Sunday, December 6, 2009

What I’m Watching: 30 Rock

30 Rock: Season 4, Episode 7 “Dealbreakers Talk Show No. 0001” (B-)

Liz’s shot at stardom isn’t all that entertaining, and the attempts to make her appear uglier aren’t great, especially because she’s really not all that unattractive to begin with, and the show trying to force that down its viewers’ throats is obnoxious. That tricky camera which added years to Liz and took away years from Jack was amusing, but that was pretty much the only positive aspect of the entire Dealbreakers thread in this episode. The need to over-emphasize Tracy’s stupidity through blatant repetition is something I can’t really stand about this show, and this episode did that for a whole scene for no reason. The explanation, simplification and analysis of the exact same information by Tracy’s minions didn’t accomplish much, and Tracy’s random pursuit of accomplishing the EGOT sweep wasn’t quite as exciting as it could have been. Bringing Whoopi in as one of the EGOT winners was fun, and maybe I just missed the promos, but her arrival was an actual surprise for me, as opposed to most of the celebrity guest stars featured on this show. The guest star who continues to be a fantastic presence on this show is Will Arnett, whose banter with Jack at the beginning of the episode was hilarious. His confused response to the “moron says what” bit and his strong desire to know what he said is still running through my head.

2 comments:

Richter Scale said...

What about Frank starting to act like Liz when he becomes the new head writer? I thought that was hilarious. Definitely made the episode for me. And, I actually think this was one of the better episodes this season, which isn't saying much, because the season hasn't been that great (not bad, just not great).

On a totally unrelated note. I started watching Lost two weeks ago, and I just finished Season 2. I loved Season 1 (except for a few hiccups). Season 2 had some great moments, but it's getting weird. Does everyone have a connection to that island (it's just a little too much at times)? I love the setup, love most of the characters from Season 1, and I'll keep watching. Just starting to get weird.

Movies with Abe said...

I forgot to mention Frank, but I wasn't a big fan of that plotline. What I find with this show is that most people like the episodes I don't find funny, while they don't like the ones I love (like Gavin Volure).

Related to Lost, you should know that I caught up in the middle of season 2 and then started watching it live. Season 2 is a bit strange, and the beginning of season 3 is also, but there's a silver lining. The season 3 finale turned everything around me for and lots of other viewers, so stick around until then and you should be happy. Oh, and make sure to catch up by the beginning of February so you can come read reviews of season 6 here once the new season starts!