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30 Rock - Season 3, Episode 2: "Believe in the Stars" 
Fri, Nov 7
30 Rock is a hilarious show. No one can dispute this, and last night's episode was no exception. But with the formula they've got right now, this series is heading for disaster. I was speaking about the series this morning with a certain comedy writer, who described the series (and I'm paraphrasing here) as someone who lives off Snickers bars. It's delicious and tastes great right now, but it cannot sustain you in the long run, and it doesn't give you anything of any real substance. Allow me to explain:
Right now, 30 Rock is straddling the line between two comedy camps. On one side, you've got absurdist, self-contained, character-driven comedy. This is where characters like Kenneth, Tracy and Jenna get to shine; where Tina drinks wine on a treadmill; where Jack collects cookie jars, etc. On the other side, you've got more traditional, realistic situational comedy. Stuff like Liz buying a wedding dress, going before the co-op board, Jack juggling his secret romance with Cece, Jack bring Tracy to the golf weekend with Don Guise-- these are believable, motivated situations.
So what's going on now? 30 Rock can't decide which it wants to be, and has a poor balance of both elements right now as a result. The type of comedy series you basically depends on your absurdity to realism ratio. For instance, Arrested Development is ultimate perfection, the perfect 1:1 to ratio, equal parts absurd and relatable. GOB might be a magician who blows up a yacht, but he does it because he wants the approval of his father and brother. The Office is more like 70% real, 30% absurd. You've got Dwight throwing a baby stroller with a watermelon strapped in off a pile of tires, but you've also got Michael dealing with the realization that he has no connection to Jan's baby, which is sad and sympathetic.
30 Rock has too little of each side. It wants to be absurd-- for instance, last night's Tracy/White Chicks and Jenna/Blackface showdown was ridiculously absurd. But then they sort of glossed over the big potential comedy moments here-- yes, it was funny to see them like that, but there were no consequences, no fireworks, no ramifications whatsoever. It was just like "ok, blackface? Check. Moving on."
It also tries to be realistic -- Liz is overworked and wants a baby. But when do we ever really see Liz be overworked? Yes, Jenna and Tracy always annoy her, but when does she ever actually work on the show? When does she have to deal with network ratings, hosts, musical guests, blow-ups on set, etc.? Where are the real stakes? Where is our serialized story arc and emotional development of the characters?
In earlier seasons, 30 Rock had the balance down perfectly. We had Liz Lemon, a single woman showrunner of "The Girlie Show," having to deal with her tight ass new boss Jack, who brings in out-of-control movie star Tracy Jordan, changing the whole face of her comedy series. With 30 Rock anchored in to this believable, realistically motivated framework, you could have absurd moments like "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" and then go back to the solid narrative backbone. Now, we have no solid narrative backbone for the comedy to latch onto. You've got momentarily satisfying jokes that come and go, doing all the heavy lifting because there's nothing else going on. But you can't ask your little one-off bits and absurd jokes to be the focus of your show if you're not a totally absurd, episodic show like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
So what can 30 Rock do? Here are my 3 suggestions:
1. Stop with the celebrity guest stars, unless you're going to use them like Chuck does. I covered this a few weeks back, but as a refresher, Chuck casts guest stars in roles that are big enough to feature the star, but are small enough not to overshadow the main narrative. Also, the guest star's role must be integral to the development of the story. Basically, they write a part that would be 100% important and necessary even there weren't a famous person in it. Last night, without Oprah being Oprah, you have no 30 Rock episode. There just isn't enough time in a 22 minute comedy to spend all the time focusing on guest stars when you've got main cast members that need stakes, emotional development, and character arcs.
2. Get back to TGS. What is this show about? The cast and crew of an NBC comedy show. The way the last few episodes have been, going into last season, you'd totally forget this. The Office is about the people who work in an office. It's about the characters first and foremost, but their lives and interactions are framed by their connections to the everyday goings-on in the office. So you'd think 30 Rock should be about the people who work in 30 Rockefeller Plaza-- it would be about the characters, but anchored into the actual activities of people who work on a television show. Get back to this and you get actual stakes (is our show doing well? Is Liz's contract up for negotiation? Is another show trying to pry Tracy from them? Is it "Bring Your Daughter to Work" Day?)
3. Let the characters be the heart. This show used to be about Liz, Jack, Tracy, Jenna and Kenneth. Their interactions, their hopes, their dreams, their growth, their relationships, etc. Now? I couldn't really tell you what it's about, but I know I don't feel connected to anyone on this show. The series needs to go back to its roots and make this show about silly characters with real wants and emotions. Without that real emotional element, the show is all silly and no substance. And if you just want silly, watch Kath & Kim (and then kill yourself).
Grade: C+ 30 Rock is a hilarious show. No one can dispute this, and last night’s episode was no except
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