect?) back in the day.
Liz tries to warn Jack, to no avail. He apparently likes the punches to the face as foreplay (interplay?), the being chained to radiators, and the choking. ("Yesss!") Claire's a drug he can't kick. It gets so bad that Liz goes so far as to offer to go clubbing with her hard-partying gal pal — even if it means wearing a hairstyle and heels. Ultimately, Jack "bores" Claire, and in a last bid for naughty excitement, she (you guessed it) grabs a cop's gun and slaps it in Jack's hand. And so ends that whirlwind courtship. At night.
Did someone say Night... Court? Elsewhere in Lizland, Kenneth is very unsettled by the new page uniform, if only because it's not as "timeless, practical and sexy" as his trusty blazer. To make Kenneth feel better, Tracy steps up and does his darndest to fulfill the boy's dream of a Night Court wedding, recruiting some (some!) of the original cast including Harry Anderson and Markie Post. Alas, it turns out that the two principles have some unfinished business (involving no-show John Larroquette), so the big wedding is nearly waylaid. Oh, and we also learn that Jenna dealt Night Court its Jump the Shark moment by playing "werelawyer" Sparky Malone. In the end, Harry and Christine wed — but not before Anderson pitches Liz on the idea of a Heroes addition "whose power is close-up magic." It'd be funnier if you didn't think it might show up in next week's Heroes episode.
At episode's end, I was left scratching my head, and here is why: Didn't we see a while ago paparazzi pics of Tina Fey, Aniston and Jane Krakowski recreating the Friends opening, with Liz as Monica and Jenna as Pheebs, splashing in an open hydrant? Where was that?
The bullets:
- Jenna and her lousy poker face: "Why would I steal a file from personnel?!"
- "[Claire] is like a human Macarena - she's something everybody did at college parties."
- "Mi Au!"
- Jack updating Claire on NYC life: "We're off cupcakes and back to donuts."
- Tracy hearing Kenneth's lament: "It just makes me wanna pee on someone." Then: "It's like an owl without a graduation cap — heartbreaking."
- "Court? At night? I'm already laughing!"
- Liz waving a trade: "Did you see our shout-out in Variety? They called us a 'comedy show.'"
- "For her, sex is not something you have to do after the 12th date."
- Kenneth saying, "The last time I was blindfolded was when I had to play the piano at that weird masquerade party." Huh? Can someone translate for me?
- "May tonight's fundraiser for your fundraising organization be as successful as your cocktail party for your rehab center."
- Claire singing Jack a sexy "Happy Birthday" as opposed to doing the mannequin who comes to life.
- Jack explaining how "emotionally unstable are fantastic in the sack. Their self loathing turns into... Never mind."
- Charlie Robinson at one point delivering Mac's perfect, "Uh-huh."
- "I was at this club last week called... Chili's. I went home with this guy... to his loft... and he gave me the business."
- Jack musing, ""Maybe Claire is right... If we have a baby together, things will calm down."
- Jack in a room with Claire's amazing gams: "I'd like to suck that ring off your toe."
- Liz stuck for her cell phone password when she goes to delete Jack.
- "Stop group-hugging! Who does that?!"
- Harry and Christine's vows: "It's been quite a night...." "And quite a court... ship."
- Post-arrest Jack filling Liz in on the differences between Night Court and night court: "The hookers are not funny, and there's a lot more sickly homeless people and terrified college students."
And things come to a close and Liz and Jack walk away to the Night Court theme, complete with freeze frame.
What did you think of the Aniston episode? And what fave lines did I miss?
