30 Rock Review: Soccer. Jazz. Infidelity.
On the heels of the announcement that the series was picked up by NBC for a seventh and final season, 30 Rock aired a staggeringly average episode in "The Return of Avery Jessup."
The originality and creativity involved in recent outings such "Live From Studio 6H" and "Queen of Jordan 2" make them inherently divisive. People will either respond well to such comedy... or hate everyone for putting it on their televisions.
On the other side of the spectrum is an episode like "The Return of Avery Jessup," which seemed impossible to love or hate, because it was just so run of the mill. If you enjoy watching 30 Rock, you probably thought this was fine. If you don't like 30 Rock, why are you reading this review?
As I've said a number of times before, 30 Rock is such a great show because even when it doesn't fire on all cylinders creatively, there are always enough jokes to make it a worthwhile 30 minutes.
Even though Jenna's wedding sponsor plot wasn't overwhelmingly funny, it gave us Tracy's made up Bronx language, along with Kenneth showing Jenna how to walk like a southern hick.
While I didn't get fully invested in Jack and Avery's mental battle upon her return, I loved every cut away to the fake news in Korea. I mean, Kim Jong Un winning NBA games? The constant reminders that Kim Jong Il is still alive? That was great stuff.
And finally, I could care less about Liz and Criss's relationship issues, but we still got Lemon's "Duck?!?!" as well as her Prime Suspect hat. As you see, hitting on a number of one-off jokes can make a any episode of 30 Rock worth your time.
Was it worth your time? Was this a mediocre episode of 30 Rock, or was it your favorite of the season? Are you excited that the show is coming back for season seven, or upset that it will be the final one?
Check out some of our favorite lines of the night below, check out the rest in our 30 Rock quotes page, and then sound off in the comments.
Liz: I could dip into my 401 K...is something I've heard old people say in commercials. | permalink
Jenna: You wear the pants Liz. You don't necessarily pull them off, because of your hips, but you wear them. | permalink
Tracy (to Jenna): Are you crying 'cause there are no roles for actresses in their 40s? | permalink
Jack: She has the brain of a man, and the ass of a French teenager. | permalink
Dan Forcella is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
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May 21st, 2012 6:35 PM
Loved this episode, mostly because of avery and jack. Very funny, especially the comercials.
Rank: Regular Character
May 11th, 2012 11:18 PM
Average episode.
May 11th, 2012 4:11 PM
Loved it! A classic episode, showing the characters themselves are still funny enough without some big catalyst.
May 11th, 2012 7:18 AM
It was a great episode! I mean sure it wasn't the stand out episode of the season, but it definitely was worth my thirty minutes. I thought it was great! Very funny. :)
May 11th, 2012 2:47 AM
I don't understand why you've been so harsh on 30 Rock since the beginning of the season. I personally think this season has been great almost all the time, yet you're still pointing out irrelevant or unimportant issues to justify your negative review.
May 11th, 2012 2:21 AM
love it. Too many great lines to call it "a mediocre episode".
"I REJECT CHRIS BROWN'S COMEBACK. LEMON OUT." - quote of the year, imo.