Jack Meets Dennis (30 Nov. 2006)

Liz is back with her ex-boyfriend Dennis, who seemed to be an annoying character in the past. When Liz is on a date with him in a restaurant they meet Jack and Dennis embarrasses Liz in ... See full summary »

Director:

Juan José Campanella

Writers:

Tina Fey (creator), Jack Burditt

Stars:

Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
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
Rachel Dratch	...	Elizabeth Taylor
Keith Powell	...	Toofer
Lonny Ross	...	Josh Girard
Katrina Bowden	...	Cerie
Dean Winters	...	Dennis Duffy
Michael Blackson	...	African Man (as Michael K. Blakson)
Greta Cavazzoni	...	Anastasia
Teddy Coluca	...	Stage Manager

Storyline

Liz is back with her ex-boyfriend Dennis, who seemed to be an annoying character in the past. When Liz is on a date with him in a restaurant they meet Jack and Dennis embarrasses Liz in front of Jack. It gets worse when Dennis shows up in the office. When Jenna lies about her age to Jack, she starts feeling old and decides to do something to look younger. Tracy meanwhile fears he's image turned into that of a nice and normal guy.

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Plot Keywords:

sitcom | character name in title

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Silvercup Studios - 4222 22nd Street, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Broadway Video, Little Stranger, NBC Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Frank's trucker hats read "Ninja Expert" and "Joystick Master."

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Goofs

When Liz is in Jack's office and she works out that Dennis is the Rat King, Liz can be seen wearing a wedding ring.

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Quotes

Tracy Jordan: Did you see this? It's horrible! They're printing libel about me again. Libel, Liz Lemon!
Liz Lemon: Oh..."Normal"! How... dare they?
Tracy Jordan: That's what I'm saying! That's character assassination! That's not normal! It only looks like I'm walking out of a Starbucks, when actually I'm doing the robot going backwards INTO a Starbucks! And I don't even know whose dog that is! Yes, I steal dogs.
Liz Lemon: What is the problem?
Tracy Jordan: I can't be normal. If I'm normal, I'm boring. If I'm boring, I'm not a movie star. If I'm not a movie...
[...]

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Connections

References Annie (1982)

User Reviews

Dean Winters' comeback

Jack Meeets Dennis is the first episode of 30 Rock to rely heavily on a famous guest star. In this case, former Oz inmate Dean Winters.

Winters plays Dennis Duffy, Liz's ex-boyfriend, a textbook loser who sells beepers for a living. Somehow he ends up back together with Liz, causing her to have some off-putting conversations with Jack. As for other TGS cast-members, Jenna panics after lying about her age, while Tracy fears a photo of him walking with a dog might make people think he's a normal guy.

The latter subplot is particularly hilarious thanks to Tracy Morgan's high-energy acting and the ridiculous premise: how many celebrities would actually want to appear crazy to the general public? In the end, though, it's the main story that endears the most, courtesy of an astounding triple act coming from Fey, Baldwin and Winters (plus Rachel Dratch as - hold on - Elizabeth Taylor). The male guest star is a riot to watch, especially since he's best known for playing dramatic roles on Oz or Law & Order: SVU. Alongside his cameo in Sex and the City back in 2000, his portrayal of the demented Dennis constitutes solid proof of his knack for good comedy, and many others will follow his footsteps on the show. Bravo