February 1, 2007: "It Feels Good to Laugh"
Before we get started with this week's
30 Rock debrief, a moment of silence, please, for the just-passed Prince Gerhardt, one of sitcomdom's hardest to look at, most unsettling and, thus and alas, funniest creations.
[
Silence]
Yes,
Paul "Pee-wee" Reubens served up a memorable majesty on a very strong, very laugh-out-loud funny installment of the
Rock . Still, I cannot help but fear that his character may have offended anyone out there who employs a prosthetic baby hand and suffers from a malady that prohibits the production of joint fluid as well as the metabolization of grapes. NBC may get letters.
Also, big props to Reubens' fellow guest stars,
Isabella Rossellini (
really letting loose as Bianca, Jack's now-tortured ex) and
SNL's
Will Forte, as the prince's steward.
What really impressed me as a (aspiring) comedy writer was how
30 Rock deftly handled Lemon's "date" with Jack. Lesser shows would have "gone there" in that final scene, and really jacked up the "tension" between its two leads, but
Tina Fey and her crack writing staff didn't. They kept it 99.44 percent light, meaning we now won't, on a weekly basis, be wondering, "What if...? " I adore
The Office's Jim and Pam, make no mistake, but every TV sitcom doesn't need a Sam and Diane right out of the gate.
This week's B-story, meanwhile, gave us an overdue look at Pete, who is perhaps the most normal Everyman amongst this mad ensemble. (Loved him pulling at the 40.)
The bullets:
" Liz's latest claim to geekdom: a "theater tech" college major.
" Tracy selling lap dancers as a key to marital bliss: "Eight times a week I go to a strip club. It gives me energy, which I bring back to [my wife]."
" One of Jack's many horn-tootings: "I date socialites, actresses, models,
Liz Hurley... in the '90s."
And
Beyoncé.
And
Shakira.
And Stewarts Martha ("for lunch") and Alexis ("for dinner"), though I must be skeptical of the latter.
" Jack re: the prince: "Most people in his position would be angry with their family for centuries of inbreeding, but not Gerhardt. He's too busy trying to stave off infection." The icing on the inbreeding cake: Jack later telling Liz, "When he was born, the doctors told Gerhardt's mother and cousin he'd either live 15 minutes or 100 years. Boy, did he prove
them wrong."
" Liz re: Jack's ex: "She's gorgeous! And surprisingly age-appropriate."
" Jenna: "You know I've always reminded myself of Grace Kelly."
" Tracy pimping Pete's Desert Storm bravado: "He killed 14 Germans so we could get the hell outta there."
" Gerhardt, after two loud, scary bellows: "It feels good to laugh."
" Best subtitle on a show that isn't
Heroes: Liz's, "[German] is the most beautiful language in the world." And Liz later uttering a few dozen syllables that translated into, "Yeah."
" "Devil" Tracy in the air duct: "No. I'm just looking for the lobby."
" Most unexpected shout-out to a recurring character: "Someone call Dr. Spaceman!"
Great stuff, awesome episode, an immeasurably enjoyable, laugh-inducing series.
