TV-Reviewed

Taking another page from the life of Tina Fey, in the latest 30 Rock, we see the evolution of an unappealing and awkward version of Liz Lemon into the gorgeous TV mogul that we have come to know and love.

Don Geiss has woken up from his diabetic coma and has decided to remain as head of GE for as long as possible, leaving Jack to mourn his promotion and the thousands of business cards that he had secretly printed up in anticipation. Liz meanwhile has returned home for her school reunion, only to find out that her classmates disliked her because she was often nasty and rude as a means of defending herself from possible attacks. And Jenna and Tracy find their star diminishing within the halls of 30 Rock as Kenneth the Page has become the beloved jokester of the elevators.

30 Rock as of late has made a practice of telling stories that truly highlight the essence of its main characters, which in turn makes every episode feel like such an accomplishment of hilarity. Liz is the neurotic single working gal, Jack is a crazy conservative suit, Tracy and Jenna are performers who thrive on attention – and thus go insane without it. And yet, the show continues to snub the majority of its supporting players, instead focusing on the stars A and B stories outside of the office.

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

With the guest stars having been toned down, this time choosing hardly recognizable Law & Order and The West Wing alum as fellow school alumni, the majority of this episode focuses on Liz trying to make amends with those of her past. The jokes that follow are somewhat typical – the overly flamboyant “straight” man, the tough girl with the bad hair, a melodramatic encounter between Jack, crashing the reunion, and a woman who speaks in mysterious allusions to a story we aren’t privy to.

At this point, even though it’s the best sitcom on network TV, the attempts to keep this series alive are beginning to feel like detriments to those who have been with the show from the beginning. With guests galore and such introductory storylines that focus on the recognizable and award winning stars, every episode is essentially following a new formulaic structure.

Ultimately, the greatest moment comes from Liz’s plane declarations – what is it with this woman and planes – such as urinating in the shower out of laziness and laughing at a blind man’s eating practices. She is a new kind of crazy that I want to know.

Rating: 8