The DVD Dissection: 30 Rock – Season 3
Posted by Chad Webb on 10.08.2009
The series that racks up the awards checks in with another season, but how good is it?
Tina Fey: Liz Lemon
Tracy Morgan: Tracy Jordan
Jane Krakowski: Jenna Maroney
Jack McBrayer: Kenneth Parcell
Scott Adsit: Pete Hornberger
Judah Friedlander: Frank Rossitano
Alec Baldwin: Jack Donaghy
Keith Powell: Toofer
Katrina Bowden: Cerie
Created By: Tina Fey
Directed By: Don Scardino/Michael Engler/Adam Bernstein/Gail Mancuso
Written By: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and others
DVD Release Date: September 22, 2009
DVD Running Time: 8 hours and 6 minutes
Not Rated
The Show
30 Rock is a television comedy series created by Tina Fey. It is produced with a single camera setup, and follows the goings on behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show called The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan. The title comes from “30 Rockefeller Center”, the address where the show takes place. Some scenes are filmed there, but most are not.
The ensemble cast focuses on ten regulars counting Fey. She is Liz Lemon, the head writer who must control the new star Tracy Jordan, and take orders from the new Executive Producer Jack Donaghy. Jack Donaghy is played by Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Jordan is played by Tracy Morgan. Jane Krakowski is Jenna, Liz’s best friend and star of TGS who gets pushed aside when Tracy comes along. Jack McBrayer is Kenneth, the easygoing and overly positive page at the building. Scott Adsit is Pete, one of Liz’s friends and the producer that aids in managing the writing team comprised of Judah Friedlander as Frank, among others. 30 Rock also has many recurring characters. Everyone is pretty magnificent, especially Baldwin, who basically channels his character from Glengarry Glen Ross. I was never a fan of Tracy Morgan, but I confess, he has grown on me little by little the more I watch this. Even if it is his style integrated to the story, it fits. Besides Donaghy, I would say Jenna is my second favorite character. Kenneth’s shtick has become repetitive at times, though he is still outstanding, but Jenna has really emerged as a female comic to watch.
In 2002, Fey was the head writer of Saturday Night Live. It was then that she used her experience from that show as a pitch for a new series that would become 30 Rock. She was originally not going to star in it, but the network urged her. It would undergo many changes until the result we watch emerged. Fey was an enormous part in the casting process, hiring friends and former SNL cast mates for roles. The initial response was glowing reviews from critics, while it struggled to find an audience with reliable viewers. As usual, TV critics usually have little influence. Commonly the most critically praised shows do not end up lasting. Hopefully that is not the case here.
I was introduced to 30 Rock by my fiancée, who has always been a big fan of Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey. She kept pushing me to watch the pilot with her, to which I was not enthusiastic because I was not crazy about Fey’s comedy. I did watch the pilot, failed to laugh much, and dismissed the series from that point on. Neither one of us talked about it until it starting winning award after award. I decided I should give it another try in case I missed something. I bought and loved the first season, which had so many terrific episodes. The show is best described as being similar to Arrested Development, also brilliant. You must watch it from the beginning and get to know the characters so you laugh harder when they do silly things. It is for this reason that viewers have failed to expand. It is known that when taking TiVo and other media into consideration, the ratings for 30 Rock increase dramatically.
The second season continued the streak of witty and random comedy with rich characters and ridiculously uproarious situations. The amount of interchangeable jokes definitely increased as I noticed more flashbacks than ever before, but at the same time the plot advancing material was intact. That season is superb, but is handicapped obviously due to the writer’s strike. It lacks a flow from start to finish, despite many masterful episodes. The difference between this and the 2007 cancelled series based on a sketch program, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, is the genre. No one wants to watch a serious show about a sketch series. The right show lasted longer, but the fate of 30 Rock is very much up in the air unless they can acquire a substantial amount of new viewers.
The third season is consistent with the witty writing and superb performances from the cast and crew. The humor in this season seems to contain more interchangeable jokes that would be in-line with the Family Guy brand of humor. This is fine, and can be hysterical, but this show does not need to do that all the time. The guest stars are more popular now, but this season proves that those stars do not always mix well with the comedy and the cast chemistry. Having said all this, season three cements that unless a huge decrease in ratings occurs, 30 Rock will be around for awhile, or at least a healthy run.
The Episodes
DISC 1
Do-Over - Liz is trying to adopt a child, and does not want the “TGS” staff to ruin her chances when the evaluator stops by. Meanwhile, Jack is back and wants to reclaim his position from Devin Banks, but receives a sizeable demotion instead. Jack working in the mail room, making fun of Dick Cheney, and seducing Kathy Geiss is priceless stuff. 8.5/10
Believe in the Stars - On a flight back from Chicago, Liz sits next to Oprah Winfrey, and pours her soul out to her. Back in NYC, Jenna and Tracy are arguing over whose life is harder, while Jack is busy being tested by Kenneth after an Olympics snafu. This is a great episode, and Oprah’s appearance is golden. Jenna and Tracy’s role switch is hilarious, as are the Olympic events. 9/10
The One with the Cast of Night Court - Liz and Jenna’s free-spirited friend Claire visits and falls in love with Jack. Kenneth is upset because of the new page uniforms, so Tracy surprises him with a reunion of the cast of Night Court. This has loads of guest stars, among them Jennifer Aniston, and the obvious. I must admit, I am disappointed we had no John Laroquette, but this episode was terrific. Aniston did not mesh well with Tine Fey, but she looked like she was having fun. 8/10
Gavin Volure - Eccentric businessman Gavin Volure becomes infatuated with Liz. Meanwhile, Tracy fears his kids have sinister plans to harm him, and Kenneth entrusts Jack to invest his savings in Gavin’s business venture. Steve Martin is Gavin, and I know he’s friends with Fey, but he is so over the top here, and he has little chemistry with the cast. The sub-plot with Tracy’s kids was kind of lame too. 6/10
Reunion - Liz does not want to go to her high school reunion, but Jack convinces her otherwise. At the same time, Don Geiss awakens from his coma, and reveals a shocking name for CEO. The jokes with Kenneth and the 7 minutes in Heaven part were good, but this was an average episode overall. 7.5/10.0
Christmas Special - Liz participates in a charity program to help underprivileged kids for the holidays, while Jack takes his frustrations out on the “TGS” staff when his plans for a holiday vacation go away as his mother crashes them. Jack’s comment about his mother being the “Terminator” with her new metal hip was outstanding, and Elaine Stritch is wonderful as his mother. 8/10
Senor Macho Solo - Jenna is concerned that Liz’s attraction to a new guy has something to do with her wanting a child. Jack stays busy by hitting it off with his mother’s nurse, helping Tracy and his wife arrange a post-nup, and getting Jenna an audition in a Janis Joplin biopic. Peter Dinklage is the love interest for Liz, and he is a fabulous underrated actor, and this begins Salma Hayek’s brilliant contribution to the show. She is sexy and funny. 9/10
Flu Shot - Liz fights for the staff’s rights to get flu shots from Dr. Spaceman. Meanwhile, since Elisa works 7 days a week, Jack must be creative at spending time with her. Liz does a dance for a flu shot in this episode that ranks with the funniest moments of the series. 8/10
DISC 2
Retreat to Move Forward - Liz accompanies Jack on a Corporate retreat, and ends up embarrassing him heavily. Back at the show, Jenna and Frank sleep together, and Kenneth tries to scare Tracy into eating healthier because of his diabetes. The corporate retreat is hilarious with a funny character named Prashant and a Lego building exercise. I believe this is the episode that ended with the superb Janis Joplin cover. 8/10
Generalissimo - Elisa's grandmother is visiting, but she hates Jack because he looks like a character from a telenovela. Meanwhile, Liz uses that same character's dirty action to pry in her attractive neighbor's mail. Jon Hamm from Mad Men guest stars for a few episodes as the neighbor. This is a storyline that could only work to fans of the series. It really is way too silly even for this show though. 6/10
St. Valentine's Day - Liz finally goes out with Dr. Baird (Jon Hamm), but the date is a disaster. Also, Elisa makes Jack go to church and confess, while Kenneth has a date with a blind girl. This is also very silly, but hearing Jack confess is outstanding, and Liz's date contains some very authentic feeling moments for what a bad date would be. Also, Salma Hayek is a goddess in the outfits for this show. 7/10
Larry King - After an Asian economic meltdown, Tracy gives some poor advice while he is on Larry King Live. At the same time, the relationship with Jack and Elisa is in jeopardy, and Liz tries to obtain her cell phone from a cab driver who is blackmailing her. Jack finally scores with Elisa here, and Dr, Spaceman is in this episode, which is always nice, and they even use VHS. 7/10
Goodbye, My Friend - Liz meets a donut store clerk who is willing to give her baby up, so Liz plans to adopt it. Also, Jack tries to convince Frank to return to law school, and Jenna tries to get attention for her birthday. This episode features a lot of Harry and the Hendersons references, and even a cameo from John Lithgow, which is just priceless. The Jenna/Tracy party fiasco was kind of dumb though. 8.5/10
The Funcooker - Jack enlists the writing staff to think of a name for GE's new mini-microwave, while Liz is busy trying to get out of jury duty. Meanwhile, Jenna is given pills from Dr. Spaceman to stay awake, and Tracy wants to get fined by the FCC. The mini-microwave names are funny, and Liz's ploy to escape jury duty is hilarious. 8/10
The Bubble - Liz is still dating Dr. Baird, but she realizes that he receives overly kind treatment from people based on his looks. This refers to the title of the episode because that is where Dr. Drew lives figuratively. Tracy is busy negotiating his contract with the show, and Jenna aims to cut her hair for publicity. This is where Jon Hamm really got to shine in his bit part. Though the scenes with him are exaggerated, it is the positive kind of exaggerated. And Kenneth's Cranston voice is terrific. 8/10
Apollo, Apollo - Liz's ex-boyfriend Dennis appears once more, and Liz discovers he slept with Jenna. At the show, Jack has received some home movies from his mother, and he starts reminiscing about his youthful happiness. Also, Tracy tries to realize his dream of going into space. Adam West has an amusing guest star cameo for Jack's party where he mispronounces his name, but the memorable scene is Liz's phone sex video. 8.5/10
DISC 3
Cutbacks - Liz is ordered to make cutbacks, and she wis willing to do anything to avoid them. Jack must fire his assistant Jonathan, which then forces him to hire Kenneth as a fill-in. Jonathan's farewell song to Jack is great, as are Jack's three D's for training Kenneth. The stuff with Tracy and Jenna is Kenneth's apartment is pretty comical as well. 7.5/10
Jackie Jomp-Jomp - Jack tries to use an accidental obituary for Jenna into a marketing ploy for her new Janis Joplin biopic. Meanwhile Liz is in a counseling group for sexual harassment, and must take off work. She then makes friends with other women who stay home. The sub-plot with Kenneth and the dancer was weak because they never mention it again, but I love the Janis Joplin jokes, which makes up for the oddness of the rest of this episode. 6.5/10
The Ones - Jack has second thoughts about marrying Elisa when he discovers she killed her first husband for cheating. At the same time, Jenna tries to find the identity of a sexy paramedic, and Tracy is told to by his wife to get a tattoo of her. This was funny, but extremely dark for this show, and the reasoning for getting rid of Elisa is sour on me after thinking about it. 6.5/10
The Natural Order - Jack's mother visits again, but this time she has brought her new man, who happens to be married. Also, Liz enacts a "no preferential treatment" for the cast of "TGS", specifically Tracy. However, this ends up applying to Liz too. Jack's private investigator, Lenny, appears once more, and he is played hilariously by Steve Buscemi. Liz and Tracy's jabs back and forth are also good, and the ending is a shocker (a rather lame one). 8.5/10
Mamma Mia - The title refers to an effort to help Jack locate his true father. At the same time, Tracy has some guy claiming to be his son. Also, Jenna and Liz attend a magazine photo shoot for a new catch phrase that is popular. Alan Alda is the main guest star, so it is plainly obvious who the father is, but it's still pretty funny. I don't like the Jack's missing father story arc because it feels like something this show would make fun of, but oh well, I'll go with the flow. 7/10
Kidney Now! - The season finale has Tina fey pulling out all the stops as Jack is determined to find a kidney for his father, Milton Green. He gets help from a series of musicians who must write a song for charity to help get the kidney faster. The advice Liz gives on the talk show is also witty and a good time. Tracy's graduation speech lacks the creativity or laughs of the other sub-plots, but this is still as perfect as any episode this season. Seeing Steve Earle, Wyclef Jean, and Michael McDonald sing together with the Beastie Boys and many others is just magnificent. 10/10
The Video
The picture quality of 30 Rock is one of the most immediately attracting facets of the show. The set design and camera work is very clear and bright with vivid visuals and a vast array of colors to catch the eye. The colors do not bleed, and the transfer radiates as superior to any broadcast level. I detected little, if any, defects, which means no grain, blurry spots, or edge enhancement. The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1.
The Audio
No complaints in the audio department either. This is still not a show that will give the speakers a tiring workout, but the dialogue is lucid and understandable, and the jazzy music from Tina Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond is first-rate. The sound is persistently upbeat and optimistic, which is nice. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0.
The Packaging
30 Rock – Season 3 is distributed in a digipak cardboard case with a slip sleeve on top of that. The disc placement is the same as the season 2 package, and even though they have changed the layout before, it is still tight and compact. The menus are images from the cover. They are easy to navigate.
The Extras
Audio Commentaries - If this series is side-splitting in terms of writing and acting, the commentary tracks are almost the opposite. Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond, the creator and the composer, team up, but you will notice long gaps with no talking, which is always frustrating. Other cast members join together, but it becomes a conversation between the two of them with little care for the episode. Alan Alda is on a track as well, which is fine. Overall, none of these seasons have had great commentaries, but they are appreciated for the effort anyway.
Deleted Scenes - A collection of 13 deleted scenes consist of very brief segments with one or two jokes at the most. Most of these will only be viewed and be amusing if you are an avid fan. The one with Kathy Geiss and her cravings is good, as is the mysterious “Edison Terrace.”
Behind the Scenes with the Muppets (3:10) – This is self-explanatory. You see the people holding the Muppet characters, and one guy keeps messing up, yet stays in a character voice. That was funny, but there wasn’t much to see here.
Kidney Now Table Read (31:26) – One of these is included with each season, and they are basically the entire cast reading their various lines around a table. Obviously the guest stars are not present.
The Making of “He Needs a Kidney” (12:23) – Easily the best extra on the pack, this features interviews with Jeff Richmond and other crew members that helped with the season finale song. The crew chats about their thoughts on the musicians, and it is fun to watch everyone converse.
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery - This contains 22 stills in all. Always a neat bonus.
Alec Baldwin’s SNL Monologue (4:50) – This is a creative special feature that has Baldwin making fun of himself, and Jack McBrayer also shows up as an audience member.
Tracy Jordan’s Rant (2:08) – This is Tracy Morgan’s version of the Christian Bale rant. This was funny, but Richard Roeper’s was better.
Awards Acceptance Speeches - This is just Fey and Baldwin's Emmy acceptance speeches from 2008 and Tracy Morgan's acceptance (on behalf of the entire show) from the 2009 Golden Globes. Since the speeches were funny, one doesn’t care that they are patting themselves on the back. They should be proud of their awards.
The Show: 8.5/10.0
The Episodes: 8.0/10.0
The Video: 8.5/10.0
The Audio: 8.0/10.0
The Extras: 9.0/10.0
The 411: This season of 30 Rock featured some of their best writing and some of their worst. The series is having trouble choosing between interchangeable humor and humor that only fans would want. Season 2 found that balance rather well. Still, the increase of guest stars was a definite positive for this season, and even though some of the sub-plots were lame, this was another solid and hilariously terrific round of 30 Rock. This series is always worth watching, if only for the banter of Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. The DVD set is about the same as the previous two. The technical specifications meet the necessary requirements, and the extras are loaded better than most TV show sets. If you haven’t checked out the show yet, you need to get on the ball!
