What I’m Watching: 30 Rock

30 Rock: Season 4, Episode 8 “Secret Santa” (B)

There was a lot going on in this episode that was a bit too over-the-top, but there were enough laughs that it made it pretty decent overall. It’s good that Liz’s haircut is being phased out without much emphasis, since that was just a plotline gone awry. Liz’s attempt to bond with Jack and get him the perfect gift was fun, and the best part of the whole episode was the gift that Liz was able to surprise Jack with – calling in a bomb threat to Penn Station to keep Jack’s married crush in town. It’s the ultimate gift that costs zero dollars, and Liz did a great job on that. Plus, it’s much better than Jack’s wooden framing of Liz’s high school play program. The ability of the writers to so easily make up a religion to avoid Kenneth’s over-enthusiasm about holiday cheer was impressive, and it’s nice to see Twofer in particular spotlighted and given the chance to spout complete crap in order to dispel Kenneth and his game. Tracy’s warning about getting into intellectual territory was great, and it’s good that he had something to do that wasn’t quite as ridiculous as usual. The new cast member is turning out to be terrific, and his quip about sarcasm and Jews in Canada was brilliant. His interactions with Pete and Jenna are priceless. Who ever thought that the robot would be such a worthwhile addition to the cast?