Episode 7 - Cougars
6 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: Liz dates a younger guy who Frank also falls for. Jack uses the Bush Doctrine to assume control of a baseball team who Tracy is coaching. His methods mimic the Iraq war.
The Good: A short synopsis is usually a good sign. This episode is unusually focussed for 30 Rock. An age difference romance and a parody of the Iraq war. Sounds promising.
The Iraq War parody certainly has its moments. Your enjoyment of it probably depends on how knowledgeable you are and how quickly you cotton on to what is likely to happen next. Certainly the results of Jack giving homeless people tuxedos is pretty funny. As is the toppling of the statue of Jefferson Davis (like Saddam Hussein). Even Tracy’s reaction to the word “Surge” is humorous – “That’s two words!”
The “Surge” itself is a pretty funny punch line as Grizz and Dot Com join the team with false birth certificates and help defeat the kids they are playing against. This of course mirrors the “Surge” of US troops into Baghdad which brought a downturn in terrorist activity.
Liz’ plot comes perilously close to giving her positive character development (see Comic Highlight) but it doesn’t quite. You know that as soon as she becomes happy with dating a younger guy that it is going to fail. Because whatever Liz thinks is wrong. Liz’ conversation with Jenna does unleash a couple of nice lines. “These things happen Liz, I had my no sex with Asians rule but then one day you walk into Sharper Image and there’s Kwon.” She follows up by calling Liz a Cougar (a hot older woman). “There was a whole article about it in Vanity Fair. The one with the Crisis in Africa cover. God it makes me so sad that more people don’t know about cougars.”
The Bad: There is no real focus on Liz having feelings for Jamie. The focus is entirely on her getting used to the concept of dating a younger guy. So when she meets his Mum (and she looks like Liz) there is no real punch line. Obviously there is the punch line that she looks like his mum but that is a very old joke. The wider point is that she isn’t really upset by this turn of events because she doesn’t really care about Jamie. If she doesn’t care then why should we?
Frank’s involvement in the story is a waste. One of the staples and easiest to write characters in television is the chauvinistic or sex-mad white male. Frank is one of the least developed versions of these characters. We know barely anything about him and so his “gay for Jamie” turn is neither funny or interesting. It’s obviously going to have no consequence and feels about as derivative as a sit com story can get (off the top of my head see Seinfeld 417, Frasier 1103, Friends 108 and Spin City 312 for better “gay” stories).
The kids from Knuckle Beach aspiring to be cleaners and door men is a lame idea. No children would ever say these things and the scene is extremely reminiscent of the Family Guy episode “Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High” (402).
Comic Highlight: Jenna is coming on to the coffee guy Jamie and Liz says “Give it up Jenna, you’re talking to an Ultrasound.” He flirtily says “Now I’m getting attitude from the sexy librarian over here.” She is rattled and says “What? Sexy? You are. Shut up.” He smiles and leaves. It’s probably not the funniest moment in the episode but it gives you a taste of the kind of affectionate, sympathetic character Liz Lemon could be. If she weren’t wrong all the time maybe we would like her more and care about her stories.
The Bottom Line: 30 Rock seems to be less annoying the more silly it is. This is a good effort at being frivolous. It could be better.
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