30 Rock: Season 6, Episode 8 “The Tuxedo Begins” (C+)
This has to be one of the most schizophrenic shows I’ve ever seen, rarely committed to any one style, plotline, or general operating scheme. Liz protesting all of the things she hates about New York was decently entertaining, especially for this viewer, who has lived in New York for the past six years, and much of it was entirely spot-on. Jack getting mugged by a middle-aged white man got him thinking quite a bit, and when his wheels starts turning, it’s never going to end simply. What resulted was a wacky parody of “The Dark Knight,” with Liz playing the part of the maniacal, diabolical Joker, scaring away everyone in public places so that she can have group experiences alone, and Jack vying to fix the city by running for mayor, mainly to ensure that the rich can survive. I like this show better when it’s able to be zany and grounded at the same time, and this episode just didn’t have any of that. It also featured past guest star Steve Buscemi in a momentary appearance, and I’d appreciate it if he was better used. Paul’s return also created some silliness with his and Jenna’s perception of their being normal as some bizarre sexual fetish called “normaling,” which is akin to the notions of hipsters saying things ironically, which can often lead to them actually saying those things without being ironic. Ultimately, they’re who they are, and therefore they’ll be headed down different paths before they’re inevitably brought back together again.
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