Best episode yet of 30 Rock.
And it’s worth seeing just for the parody of the Sorkin “walk and talk.” Perfectly executed.
This show’s left me cold every time I’ve watched it. Last night I realized why: It’s Tina Fey.
I was shocked to figure this out. Tina Fey? I love Tina Fey! I have a crush on Tina Fey! How could this happen?
But it’s true. Alec Baldwin, the nerdy little page, and even Tracy Morgan make me laugh when they’re on-screen. But Tina doesn’t. She never seems engaged with the other characters; it’s like they’re on a different show. Her lines feel stagey and overscripted, while everybody around her feels natural (except the writer with the mullet). Her character is supposed to be smart and hip, but she instantly turns into a gulping moron to set up a punchline. The entire enterprise just falls apart when she comes on-screen.
I hope it’s a success, because, as I said above, I dig Tina Fey. But it’ll have to get buy without the coveted jackelope demographic.
(Exapno is right, though; the Sorkin walk-and-talk was brilliant. “Hey, did we just walk in a circle?”)
My favorite line: “Sorry I’m late. I was at a luncheon celebrating Ann Coulter’s 60th birthday.”
I also loved Kenneth cycling along, carrying an illegal fish in a baggie, and singing “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
I saw part of it last night (BTW does anyone know what Fey’s exact line was about the dance party?).
I love Fey as a sketch comedian. I saw her years ago at Second City (back before the makeover and she looked ROUGH let me tell you) and loved her.
She’s not an actress. She over mugs like she is doing stage work not like the camera is literally two feet away. She can’t maintain a steady character it seems.
She honestly is the worst part of the show. And that is sad as hell.
I am loving this show more and more. It seems like the writers are just so… in touch. Like they read magazines, check out blogs, watch other shows and movies. Fey is awkward, but cute high school nerd awkward.
I don’t minder her that much… but by gum I loved last night’s episode. Especially when kenneth goes in to buy the fish. “Sorry But when I’m nervous I ask too many questions. … Is that your cell phone, what plan are you on?”
I just wanted to say that Tracy Morgan — goddamn his soul to hell — is actually funny on this show. I can’t stop saying “So here’s some advice I wish I would’ve got when I was your age: Live every week… like it’s shark week.”
As a matter of fact…
Yeah… the best thing is he is a peripheral character who is screwed up and not the star. He gets memorbale moments but so far he hasn’t been Fonzied into the series despite how the pilot was selling him as the main attraction.
It’s similar to the way Phil Hartman became a secondary character on News Radio so that his craziness didn’t overwhelm the show. Jack Donaghy = Jimmy James as the crazy boss who bothers them all the time. Kenneth = Beth. Tina Fey = Dave Foley as the “normal” person stuck in the middle. Thinking about it, a lot is similar. That’s a good sign, as News Radio was a great show.
