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30 Rock Fodder

30 Rock: Cooter

Jack calls Liz from D.C., where he's starting his first day at Homeland Security. Duties include, "Extreme weather preparedness and the war on the poor." The job is not all it was cracked up to be, even though Jack manages to get a box of pens requisitioned for the staff on his very first day. So when he hears that Don Geiss, still in a coma, spoke his name, he quits. Or rather, tries to quit. His new boss -- affectionately named Cooter Burger -- won't allow him. Looks bad for the department, you know?

Turns out, though, the pens are all caps, no ink. And Cooter is really James Riley, cruelly nicknamed by the President. The two conspire to get fired. They unearth a shameful government secret: a Gay Bomb (not sure how this works in war... but when it goes off, everyone turns gay), and Jack calls in a favor to convince C.C. to do something... (I didn't really follow this part, either) ... which leads to an important Homeland Security meeting, three months later (didn't they want to get fired immediately?!) with Dick Cheney present, in which Cooter knocks over a Gay Bomb, and... well...

I took two things away from this:

1. Somehow portraying Dick Cheney turning gay is like the current equivalent to a "Your Mama" joke. Because, of course, being gay is the ultimate fear of everyone on this show / the best punchline ever. Like when Liz didn't want to appear gay when she befriended the lesbian. Or when Frank "turned gay" for Jamie. Or when Kenneth and Tracy started acting like an old married couple. Or when Jonathan professed his love, in oh so many ways, for Jack.

2. Matthew Broderick, who played Cooter, might have thought he reached Gay Nirvana by starring in "Torch Song Trilogy," or with "The Producers," (speaking of, in reference to the movie version, Gay Bombs) or by marrying the star of "Sex & the City," but that was before he guest-starred on "30 Rock," and almost got to make out with Alec Baldwin. (Watch for the DVD extras.) Which surprises me, a little. I mean, Alec Baldwin made out with Jon Lovitz AND a dog on "Saturday Night Live," as well as that old guy "inhabited by" Meg Ryan in "Prelude to a Kiss." Surely making out with Ferris Bueller is better than all that.

******

Liz is sick to her stomach. Crying in the morning. She struggles to remember when she last had her, as Tracy puts it, "Woman times." Four pregnancy tests come up positive. She tries to consult with Kathy Geiss in lieu of Jack -- only to interrupt Kathy's "Matchbox Car sucking / iron deficiency" session.

So here's the deal: She slept with Dennis. Jenna figures this out immediately, after finding the positive pregnancy tests and Liz acts all secretive. Why Dennis, and not Floyd? Well, that's like asking, "Why the two steps forward, and not the three steps back?" Who needs forward motion? Jenna insists Liz see a doctor to verify. And then Dennis finds out. And then Liz, despite the Dennis / Daddy / Gagging at the Thought thing, gets excited that she might become a mother. And then she finds out it was a false alarm, brought on by bull semen in her favorite snack.

Still, it's all good. Liz realizes she wants to adopt a baby, and Jack offers to help her through the process. How exciting! That sounds so much easier than working things out with Floyd and just getting pregnant! And nothing like Tracy's vow to adopt, just a few episodes back! And it's a total twist on that movie out right now about the woman with the surrogate mother! Good work, Liz Lemon!

******

Kenneth - Wants to be an NBC page at Olympic Games, but Donny Lawson -- the Head Page and Kenneth's Arch Rival / Nemesis -- delays the memo. Still, with one day to write an essay, Jenna teaches Kenneth about the Back Door Brag. Slipping self-praise behind ordinary sentences. For instance:

Jenna: It's hard for me to watch "American Idol," because I have perfect pitch.

Or:

Jenna: You're so beautiful, in every way. I see myself in you.

But when that doesn't work, Jenna makes Kenneth a video essay, praising him (and herself). He almost gets delayed by Donny, but still turns his application in on time. Wins the job. Goes to the Olympics. Flirts with some Lucy Liu geisha / athlete. And then terrorists strike, and... Am I still watching "30 Rock"?? Did I turn the channel to an episode of "The A-Team" or something?

******

Tracy finishes his Porn Video Game. Frank plays it for three months. (Cue laughter.)


Best Lines

Jack: I have to go. It's time for my Freedom Search.

Tracy: Don't overthink it. I don't need another Judi Dench situation.

Liz: You had a three-way with Roseanne and Tom Arnold.
Jenna: That was two years ago!

Dennis: I know what "prenatal" means. "Pre." Prior. Before. "Natal." Ruined. Yeah.

Jack: A guaranteed disaster. Like eating a burrito before sex.

Frank: I got an "Additional Filth By" credit!
Tracy: You earned it.

Jack: You're going to get an urge to cut your hair very short. Fight that.


Posted by Chad on May 9, 2008 12:09 AM
Permalink |






I worked on a hysterical film with Alec and Matthew called THE LAST SHOT. The outtakes made me ROFLMAO. I liked that they brought the two together again for this ep. I hope we see more of Matt.

-- Posted by: Connie at May 9, 2008 2:15 PM

so informative, thanks to tell us.

-- Posted by: DedoVioheds at September 29, 2010 8:51 PM

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