Episode 6 - Christmas Special
29 March 2012
Synopsis: Jack accidentally hits his mother Colleen with his car. He now has to take care of her over Christmas and is racked with fear that she will discover that he waited eight minutes before calling the paramedics. Meanwhile Liz isn’t going home for Christmas for the first time ever and so takes part in a Letters to Santa charity campaign. Jack decides that TGS will have a live Christmas special so that he can avoid spending time with his mother.
The Good: Jack’s maternal issues get explored with some depth here. Both he and Colleen (Elaine Stritch) play their antagonism with gusto and the writing builds a convincing terror in Jack. It makes his attempts to avoid her seem like a logical plot development rather than terribly contrived. The resolution to their plot where he sees what she sacrificed in order to provide a good Christmas for him is a nice moment. It provides the humanity in a show which often lacks it.
Liz’ story is very simple. If you remember the golden rule of 30 Rock – that Liz is always wrong, then you will know where her story is going. Kenneth claiming “Those are gonna be the happiest poor kids since my brother and I went to Neverland Ranch” (Michael Jackson’s former residence) is an amusing play on his naivety. And Jenna has a proto-typical line when out with Liz – “we need to get out of here (beaming wide) BEFORE SOMEONE RECOGNISES ME!”
The Bad: The Liz side plot isn’t very interesting. We know she is wrong and so she is, the presents really did go to deserving kids. Not only isn’t it interesting but there is no happy Christmas for lonely Liz. It’s quite sad that at 38 she will spend her first holiday without her family.
Although they play their roles well there is something negative and unpleasant at times about the relationship between Jack and Colleen. Your tastes may vary but their antagonism is so real that their arguments can grate on you.
Comic Highlight: Something surreal here as Jack confesses his pain to Pete. “My Dad was long gone so every Christmas Colleen would bring her friend Mr Schwartz over for dinner and she made me play songs on the piano and she would sing to him…every year the dreadful moment would arrive when I would catch Mr Schwartz caressing my mother’s bony thigh and I‘d say ‘Eyes on the keys Jackie boy, keep your eyes on the keys.’ And they would ask me to play ‘White Christmas’ and it would turn into some boozy burlesque travesty! Every time I hear that song I get aroused. What is wrong with me?”
The Bottom Line: I can’t accuse 30 Rock of being dull or doing the same old story every other show does. But I also can’t say everything they do works out well. The humour and stories are still a very mixed bag.
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