Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my coverage of 30 Rock (2006-2013, NBC), which is currently available, as of this writing, on DVD and streaming.

30 Rock stars TINA FEY as Liz Lemon, TRACY MORGAN as Tracy Jordan, JANE KRAKOWSKI as Jenna Maroney, JACK McBRAYER as Kenneth Parcell, and ALEC BALDWIN as Jack Donaghy. With SCOTT ADSIT and JUDAH FRIEDLANDER.

Season Six is a comedown from Five’s creative pop of energy, and relative to the run as a whole, Six probably ends up among 30 Rock‘s weaker showings overall. However, weaker is not weak; both by 30 Rock‘s standards and the rest of the genre’s, this is actually still good. That is, although there’s a rising variance in quality between individual episodes, and the baseline quality has indeed fallen, it’s still at a respectable place, reliably delivering big laughs thanks to a sense of humor that’s come to embrace the big-swings, go-for-broke lunacy evocative of a sketch comedy — an ethos invited by the series’ conceptual SNL ties, along with the ever-durable backstage-workplace premise and the well-defined characters who exist within it. These strong elements manage to sustain episodic ideas that aren’t stellar, so that the show is never bad, and that’s more than I can say for most shows at this point in their lives. Oh, now don’t get me wrong — I think there are times where Six is not offering good situation comedy, as this boldening sketch-like humor isn’t as regularly well-attached to other aspects of the situation. And there’s a lot of recycled ideas here as well, evidencing the basic fact that the series is tiring, losing its novelty and its sheer ability to keep iterating on its situation in ways that are genuinely fresh. For instance, Six turns to a lot of guaranteed pick-me-ups: another live entry, another reality TV parody, plus guest appearances by Kelsey Grammer, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Margaret Cho — all essentially doing the same things they did last year. Now, in most cases, the results are just as funny… but there is some vitality missing. As for the characters, Liz finally has her endgame love interest — Criss (James Marsden), with whom she’s quite compatible, meaning he therefore isn’t as amusing or story-generating as past beaus. He’s mostly here because Liz needs romantic stability as a condition of her rapidly approaching happy ending — so he works in that regard, even if he doesn’t contribute great sitcommery. Also, a new recurring character in the form of Hazel the Page is added but she never develops a pinpointable comic function, despite Kristen Schaal being an innately comic presence, playing into this year’s maintained focus on wacky SNL-ian hahas, which, as indicated, goes a long way in upholding this series’ appeal amidst its aging. Fortunately, 30 Rock is about to end at just the right time…

 

01) Episode 104: “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” (Aired: 01/12/12)

Jenna deals with new notoriety as a judge on a kids’ competition show.

Written by Tina Fey & Tracey Wigfield | Directed by John Riggi

Season Six’s basically good quality relative to both other series and even other years of this series is evident in its opener, which not only makes terrific use of a new source of sketch-appropriate media satire via Jenna’s latest job as the mean judge — the “Simon Cowell” — on a TV talent show contest for children, but also continues to explore regulars like Liz and Jack in ways that we haven’t seen before. Specifically, Liz’s newfound happiness (which everyone recognizes as a switch for her usually grumbling, perennially hassled character) strikes those around her as odd, leading Jack to investigate and discover that she’s got a new secret romance… That’s a great hook to open up the year, coming in, overall, a strong premiere that lets us know 30 Rock will likely be staying in decent shape here in Six, with plenty of comedy and a consistent command on character — the kind most sitcoms at this juncture would envy.

02) Episode 106: “Idiots Are People Three!” (Aired: 01/26/12)

Tracy continues his protest while Jenna and Kenneth conspire again with Kelsey Grammer.

Written by Robert Carlock | Directed by Beth McCarthy Miller

This is the second half of a two-parter — and I recommend both, even though I’m featuring Part II over Part I because it has the bigger narrative payoffs and therefore the bigger laughs. But the story setups all begin in “Idiots Are People Two!” as the show winks about an offensive remark Tracy Morgan made over the long hiatus (extended to accommodate Tina Fey’s pregnancy) by having his character follow suit. Yet the trouble for Liz isn’t just cleaning up a cast member’s mess — as we’ve seen her do before — no, it’s that she calls Tracy an idiot in public, leading him to rally all the idiots everywhere to protest NBC (including Denise Richards, who gamely parodies herself). It’s a sketch-like pivot that still plays exactly within the original premise of Liz struggling to produce her show in this crazy, madcap, 30 Rock-ian world. Meanwhile, the other plots here are great as well, as Jack refuses to approve Liz’s new relationship with a hot dog vendor — a notion that speaks to their situationally-vital friendship and how much his opinion means to her — and Kelsey Grammer comes back to help Jenna and Kenneth commit an even funnier caper than last year’s, with even more media satire (Grammer does a fake one-man show as Lincoln). It’s all classic 30 Rock — the ideas are maybe getting wilder and more like SNL, but this show can handle it, especially with strong characters like these.

03) Episode 108: “Today You Are A Man” (Aired: 02/02/12)

Liz uses Jack’s own tactics to beat him in a negotiation.

Written by Ron Weiner | Directed by Jeff Richmond

A lot of ideas in this installment have already been utilized in some fashion — and the show is iterating where it’s previously iterated — but 30 Rock’s winning sense of humor and ever-reliable characters help elevate these narrative choices, making this a competitive entry compared to the lesser samples that I’ve opted not to spotlight this week. Although I really get a kick out of Tracy and Jenna teaming up to entertain at a bar mitzvah — their individual lunacy compounds when they become a duo — the best story here finds Liz and Jack opposite each other in negotiations. That’s a clash we’ve sort of seen before, but this episode has a fresh take on it, with Liz studying Jack’s negotiating tips to use against him — a wrinkle that reinforces both characterizations in the process, all while hinging itself on the central dramatic weight of their bond and how it exists within the premise at large. So, mainly because Liz and Jack are so well-featured — as are Tracy and Jenna — I include this solid showing among Six’s finest.

04) Episode 111: “The Tuxedo Begins” (Aired: 02/16/12)

Liz decides to survive the city by acting anti-social after Jack is mugged at knife point.

Written by Dylan Morgan & Josh Siegal | Directed by John Riggi

A popular outing that’s also responsible for a famous internet meme — namely, guest star Steve Buscemi’s “How do you do, fellow kids?” — “The Tuxedo Begins” is one big parody of the Batman film franchise, with Jack in the role of a hero and Liz in the role of a campy, cartoonish villain. Naturally, such media satire is the kind of sketch-appropriate SNL-like fodder that this series has an aesthetic license to offer, and there’s something really fun about the motivating thought of Liz dropping all notions of social decorum, choosing to live as messy and chaotically as possible (while the ever-political Jack considers a run for office in New York). But it’s such a big comic proposition to get to their face-off… a moment so broad that I think it probably leaves the situation behind a bit too much for my personal liking. If not for the fact that it’s genuinely funny, and there’s still some weight to be found in the relationship between Jack and Liz and the way the narrative dovetails their episodic arcs, I’m not sure I’d be able to spotlight it here. Fortunately, it is too memorable and indicative of Six’s tenor to ignore — an extended SNL skit that prioritizes laughs above everything else (for better and worse).

05) Episode 112: “Leap Day” (Aired: 02/23/12)

The cast and crew of TGS celebrates Leap Day.

Written by Luke Del Tredici | Directed by Steve Buscemi

Another well-liked excursion, this fun half hour uses the organizing principle of Leap Day to deliver a handful of amusing stories related to this unofficial holiday that 30 Rock, in a very commendably idea-driven fashion, builds up into an apparently known, legitimate celebration — creating its own mythos and traditions (with opportunities to spoof A Christmas Carol therein) that everyone in the universe basically accepts without pause. It’s the bolder, cleverer version of the intentionally fake holiday that the TGS writers created a few Christmases ago to prank Kenneth — for this is something to which the show itself, and its characters, all actually commit. That makes it loonier, and funnier, with a sense of absurdity that only 30 Rock could effectively pull off at this point. Now, as with “The Tuxedo Begins,” I can’t say this is among the show’s finest samples of situation comedy, but there’s enough character support here to laud it on this list. (Notable guests include Andie MacDowell, John Cullum, and Jim Carrey.)

06) Episode 114: “Standards And Practices” (Aired: 03/08/12)

Liz fights with Kenneth in his new role as a network censor.

Written by Vali Chandrasekaran | Directed by Beth McCarthy Miller

Although he’s remained comedically clear, Kenneth has always been more difficult to apply in character-exploring stories than the humanized Liz and Jack, or even the broad but still emotionally accessible Tracy and Jenna, for the show has too often treated him only as a joke. Season Six attempts to remedy this by having Kenneth perform jobs other than NBC page — with his brief stint as a network censor, established here, being the funniest because it puts his innocent yet rigid sense of morality in conflict with Liz, who’s trying to produce a comedy program. And of course, this allows the show to liberally apply the beep button not just on “TGS” but on 30 Rock itself in a meta, sketch-like, joke-fueled presentation that works perfectly within the series’ identity, especially at this very sketch-like point in its run. Additionally, this entry is fun because it sees the return of Chloë Grace Moretz as Jack’s nemesis, his boss’ granddaughter, and just as with last season, she and Baldwin are a hoot together.

07) Episode 117: “Kidnapped By Danger” (Aired: 03/22/12)

Production begins on Jack’s biopic about his wife Avery.

Written by Tina Fey | Directed by Claire Cowperthwaite

One of the arcs in Season Six that I must admit I’m just not crazy about is Jack’s growing feelings for his wife’s mother (played by Mary Steenburgen) — which develop while Avery is still being held hostage in North Korea. It’s a bit of rom-com angst that never manages to be as funny as the logline intends. However, I love the meta storyline of Jack producing a biopic about his wife — with Jenna naturally cast as Avery, Cynthia Nixon (genius casting!) as herself in the role of Nancy, and Billy Baldwin (yes, Alec’s brother) playing the actor who’s been cast in the role of Jack — for this is not only great situation comedy for an inherently metatheatrical showbiz-about-showbiz premise, but it’s also the kind of winking sketch-based mockery that implicitly reminds us of 30 Rock‘s comedy-variety sensibilities and SNL ties, with many layers of apt self-aware parody. So, this is one of the best stories of the season — a fun idea that only 30 Rock could do situationally, both in terms of its narrative design, and also because of its aesthetic makeup. Similarly, the subplot with Jenna taking offense that “Weird Al” Yankovic has spoofed her new single is right in that same wheelhouse — using meta media satire just as SNL would — but it’s also sincerely situated in the Jenna characterization and the fact that she, as an actress, is ripe for parody in this world too, making for a delightful blend of character, premise, and identity-affirming comedy. Accordingly, this is my pick for this season’s MVE (Most Valuable Episode) — there may be more memorable samples here but they’re all more gimmicky (and sometimes reused gimmicks at that); this is fresher, purer 30 Rock.

08) Episode 121: “Murphy Brown Lied To Us” (Aired: 04/19/12)

Jack helps reignite Liz’s interest in having children.

Written by Robert Carlock & Vali Chandrasekaran | Directed by John Riggi

With 30 Rock reaching the end of its sixth season as a critically well-regarded but still never that commercially popular sitcom, it was safe to assume that its end was nigh; indeed, the show smartly uses all of this year to set up an inevitable happy ending for its lead, Liz, whose arc, as we’ve been told, will involve her finding happiness via a solid romantic partner and eventually children, which we know she wants. Those ideas were capably communicated to us in Seasons Two and Three, but they’ve had to be slow walked since then as the show enjoyed a long, successful run. Well, this outing — where Jack helps point Liz back towards the prospect of having children — is the start of resuming that idea in a motivated, effective, and fortunately amusing way. Additionally, there are funny subplots here about Jenna faking a breakdown in public so she can catch the attention of her ex, Paul (Will Forte), and Jack struggling with his new couch business. (Stacy Keach appears in a series of hilarious KouchTown commercials.)

09) Episode 122: “Live From Studio 6H” (Aired: 04/26/12)

Kenneth tries to convince Jack that TGS should stay a live show.

Written by Jack Burditt & Tina Fey | Directed by Beth McCarthy Miller

After the success of last season’s live show, 30 Rock decided to do another, and just as before, it’s a stunt that’s fundamentally gimmicky but nevertheless in total support of the series’ identity, given its premise and comic sensibilities, which all operate in connection with explicit ties to Saturday Night Live. And while it’s another instance of the show in Season Six reusing tricks from prior years instead of coming up with new ones — and, I reiterate, the prospect of a live show is itself not as novel or exciting now that it’s already been done — this sitcom will always have license to do it, and I don’t mind this sequel, especially because the results are very different. In fact, I think this is more like an episode of SNL than the previous “Live Show” was, as the sketches here matter more than the situational setups, putting the 30 Rock characters in comic scenes that mostly don’t exist as actual sketches on the premised comedy-variety show TGS, and are, instead, imaginary comic cutaways all thematically united under the fact that they’re classic TV spoofs — The Honeymooners, Amos ‘n Andy, Laugh-In, etc. This is subject matter that’s appropriate for 30 Rock as a showbiz-about-showbiz sitcom, and I get why many fans think this is the funnier of the two live shows. But of course, more laughs here are exclusively predicated on the TV-about-TV parody, having even less to do with the characters and the basic premised situation than usual. Accordingly, I can’t say I prefer it over its predecessor, which was not only more intrinsically creative (the first live broadcast!), but also more singularly a reflection of 30 Rock and 30 Rock alone… That said, this is indeed indicative of the series’ increased sketch-leaning bent within this particular season — and it’s thus a fine ambassador for Six that I therefore had to consider as MVE. (It’s also guest-filled — the standout being fellow SNL alum Amy Poehler as young Liz. Oh, and as for which version I prefer — East Coast or West? — there are things to like in both, but I give the slight edge to East. Get the DVDs to see it!)

10) Episode 123: “Queen Of Jordan 2: The Mystery Of The Phantom Pooper” (Aired: 05/03/12)

Angie’s reality show again comes to 30 Rock.

Written by Luke Del Tredici & Tracey Wigfield | Directed by Ken Whittingham

As with the above, this installment is another example of a fun gimmick first employed in Season Five — the full-length parody of a Bravo reality show known as Angie Jordan’s Queen Of Jordan, whose form 30 Rock briefly adopts for a half hour, breaking from its usual look to better emphasize the abundant media satire that’s occurring. Unsurprisingly, it works for the same reason last year’s did — it’s a dynamic sketch-like idea that also provides the unique opportunity to explore these characters in creative ways given the unusual, one-off framing. However, Six’s is actually an improvement over its predecessor, for while the previous version was naturally more novel as a stunt (like the first live show), this one simultaneously boasts a more accurate depiction of the type of program it’s spoofing and a smarter use of its form to advance the year’s macro narrative concerns. Thus, despite believing it’s lazy of 30 Rock to deploy this exact gimmick again, I think the offering’s elevated storytelling earns it a spot here.

 

Other episodes that merit a look include: “The Ballad Of Kenneth Parcell,” a very solid, likable entry with a handful of fun ideas and some series-appropriate media satire. While I have you, I’ll also take this space to cite “Idiots Are People Two!,” which capably sets up the funnier conclusion that’s featured above, “Hey, Baby, What’s Wrong? (II),” which I mention only for the silly gag of Jenna having the “yips,” “Alexis Goodlooking And The Case Of The Missing Whisky,” which enjoys dragging Liz into Frank’s mess with his mom (Patti LuPone) and his girlfriend/ex-teacher (Susan Sarandon), and “The Return Of Avery Jessup,” which along with the season finale that follows, sees the return of Avery, and the hilarious, SNL-like work of Margaret Cho as Kim Jong-Il (and Kim Jong-Un).

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Six of 30 Rock goes to…

“Kidnapped By Danger”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Seven! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!