(S03E11) "Nice ... you mean like stew?" - Liz to Jack, about what dinner to make Drew

OK, I think it's officially time to call out an APB on Josh and the rest of the writing staff. They're missing again this week. Not many supporting characters at all this week. Even Jenna had only one quick (though very funny) scene, while Frank was reduced to just handing off one of the subplots to Kenneth. I really want to see this show get back to some episodes about TGS and NBC and the inner working of the show. It's like TGS is on summer hiatus or something.

Having said that, this episode was quite good.

I kinda wish the whole Jack/Elisa story was over, because we all know the relationship isn't going anywhere. But Salma Hayek is always good for one really funny line, and Jack's church phone call/prayer to Jonathan was hysterical, as was the scene in the confessional. But in general, I'd rather see Jack back at his office at NBC interfering with TGS and helping Liz with her life. Instead, the only NBC stuff we get is Tracy doing a Cyrano for Kenneth's romance of a blind woman. Not a bad subplot, I guess, though my favorite part was Jenna impersonating Michael Macdonald.

Liz's life seems to be going pretty well, though. Sure, we learned tonight that Drew is normal but his family might not be. His teenage daughter drinks? His mom dies in the hospital, but not before telling Liz that she's actually Drew's grandmother and his aunt is his mom? And all of this happens on the same night as Liz and Drew's first date? That's all kinds of crazy. Jon Hamm only has one more episode left, so I wonder how they're going to write him out. Hopefully it will leave the door open for future visits.

More quotes:

"Hello, regular person Lemon." - Drew, to Liz, who said "Hello, Dr. Baird."

"We are us. Let a McFlurry be what it is: the world's best dessert" - Elisa

"I wouldn't have this job if it wasn't for the mouth in my back." - Kenneth

"I don't know, you ever put a donut in the microwave?" - Liz

"Thanks, I found it at Dunkin' ... wait a minute." - Liz, about her scarf

"Yeah, you still have that rotting pumpkin in the corner, so I have a feeling you don't have a great instinct for what month it is." - Drew, to Liz

"I feel all car sick inside." - Kenneth

"My instincts have never let me down. Except for that eclipse." - Jennifer

"Thanks, it's my own recipe. I use cheddar cheese instead of water." - Liz

"OK, I guess we just jumped ahead to date four." - Liz

"Mandy. Is that a male friend, like Mandy Patinkin?" - Liz

"I found it on my favorite web site ... stop showing off, Dot.com!" - Tracy

"I have faith ... in things that I can buy and sell and deregulate. Capitalism is my religion." - Jack

"I once declared 'I am God' during a deposition." - Jack, a reference to Alec Baldwin's role in Malice

"I need backup! Harvard did not prepare me for this." - Priest, after Jack's confession

"How dare you say that in front of a statue of St. Lucia, the patron saint of judge mental statues!" - Elisa

"Kenneth, why do you suddenly sound white?" - Jennifer

"I may have sodomized our former vice president while under the influence of some weapons grade narcotics. Oh, it feel good to say that one out loud actually. That one was weighing on me." - Jack

"I believe we were brought together by the most successful capitalist enterprise in the history of the world. Despite the McLean Deluxe and the McEmu." - Jack