Watching 30 Rock

Cold Opening. Jack and CC (Edie Falco) are making out in his office. She’s concerned but Jack squashes that since those creative types are easily distracted….btw, look how cute my dog is sleeping on the couch!

OK, obvious joke, but isn’t she adorable??!! Anyway, Jack and CC are making out but she’s worried about how much time she’s spending with Jack since she’s trying to sue his parent company. And in walks Liz who tries to shield herself from the lip-locky carnage with a folder. Jack covers quickly by introducing CC as Lakeshia Gutierrez Arafat. (did I spell that right?). Liz doesn’t seem fooled by that and makes a smooth, quick exit, “Lemon Out!”

Frank enters the writer’s room wearing a Harvard sweatshirt. He’s entitled since he performed stand-up there over the weekend but Toofer doesn’t think so. “You do not want to make a Harvard man angry.” And everyone laughs.

Jack is waiting for Liz in her office and reveals to Liz that CC and he are lovers. Liz doesn’t like to hear the word “lover” unless it’s in between the words “meat” and “pizza.” I’m kind of with her there. I’ve been with Lori for over four years and if she called me her lover I’d pretend like I didn’t speak English. Not really, but it’s kind of a yucky word that makes your brain automatically think of the two (or three) people it describes in some foul sex act. Meat and pizza doing it, good, your parents.. BAD!

Anyway, Liz knows CC is suing the company (mainly Sheinhardt wig company) for turning some kids orange…kind of like Michael Kors but with more hair and less flambalatory attitude. Jack is torn because the corporation has a very strict “bros before hos policy.” Liz recognizes that Jack is really into CC and he acknowledges it’s serious, serious enough to hold a dinner party so his friends can meet her. He invites Liz to attend but wants her to be discreet and not dress like a “small town lesbian.” You know, this is just how my family reacted to me after I came back from Missouri for Thanksgiving.

Jenna comes in and announces to the team that they’ve won an award. Well not really, but she’s won a best actress in a movie based on a musical based on a movie for the film version of Mystic Pizza the Musical. Tracy comes in and is less than thrilled by the 3.6 seconds of attention Jenna is getting for her award. “It’s going to be one of those weeks,” says Pete. Pete!

Liz runs some recon with Tracy to see what’s bugging him. He’s bugged because everyone wins awards but him and he feels like a big ol’ failure. Liz says she forgot to tell him that he’s getting a Lifetime Achievement award from the Pacific Rim Emmy’s. Heh, Rim. Tracy is psyched since he loves Japanese culture especially Godzilla.

Liz instructs Pete to make Tracy a Pacific Rim Emmy (soder some moons onto a basketball trophy). Jenna is amazed at how Liz panders to Tracy to make him happy but is bummed she doesn’t get that kind of treatment. Liz insists Jenna is her rock and doesn’t need to be pandered to.

Frank tourments Toofer some more dressed in full Harvard gear and even has a Cygnet pin on his pants (it should be on his jacket), Toofer angry!

Tracy wants to know when he’s going to Japan to accept his Emmy but Liz tells him the show is tonight. Tracy told his kids they could watch his dad get an award. Liz says she’ll set something up and Tracy wants Liz, Jenna and Josh there to watch him accept his accolade. Jenna scolds Liz for rewarding Tracy’s bad behavior and insists she gives him anything he wants. Uh-oh.

Liz shows up at Jack and CC’s dinner party but the only other guest is Kenneth. CC says they had a longer invite list but Jack says they had to eliminate anyone with any influence or stature. Awkward! Kenneth attempts some small talk off of cue cards about pizza toppings and her teenage years. Luckily there’s a lot of champagne.

Back at the studio, the fake 4 AM satellite feed of the Pacific Rim Emmy Awards is in full effect. Well at least Tracy is kind of awake. At the end of the speech he Sharks Jenna (pulling down her top). Jenna isn’t upset about that but is upset that Tracie didn’t thank her in his speech. Liz reminds her that the whole thing is fake but Jenna doesn’t care. She thinks the only way to get respect is to act like Tracy. It’s going to be one of those weeks.

CC enters Liz’s office to have a talk with her. She thinks the sneaking around she and Jack are doing is getting out of control. She wonders if Jack is worth it. Liz doesn’t know if she’s the best person to ask since she ate a Three Musketeer’s Bar for breakfast and her bra is held together with tape. heh. She tells CC that she and Jack are great together and proceeds to add another piece of tape to her bra.

Toofer enters the writer’s room dressed like Frank complete with a “Mom Expert” hat. I want one! Frank is pissed.

CC is in Jack’s office. She’s convinced the Sheinhardt wig company to settle with the orange kids for five million a piece. Jack “That’s NBA sexual assault money.” She’s done that so she and Jack can go public and not sneak around anymore. He’s not having it since he’s up for a promotion soon, yada, yada, yada. He says he needs more time. CC says she should never have listened to a woman who tapes her bra together. “Lemon,” says Jack.

Jenna is being a pain and now Liz has two Tracys to deal with. Liz enters Jenna’s dressing room to find her surrounded by a bunch of freakish gay? tranny? whatever, whackos. She’s being an ass and tells Liz it’s what she gets for taking her for granted. It’s going to be one of those weeks.

Jack tells Liz that CC is insisting that they go public with their relationship and knows it was her that put the idea in her head. Jack spots James Carville in the elevator and ding, ding! Jack remembers Carville is married to Republican political consultant Mary Matalin. He asks Carville how they make it work. Carville tells Jack to break the news to everyone on his own terms - “Cajun style,” whatever that means.

Toofer and Frank are kind of over their fight but are worried if they give it up they’ll be ridiculed. Enter James Carville. He tells them to make turn the attention to someone else sway it like Karl Rove - Cajun Style. Josh has a new funky haircut so there they go.

Liz has had it with Jenna’s ego and goes to confront her. She tells Jenna that she’s always been difficult and she gets as much special treatment as Tracy. That award she got? It’s actually a cookie. Liz takes a bite. She panders to Jenna because she gets jealous of everyone. Liz is a mess because of having to take care of Jenna and Tracy, mostly Jenna. That’s all Jenna wanted to hear and is happy again.

Frank and Toofer are back to normal in the writer’s room. When Lutz calls them lame for dropping their feud so quickly they handle it Cajun style and call out Josh’s bad faux-hawk. His new nickname is Dr. Haircut which is chanted mercilessly.

CC meets Jack for lunch and he feels bad about what happened. She agrees to go with him but he has a surprise. They’re at the NBC executive dinning room and Jack is ready to come out…about their relationship. He introduces CC as his lover, his liberal hippy dippy momma, his groovy chick, his old lady. “She wants to tax us all to death and make it legal for a man to marry his own dog.” You go Jack! He also says he’s proud of her and he’s not going to hide their relationship any longer. This inspires a round of confessions from the dinning room

“I gave to NPR last year.”
“My children go to public school.”
“I’m gay.”
“I’m black”
“I murdered my wife”

CC reveals that in 1984 she voted for Ronald Reagan. Maybe they’re not so different after all. Cajun-style!

Edie Falco, James Carville, Ronald Regan, 30 Rock