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February 12, 2012
 
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30 Rock: Hard Ball

by Julia Ward, posted Feb 23rd 2007 2:43AM

Tracy Morgan 30 Rock Hard Ball(S01E15) Let's skip the foreplay, get straight to the penetra-sch. Three storylines. Josh's negotiation. Kenneth's induction into Tracy's entourage. Jenna's Maxim gaffe. All brilliant.

Despite the perennial grousing about the dearth of good comedy on TV, Thursday nights alone are a careful, VCR-assisted juggling act for me between The Office, The Sarah Silverman Program, Ugly Betty and 30 Rock. It's like a mini-golden age of comedic goodness. The best part is that each show couldn't be more different from the other. 30 Rock doesn't do telenovela plot twists or series-long character arcs or queffing episodes. Well, they might do a queffing episode if that were permissible on network television. What 30 Rock does best is goofy set pieces, zippy one-liners and Alec Baldwin. So, let's get straight to the goods, shall we? An inventory, if you will.

Alec Baldwin:
When is it not good to see Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross hard ball mode. His negotiation scenes were gold as was his line delivery, but that's not unique to this episode hence the Golden Globe.

Memorable Lines:
"I love cornbread so much I want to take it behind the middle school, and get it pregnant."
"What happened in your childhood to make you believe that people are good?"
"I was great in that Arliss."
"Would Sharon Stone worry about that?"
Jenna to Tucker Carlson: "For someone who's super, super hot, you're really cranky."
"Do you ever get any emails from anyone other than Match.com?"
"That lady you European-kissed last night was actually a gentlemen."
"The worm - that's so degrading. Are its origins German?"
"The crab is getting aroused. Shut it down. Shut it down."

Memorable Gags:
The negotiation set.
Tina's knowing wink at the audience post-"I love America" speech.
The Bodyguard entourage send-up with Gris and Dotcom.
Tracy handing Kenneth three remotes to turn his TV on. "TV on. Pornography."

It's just so satisfying to see a show come together as 30 Rock has these past few weeks - settling into its rhythm, finding its feet, insert your own metaphor here. Better yet, skip the metaphor, and go A-Team. Imagine Tina Fey - grinning, cigar in mouth, at the head of the writer's room - "I love it when a plan comes together."

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BB

Ok... ok... I give up... where did that "ya burnt"
line come from originally?
(I can't stop saying it!)

Is it from other reference somewhere?

-BB

March 03 2007 at 11:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jen

I laughed quite loudly at the "If the president is so serious about the War on Terror, why doesn't he hunt down and capture Barak Obama before he strikes again? It's time for a change, America! That's why I'm voting for Osama in 2008! Oh? No comeback? Ya burnt!"

And then the American swastikas....haha!!

February 24 2007 at 8:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bunz

I can't decide if it's more humourous or more sad that i totally got/related to josh's discount line... everyone in the vicinity really does get a rock center discount

February 24 2007 at 12:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CincodeMayo1

I totally agree this show's really come together in the past month or so. And next to the Gerhardt Hapsburg episode, this was 2nd funniest to date.

February 23 2007 at 5:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wendy Mac

This was the funniest show yet! It was laugh out loud funny, which is more than the other 3 comedies got from me last night.

February 23 2007 at 2:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Amy

Pinwheel swastikas. Priceless.

February 23 2007 at 12:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bgdc

I admit it, 30 Rock is now the funniest thing on TV. I look forward to it in the same way I'd pine for Arrested Development each week.

The lines are brilliant, characters hilarious and they do a great job at taking tons of jabs at our culture.

February 23 2007 at 12:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
meeno01

The best part of the show was:

Tracy : TV On! Pornography!

February 23 2007 at 11:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
McGone

The highlight for me every week is how Baldwin makes me laugh by not doing anything at all. This week it was when Lemon stormed into his office and told him to crush Josh. All Baldwin did was smirk and blink and I was laughing. The man is a freaking comedic genius.

February 23 2007 at 11:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gd

the best nearly missed moment: Josh taking a picture of the inside of his mouth with his cellphone and asking Liz "does my vulva look swollen?"

"Mano a Toddler"

brilliant show all around.

February 23 2007 at 11:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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