Watching 30 Rock

This is my first shot at recapping a show, so lets see how it goes.

In the cold opening, jaunty music plays while Liz Lemon comes back to work after TGS’s summer vacation. The camera pans past a Girly Show and we see that Seinfeld’s picture is now part of it. (Spoiler!) A chipper Liz asks everyone about their summer. I’m surprised she’s noting who got their ears pierced or who grew boobs or who got fat (another spoiler!) No, wait, that was me after summer vacation in junior high.

Liz greets Jack and discuss his “big hit” summer replacement shows — America’s Next Top Pirate, Stronger Than a Dog, and MILF Island. Hey, I would totally watch that show.

Next Jack drops his new great idea on Liz — Seinfeld Vision. Using the hundreds of hours of footage from Seinfeld, Jack and his tech guys can digitally insert America’s beloved Jerry Seinfeld into any current NBC show. For the month of October, Seinfeld will appear in all prime time shows! Brilliance! A montage of digital Jerrys ensues, including Jerry as a suspect on Law & Order, uttering the famous line “save the cheerleader, save the world” from Heroes, and as a winning contestant on Deal or No Deal. Does Jerry know about this? Short answer is “no.”

Liz tells Jack that she had a great summer — and that she and Floyd broke up. But this is her year! She’s gonna meet a great guy! The ever-supportive Jack points out that women her age are more likely to get mauled at the zoo than get married.

Let’s all hum along to the theme music!

Next we see Tracy Jordan moving his belongings into his dressing room, with the help of Kenneth the Page. His wife has thrown him out after a papparazzi took a picture of him with a transvestite prostitute that Tracy was trying to convince to go to computer school. That’s not the worst of it — the tabloid incorrectly identified the prostitute as Tracy’s wife. Liz agrees to let Kenneth be Tracy’s “office wife.”

All this has happened and Liz hasn’t even made it to her office yet! And we are still getting credits!

Liz sees Jenna in the makeup room. Jenna has gained a lot of weight over the summer from eating 32 slices of pizza per week on stage in Mystic Pizza: The Musical. I would totally watch that too. I mean, mmm, pizza. Liz tries to stay positive but even she comments that “it’s worse from behind” when Jenna gets up and leaves the room.

Finally, the writers room. Jokes are made about Jenna and no one remembers Floyd well enough to give Liz any sympathy about their breakup. Poor Liz. Sometimes you just want someone to tell you how it’s the ex’s loss. Anyway, already fed up, Liz informs the writers that she wants 50 ideas from each of them by the morning and goes to her office as they all groan.

Aaaaand it gets better. Cerie (remember her?) pops in and asks Liz and Jenna to be bridesmaids at her wedding. For some reason, Liz agrees, even after Cerie calls her “my something old.” Sheesh.

Next morning: Kenneth brings Tracy breakfast in his dressing room. He’s planned a special day of shopping, a baby shower, and homemade soup eating. Tracy ain’t havin’ it and tells his “office wife” as much.

But Kenneth’s day gets a whole lot better as he shares and elevator with Jerry! Seinfeld! Kenneth giggles and grins and even does his own rendition of the Seinfeld theme song. Seinfeld, there to see Jack about the whole “Seinfeld Vision” BS, is not amused.

When we return from commercials, Liz and Jenna are dress shopping with Cerie. I can totally see where this is going! I expected better from you, Tina Fey! Of course, Liz finds a dress she loves, but has no reason to buy. And Cerie won’t buy it, because it’s on sale. We get a most excellent flashback to Liz as a litle girl, however, pretending to be a bride and marrying her teddy bear, who has a litle bear of his own from a previous marriage. That flashback made this how wedding dress crap worth it. More child Liz, please!

(On an unrelated note, the saleswoman at the bridal shops looks SO FAMILIAR but I can’t place her. Can someone help me out? Was she Tony Soprano’s Russian girlfriend?)

Jack is in his office when his assistant tells him Seinfeld is in the building and he ain’t happy. Liz is called in to keep Jerry busy while Jack figures out what to do. A completely disinterested Seinfeld gets a studio tour from Liz. His interest picks up when they talk about Liz’s breakup with Floyd. He tells her it isn’t over until they can get a scone together. Liz agrees. She’s going to call him!

In the meantime, Tracy has a screwball plan for Liz to go to his house and find out if his wife is sleeping with D.L. Hughley. Liz ain’t havin’ none of that. Kenneth is still staring at Seinfeld like a lovestruck schoolboy. Jack tries to sneak out without Jerry seeing him, but doesn’t make it.

Liz goes to her office to call Floyd, but he’s got a woman answering his phone while he’s in the shower. Busted! Liz tries to find out what’s going on by pretending to do a survey, but ends up in a shouting match with the woman. “Who is this? Who are you? I’m your worse nightmare, that’s who I is!” Jenna just eats more pizza.

Jerry and Jack discuss Seinfeld Vision. It turns out Jerry is the host of MILF Island! I would be the host for MILF Island. Jack tries to find out what shows Jerry is willing to be in, but Jerry ain’t havin’ none of that. Jack asks for two days to come up with a solution to make both Jerry and NBC happy.

Commercials. Surprise! We have a commercial for Seinfeld’s new movie, Bee Movie. (Spoiler!)

Who else saw this coming? Liz goes back to the bridal store and sees another woman trying on “her” dress and of course ends up buying it. This storyline seems sort of “typical sitcom” to me. I really don’t see Liz Lemon doing this. It all just seems an elaborate buildup for a punchline coming later in the show.

Liz is admiring her new dress in her office when Jack bursts in with his list of ways to solve this problem with Jerry Seinfeld. Liz seducing Seinfeld is number 70 and she is offended. (A fake hurricane is number 71.) Jack notices the dress, but Liz brushes it off with an “it was on sale!” excuse.

Kenneth and Tracy are in Tracy’s dressing room and Tracy is totally jealous over Kenneth’s star crush on Seinfeld. Kenneth refuses to talk about it. He’s bought throw pillows and Tracy didn’t even notice!

While making fun of Jenna, the writers accidentally catch Liz trying on her wedding dress. Frank decides she has gone crazy. Liz claims that she’s not embarrassed and that she intends to wear the dress all day ….

… and of course, Seinfeld is there again and Liz has to stall him again. In a wedding dress. That she bought on sale. The whole point of this storyline is coming though, so keep watching. Seinfeld asks about her call to her boyfriend and Liz tells him it didn’t go well. Floyd had a woman there! Another woman, already! The more upset she gets the more she sounds like classic Seinfeld - What is the DEAL with my LIFE? Seinfeld thinks she’s making fun of him, but really, she says, this is how I cry!

Jerry and Jack meet again. Jack has no ideas ready and bluffs as long as he can before first trying to brain Jerry with a small statue. He breaks down crying and admits he’s already sold the ad space. He and Jerry negotiate and finally reach an agreement: One night of “Seinfeld Vision,” $1.5 million donated to Doctors without Borders, and Al Roker has to wear a bee costume on the Today show to promote Jerry’s new movie, opening November 4th. They hug it out.

Tracy finds Liz sitting on the studio floor in her wedding dress, eating takeout. He advises her not to get married. What he and Kenneth have looks perfect, he says, but it’s work! He leaves as Liz rolls her eyes and keeps eating. Jack comes along and asks what happened? He thought it was going to be “her year.” He gives her a classic Jack pep talk before taking away the food and holding the train of her dress ($4,000 ham napkin) as they head back to her office.

Overall, a pretty good opening episode. Not nearly enough Pete and not enough Jenna, but hey, 30 Rock is back. I missed you, my funny, nerdy show!

30 Rock, 30 Rock recap, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jerry Seinfeld