TV Review: 30 Rock – The Bubble
Posted by Jim Rohner (jim@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 19, 2009
30 Rock, NBC, Airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c
Episode: “The Bubble” (Season 3, Episode 15)
Synopsis: When Liz begins to realize that Drew (Jon Hamm) is able to get away with things other people can’t, Jack explains it’s because Drew is within “The Bubble,” which allows attractive people special treatment. Meanwhile, Jack has problems of his own when Tracy leaves TGS during his contract re-negotiation because he doesn’t need the money.
Review: Tonight’s episode revolved around Tracy and Kenneth more so than usual, but luckily, perhaps because it was penned by series creator Tina Fey, the characters don’t suffer through a second of the inconsistencies that have plagued them on and off all season. Both are fueled with some pretty good jokes to make their subplot worthwhile including Kenneth’s admission that Jenna resembles what he always pictured Mary Magdalene to look like and Tracy’s mental lapse in his contract negotiations (”sorry it took me so long to answer. I was just thinking about how weird it is that we eat birds.”) The bird joke in particular is extra funny if you recall the episode in season 2 when Tracy took time to berate a pigeon on the street (”stop eating other people’s french fries, don’t you have any dignity? You can fly you know.”)
There’s also a hint of a touching thread found in the friendship between he and Kenneth with the page knowing exactly what Tracy has a craving for (jerk chicken and a catalog of expectant mothers in their swimsuits) and later being torn up inside that he has to lie to Tracy in order to lure him back to the studio. All the focus on Tracy and his contract negotiations of course brings out the jealousy in Jenna. Though there is one hilarious gag associated with her (a “Who wore it better?” magazine article puts her way behind Miss Piggy 84% to 16%), the Tracy/Jenna feud is getting a bit tired especially since it’s pretty one-sided. It’s about time to either settle the dispute somehow or give Jenna a subplot of her own that will keep her distracted. Of all the characters and their quirks, Jenna’s egotism is wearing the most thin.
Like Salma Hayek before him, John Hamm’s short stint on 30 Rock has come to an end. It’s a bit of a shame because Hamm played the part of the humble, handsome doctor very well and there was a real tenderness in his scenes with Fey. However, that also really accentuates the contrast with previous episodes when he devolves into an oblivious dimwit in this one. Not only does Liz discover that being attractive can get Drew out of parking tickets and long waits in restaurants (and into Calvin Klein underwear ads apparently), but it’s also implied that he may have been given his doctorate because of his existence inside The Bubble – after all, he’s a doctor that doesn’t know the Heimlich maneuver. It would’ve been nice to have some hints of this cluelessness in previous episodes so it wasn’t such a surprise tonight. It’d be nice to see Fey with stick with someone at least for a little while though it ultimately won’t matter if she ends up with Jack as I’m predicting. Does anybody else think this is a possibility?
With so much attention paid to these other subplots, there isn’t much room for Jack Donaghy. He has his moments here and there, but if an outsider were to use tonight’s episode as their only gauge, I could understand why they might have questions about why Alec Baldwin is so lauded for the role. There’s an uneven conversation between Jack and Tracy’s sons, Tracy Jr. (Role Model’s Bobb’e J. Thompson) and George Foreman, about how to get Tracy back to work. Tracy Jr., in a little suit and tie, dominates the conversation with a Jesse Jackson intensity (”Do you know what [Tracy] packed me for lunch? Mayonnaise and a pack of cigarettes”) and it’s a little odd and off-putting to see Jack Donaghy ordered around by a child.
Also, what other priorities do Grizz Chapman and Kevin Brown have right now that keep Grizz and Dot Com in the background of every episode?
Favorite Quote: [Jack} - "That is the danger of being super handsome. When you're in The Bubble no one ever tells you the truth. For years I thought I spoke excellent French: (subtitles) Ffffghgg csdlkfj gekjl.
Grade: B. Give me more Jack, more Grizz and Dot Com and something worthwhile for Jenna and we’ll talk.
Read More: 30 Rock Recaps
Did anyone else see this week’s episode? Your thoughts?
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