From NBCUMV.com:

I loved Lil Liz Lemon, but young Tracy was dressed like Little Edie Beale, so he wins.





You know, if someone had given me this advice:



...my life would have been different.



I too often wonder if I'm crazier than Ann Curry.

I didn't like the Liz storyline, however I was ROBBED of a page-off.

Jack's Family Therapy Time was nothing short of awse. Seriously, he didn't win the Emmy WHY again?!

And I want to see "New Jackee City." Dammit, "30 Rock" why say things that I would watch and then realize it doesn't exist?

"Never go with a hippie to a second location." = Brilliant. Give them next years emmy already.

Jonathan crying, "The rascals we fought", Jack's Tracy impression.

So much awse tonight.

ETA:

I know!! Jackee better make a guest appearance one of these days.

Oh my God the Family Therapy thing was hilarious.

"Who's crazier me or Ann Curry?"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Awse.

Well, there's Baldwin's Emmy clip right there. OMFG that was funny. And ballsy. And brilliant. I couldn't believe my ears.

I'm starting to get a little sick of Kenneth to be honest. A little goes a looooong way.

And the key to happiness is selling out? Huh?

Me too. I was like, "No they didn't go there. Oh yes they did."

Especially after the show earlier said that race-related comedy is taboo these days. I love self-referentiality.

I have hopes that a page-off may still be in our future. That head page said he wasn't through with Jenna yet.

So we're through with Fat Jenna now? That quick?

Words to live by. I know I've been happier since I embraced that ideal.

"Help me Liz Lemon! You're my only hope!"

I just love Star Trek........I mean WARS!

Can someone explain to me the Happy Days joke we caught the end of that Carrie Fisher was telling? Also, didn't get the mailman joke either. Something about altman? I couldn't really hear it.

Best episode of the series so far.

Pure gold.

As was the hippie/second location line.

Great episode tonight! I also loved the bombed out VW Beetle in Little Chechnya. Rosemary's Star Wars shout-out by screaming that Liz was her only hope was still amusing even though I was wondering when SW would be referenced.

The Page-Off and the Family Therapy bits were great. However the whole dogfighting bit was a cheap ploy far too reliant on current headlines. Cockfighting would have been a better selection, assuming cockfighting is a word they can say.

Suck it up nerd(s)!



I know it wasn't, but I'll just imagine that Alec Baldwin did the scene in one take.... DY-NO-MITE!

"You play the nurse... Jack, you play the matador." If that's not role playing, I don't know what is.

I wanted to see the pageoff too.

Holy crap, that was a funny episode. Jack's therapy monologue was amazing and when he referenced To Kill a Mockingbird I hit the floor laughing.

They knocked this one out of the park. A++++ Would watch again.

Alec Baldwin is a god. Or he's sold his soul. Maybe both. Wow.

One of the actors on Happy Days (Winkler? I didn't hear it that well, either) apparently harassed Rosemary using his feet.

And the mailbox joke referenced H.R. Haldeman, who was part of the Watergate scandal (hence why the joke was on Not!Laugh-In). And Jack liked the comparison.

Chiffarobe! Oh, how I love this show.

Another great exchange...

Liz: Is that man carrying a gun?!?
Rosemary: Don't worry. He's not a cop.


and..

Jack: Don't ever make me talk to a woman that old again.


I don't know why I love him but I do.

I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen during the therapy scene. Jesus. And then "Little Chechnya"! My husband used to live in an apartment in Queens with a train running right outside the window, so that struck very close to home. And the dogfighting thing was supposed to be straight out of the headlines -- "So what's in the newspaper?" I love this show so much it hurts.

Baldwin is incredible.

I don't know if I misinterpreted the joke, but did Tracy think dog fighting would be him fighting with a dog? Amazing episode. Alec Baldwin was absolutely magnificent, and they utilize guest actors/actresses on this show so much better than anyone else.

No Page-Off? That's just wrong. I did love that Jenah forgot what even started it, and poor Kenneth had his rage-filled whisper.

I still think my favorite line of the episode is:



Though:



Words to live by.



It...kind of is. Which was why I liked the followship thread throughout the show. I'm not saying everyone should sell out, but I do think happiness is way more achievable when one does. Women like Rosemary did have to pave the way, but the people who pave ways are rarely the happiest of souls. I thought that was one of the more engaging and interesting Lemon episodic arcs for that reason.

I love that she has 12,000 in checking. Ha! But how can she not have a 401K, and what kind of company IS NBC, if that's true. Oh, well, at least she's going to learn that "rich person thing" and turn money into more money.

I'd kind of love it if Fat Jenna became the seasonal joke. The show goes off the air, Jenna gets fat. We'd get her for one, maybe two episodes each season and we wouldn't get so sick of it.

That's how I took it. I agree with an earlier poster that dog fighting seemed too easy, but when Tracey was gearing up to actually fight a dog, I laughed. Actually, I laughed throughout this episode. Can't say enough about Jack's Family Therapy, and Carrie Fisher was great. Best so far of the season.

I also enjoyed what was written on the memo line for Liz's check: Mindless Following.

So, is that $12,000 Liz has $2,000 of her own savings coupled with the $10,000 she was awarded for being a mindless follower?

Aw thank you. I figured it was a political joke, but stupid tv doesn't have the best sound.

I'm still recovering from the non-stop laughing.

Family Therapy is this season's GE Pos Mens Promo. Brilliant!

Loved how Jenna lightly exited from the almost page-off by saying something like "I can't remember how this all got started." and Kenneth's weak response, "You burned my jacket."

I was a little uncomfortable at first with the dog fighting premise, but true to form it turned funny and then became the fodder for the classic Family Therapy segment. I'm glad someone caught that Tracy thought it meant fighting the dog himself and that Dotcom and Gris brought in toy dogs.

A+++ indeed.

Just to promote the show further, in case not everyone knows, 30 Rock episodes can be found on many cable On Demand (current episode) and also on Amazon's "unboxed downloads" (Season 2).

I loved that Rosemary carried a thermos around even before the wine joke.

The flasbacks to childhood have been fabulous all season, did they have any last season?

Dynomite episode and good night of NBC comedies all around - didn't see 'Earl', but 8:30 - 10:00 were all great

I loved the therapy scene, but the Carrie Fisher plot didn't really do it for me. I loved "Little Chechnya," but her character didn't amuse me too much--too sad, maybe? Which is funny because usually the Liz storylines are my favorite parts.

And I loved that Cheers, Cosby and a couple other shows were spun off "Super Computer."

Yes. That is what he thought. Which is why he it is so damn funny.

Always practical advice from Jack. Never go with a hippie to a second location. Alec Baldwin is the best.

I thought that was a fantastic episode. Favorite one, so far. The highlight for me was defintely Jack and Tracy's Therapy act. I agree that Alec Baldwin just needs to submit that clip, and collect that Emmy, he should have already won. Because I can't think of many people, who could have pulled that off, as he did. Alec is simply awesome.

The Liz plot was the weakest, but I did enjoy seeing Carrie Fisher again. The Page-Off was hilarious, especially Kenneth's reaction to his jacket getting burned. And Tracy's dogfighting bit were funny, especially DotCom and Grizz's reactions.

Glad to see that Toofer and Cerie still exist.

30 Rock is getting a season pass based on the Family Therapy bit alone.

Carrie Fisher was good. Hopefully the scent of desperation was intentional for the character?

While it would've been wonderful to actually see the page-off, the fact that Pete broke it up was perhaps even better. It was funny to see Pete (of all characters) go off and end the ridiculousness of the situation.

Baldwin's performance in that therapy session was perhaps the funniest thing he's ever done on the show, and that's saying something. I'm just sorry that Dr. Spaceman wasn't also the NBC staff therapist.

So, no more Rachel Dratch this year?

I'm amazed that "dog penis" is no big deal given how sensitive standards and practices seems to be since Nipplegate.

The page-off's "Beat It" motif was what had me rolling (I know it has its basis in other stuff, but Michael Jackson Thriller-related videos will always be my first reference.)



You really should catch 'Earl'. I used to only catch the last 15 minutes when getting ready to watch "30 Rock" and/or "The Office", and now I've become a full-fledged fan.

I also loved that Pete broke up the craziness of the page-off; it left the storyline open for further development and also was a bit of a joke directed against the viewer who was also caught up in the craziness. We're happy loons here.

I'm sure they could have done wonderful things with Dr. Spaceman as the therapist, but perhaps it would have taken some of the spotlight off of the Baldwin magic. I wouldn't be opposed to Jack sending Tracy to Dr. Spaceman for treatments, however.

I totally marked out on over the "Help me Liz Lemon, you're my only hope" line. Really the only good part of that plot. That may just be because I'm an Oringial Trilogy fan. But I digress. The way I see it, while Tina Fey is the creator of the show and has top billing, she's not too full of herself to write her character into a smaller capcity now and then.
The therapy session: Baldwin may have delivered the lines, but Morgan sold it. As funny as Baldwin was, I really don't think the scene would have worked if it wasn't for Tracy Morgan.
I hope the page rivalry isn't a one show deal. Hopefully Paul Sheer's work on HUMAN GIANT will allow more appearances

I flat out loved this episode. Definitely my favorite of the season so far, and possibly of the series. The family therapy scene just absolutely slayed me, and there were some great throw-off lines as well ("suck it up, nerd," comes to mind).

I give it four out of four dog penes.

I caught a West Side Story clarinet in there amongst the NBC xylophone and the Fight Club set-dressing.

This was the Best Episode I've Ever Seen. I had forgotten that Fisher was going to do an 'only hope' line, so when it came I stood up and cheered. Geeks R Me.

I can't imagine it'd be humanly possible to beat Alec Baldwin for Best Whatever-Kind-of-Male-Role-He-Is In A Comedy.

Also: Carrie Fisher is still the Supreme Monarch of My Universe.

When Jack got to the part of his monologue about "just because you gave me a nickel to bust up your chifferobe," I nearly died. That whole bit was envelope-pushy (Alec Baldwin Presents: A Series of Racial Stereotypes! Brought to you by GE!), but I never thought they'd go to the To Kill a Mockingbird place.

I bet there's really good food in Little Chechnya.

OMG me too, I almost died from laughing. I had to stop my tivo and replay it--I was like, did he just say "chifferobe"? The only reason I even know that word is from reading Flannery O'Connor.

The therapy scene was the funniest thing I've seen on tv in ages. Alec Baldwin does indeed deserve an emmy, just for those three minutes. I always found him funny on this show, but I didn't even realize he could do something like that.

This might be because I'm a Nixon fanatic, but my biggest laugh came from the Haldeman references. That flashback to the mailbox falling over is a perfect representation of dry satire that thinks its brilliant but isn't really anthing. I loved that Jack immediately assumed to being called a mailbox was some sort of reference to Haldeman.

Funniest show I've seen in a long time. Brilliant! And Alec and Tracy together is gold. Alec Baldwin was un-freakin-believable tonight but Tracy's expressions just took the whole bit over the top.

I miss Rachel Dratch! Everytime someone turns a dark corner, I'm hoping to see her there. Bring her back, stat.

Totally great. That and Tina Fey's mockery of her and her character's job. Wonderful. They do manage to say GE a lot on this show.

So many funny lines. I thought it was hilarious when Pete busted up the page-off - the dose of reality ("the phones are ringing off the hook and Conan doesn't have an audience!) perfectly set off the patent absurdity of demerits and banishment to Paramus.

I do agree with poster above though - a little Kenneth goes a long way.

When Jenna wiped up Kenneth's jacket I thought they might have another round of self-loathing sex, but apparently Jenna's heading towards happiness which only exists at the extremes (M'onique vs. Terry Hatcher).

Love Carrie Fisher but glad this won't be a recurring character. We need to see the writers again!

Alec was absolutely brilliant tonight. I would have loved to see how he was going to put Howard Cosell in the mix during Family Therapy. I loved how he added Liz's wine to his glass. Waste not, want not.


Grizz and Dot Com are so long suffering and clever are about Tracy's schemes.

Young Tracy was hilarious on the stoop. The scene was as good as last season's slightly drunk child actor Tracy.

Yay! Pete had a few lines tonight.

Carrie Fisher was a fun treat.

NBC.com needs to put a Page Off on line.

I literally fell over laughing during the therapy scene. I knew that Baldwin could do impressions but that was just brilliant.

I was also happy to see more of Pete in this episode. I loved how Tracy interpreted dog fighting and the way they played the whole joke.

Liz having a 12,000 checking account is great. At least Jack will show her how to do that 'rich people thing.' The way she reacted to the following award coming with 10,000 cracked me up. Seriously, I'll follow for that cash.

Oh god, me too. I just have to add to the love for that therapy scene. I wonder how many takes it took for AB to get it because it was really, really great. I love how Jack just relied solely on every racial stereotype there is. More proof that AB was robbed of his Emmy.



And I love that they had Cerie ask if he was someone who had actually lived because I'm sure there were some in the audience that had no idea who Chuck Haldeman was. Acknowledging that and then making it a running joke makes me love the show even more.

Jackee needs to make a cameo! Maybe on the movie set with Tracy and Frank can hit on her.

Also, while I love Carrie Fisher and the role she played tonight, it messes up Liz's love of "Star Wars." It's sort of like how they mentioned Wayne Brady, but later had him as a guest star playing a Black.

Rosemary: The mailbox was Halderman!
Cerie: Is that someone who lived?

I was slightly disappointed that we didn't get to see the Page-Off.

My Liz Lemon moment: Every time I go to an actual bank teller, they always are horrified at the size of my checking account (I think I actually had 12,000 the last time around). Then they sign me up for credit cards and CDs (I put a lot of money into CDs. I even buy music I don't like.)

I loved the show like everybody else, and Alec should indeed submit the family therapy scene to the Emmys.

I have to kind-of nitpick, though. The Laugh-In scenes had the timeframe all out of wack. Laugh-In left the airwaves at the end of the '72-73 season. Nixon's pardon was Sept., 1974, and the scenes all had a more 1968-69 look to them. The Haldeman joke might've been possible, and he did have a head shaped like a mailbox (kinda) in his buzz-cut days, pre-Watergate - though I'm sure the show did indeed mean that as a shot at overly-dry satire, in non-sequitur (plus, I'm just thinking like a caricaturist here). I don't remember from when I watched Laugh-In as a kid, so some early Watergate humor may've been done, but far from the resignation/pardon period.

Don't mean to get all Studio 60, just needed to set the record straight ;o)

ETA: "Chuck Haldeman", sourdoh? Did Conan do an H.R. "Bob" Haldeman/Chuck Colson "If They Mated"? .... Hey, some people are Star Wars geeks, some are Watergate geeks (relatively speaking) :o)

I totally didn't get the Chuck Haldeman thing. It's one of the things I like about 30 Rock but. They're willing to throw in those jokes that maybe half the audience will get.

And to continue with the weekly continuity thing....anyone else notice the swastika pinwheels in the background during the page-off?

That could totally happen to non-idiots... But in my defense... {/me beats feet out to the bank.}


I thought this whole thing about wanting to push the envelope sounded kinda S60-ish.

The therapy session thing was beyond great. I only wish I hadn't see a mega-spoiler promo of it during MNIE.

I'm also really impressed they went to the trouble to find a set of NBC chimes from the 50s. That is so perfect for the 30 Rock universe's version of NBC page culture. (That particular set is itself a product of an obsessed mind, since the middle bar has to be constructed from a different alloy in order to be physically longer than the third bar yet sound a higher note.)

one more thing: I love, love that the giant check has a memo in the lower left corner: "Mindless Following". It's as if everyone who works on the show constantly finds ways to make things funnier. (and on rewatch, I see that as Liz meets Rosemary, in the foreground, half out of the shot and slightly out of focus, is a book with an image of a Japanese geisha and the words "panese /er Diet" and the subtitles "Lose Weight" and "Feel Asian". (as best as I can read it, anyways.)

Oh god, I'm glad I didn't write "if only they'd done a Bob Colson joke!" Forgive me Watergate geeks! To be fair, I wasn't alive during Watergate, but at least I knew more than Cerie! But she does have me beat when it comes to Greece and Cyprus knowledge. And I see I spread my misinformation to ichabod!

The look Liz gave Jack when they were discussing her money reminded me of when she was amazed to hear about having sex while standing up. There's so much for Jack to teach her.