"Episode 209"

• Dec 14, 2007 03:31 AM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

Is that really the episode title? "Episode 209"? No cutesy trite Christmassy pun? Love it!

Christmas episodes are so hard to do. So much territory has been covered countless, countless times, on dramas, comedies, contemporary TV and classic. It's hard to make a "true meaning of Christmas" story seem fresh. That's why this week's Kenneth/No LudaChristmas bit was a bit lame, in my opinion. The slight saving grace was the art-imitates-life fact that Tracy had on an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet. But even they seemed unsure of just what to do with that.

The A story fared a bit better, juxtaposing Jack's mean, coarse mother (Elaine Stritch) with Liz's folksy, affectionate (and, in the case of Mitch, temporally displaced) clan. Mama D chipped and pecked away at the Lemons, determined that she could expose them for the dysfunctional brood that every family is. To think that all it took was a slipped Goonies reference!

Sigh. I think we have just one fresh episode left before the strike strikes 30 Rock from our screens. Nooooo! At least we can take solace in today's Golden Globes noms for Tina, Alec and the gang. This is, on average, the outright funniest show on television, so every kudos is thoroughly deserved!

And now, the bullets:
" The photo scanner/paper shredder and its two "PS" modes.
" Cerie fondly recalling Frank's Horny Santa "act."
" Liz: "We're going to that restaurant where they pretend it's Mars." I've been there, with visiting out-of-town relatives, and it... is... awful!!
" "I invite her out of my paralyzing Irish guilt."
" Jack's mom to Liz: "My thanks to the peanut gallery."
" Jenna: "It should be mentioned that sexually, Mitch is very much an adult" - and Liz admonishing, "No, it shouldn't!"
" "Fancy suits. How was court?"
" "Is this the best employee you ever had?" Jack: "No."
" Jack waving Mom's pastries under the sickly stripper.
" Proud writer Liz in front of the "Who Farted?" TGS set.
" Kenneth being "pretty addicted to Coke" during his " Wall Street days."
" Jenna testing the room for acoustics by singing, "Open-pit barbecue sauce...."
" "People don't watch Letterman for Paul Shaffer." No truer words.
" I'm not big on bangs, but dayum if Cerie's aren't h-o-t.
" Jack: "In his mind Reagan is still president?" To Mitch: "You lucky bastard."
" "The Disney cruise in March - are you in or out?"
" "Mother, there are terrorist cells more nurturing than you are."
" Liz at Saturdaze: "I am going to have the fried-onion tower for two - for one."
" The Sheinhardt wig sign atop the Rock Center tree.
" The Guatemalan kids beating on their PSPSes - ha!
" Enlightened Mitch sipping at a cocktail: "I could have been drinking these for years!"

PS. Check out this Hollywood Reporter article about the 30 Rock/AMEX ads.

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