"30 Rock" Jack Gets in the Game (2007)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Michael Engler

Writers:

Tina Fey (creator)
Robert Carlock (written by)

TV Series:

"30 Rock" (2006)

Original Air Date:

11 October 2007 (Season 2, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Jack's rival, Devon, comes up with a new plan to get in tight with Don Geiss. Kenneth has a plan to get Tracy jealous about his wife, and Jenna finds a way to use her weight gain to her advantage. |

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Boss | Sketch | Writer | New York

Cast

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
Katrina Bowden	...	Cerie (credit only)
Keith Powell	...	Toofer (credit only)
Lonny Ross	...	Josh Girard (credit only)
Will Arnett	...	Devon Banks
Sherri Shepherd	...	Angie Jordan
Chris Parnell	...	Dr. Leo Spaceman
Rip Torn	...	Don Geiss
Kevin Brown	...	Dot Com

Trivia:

The shirt that Devon wears during the football game is the home kit of Italian soccer team AS Roma.

Quotes:

Kenneth Parcell: [to Tracy's recently estranged wife] I'm a real good sex person. I do it all the different ways.

Movie Connections:

References "The Mickey Mouse Club" (1955)

"I'm gonna make your heart explode!"

Jack Gets in the Game is an important episode of 30 Rock's second season for a number of reasons: first of all, it sets a key subplot in motion, namely the race Jack participates in to become Don Geiss's successor; and secondly, it justifies the always welcome return of Rip Torn as Geiss and, even more important, Will Arnett as Devon Banks.

The latter is really the center of the episode, as he shows up unexpected and tells Jack he's no longer gay. In fact, he's engaged to a certain Kathy Geiss (it's clear he's an opportunistic SOB: she's a pain to look at). It doesn't get any better when Banks learns of Jack's recent heart problems and tortures him psychologically during a lunch at Geiss's house. Meanwhile, Tracy needs Kenneth's help for some marital problems, and Jenna has to deal with her unfortunate weight gain.

Once more, 30 Rock proves to be a wonderful cocktail of intelligent silliness, with highlights including Kenneth's conversation with Mrs. Jordan ("I'm a really good sex person. I do it all the different ways"), the pregnancy metaphor regarding Jenna's weight (with yet another funny contribution from Chris Parnell as Dr. Spaceman) and the competition between Baldwin and Arnett as to who comes up with the best piece of idiocy. It's basically a tie when the two discuss Devon's recent conversion to some absurd religion which allegedly made him straight. "The cult invented by Stan Lee?" Jack wonders. "No, Jack, the religion founded by the alien who lives inside Stan Lee.". Priceless.