Sunday, January 15, 2012

What I’m Watching: 30 Rock (Season Premiere)


30 Rock: Season 6, Episode 1 “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” (B+)

All the time off that this show took let me forget that this show does indeed have its moments, when it manages to be self-deprecating and funny despite the fact that it’s been on for six years and is just essentially getting more ridiculous. This season opener was an example of one of the better installments, welcoming its viewers back in a self-aware way that most shows can’t pull off. Transitioned from the 10pm time slot to the much earlier, family-friendly 8pm, this episode still managed to include plenty of clever laughs, and get at the heart of the fact that, try as they might, its characters are not truly capable of change. Jenna being mean to kids on her reality competition show is still going to give her delusions of grandeur while everyone actually hates her, and Jack is only going to hear his daughter say “I want money” rather than “I want mommy.” Liz’s new lease on life was a blast, and Kenneth thinking the world was about to end and only doing chores was perfectly in character for the wacky farmboy. I liked that Pete and the guys tried to make it exciting for her, and the show did derail a bit towards the end, but what else would you expect from this series? Among Jack’s quips hastily delivered in the first few minutes of the episode, I most enjoyed learning that both of one contestant’s mothers were serial killers and about “Cash Cow,” the unsuccessful spinoff of “Cash Cab” where people tried to ride cows through Manhattan.

No comments: