Episode 10 - Generalissimo
22 March 2012
Synopsis: Elisa’s mother doesn’t like Jack because he reminds her of the evil Generalissimo on her telenovela. So Jack buys the show and tries to write the Generalissimo out of it. But after a confrontation with the actor they agree that the Generalissimo will make Elisa’s mother like Jack by changing his behaviour on screen. Meanwhile Liz falls for her neighbour and uses the Generalissimo’s evil tactics to seduce him. At NBC Jack has hired some interns who are out of work investment bankers. Tracy is desperate to keep his youthful reputation alive and so keeps partying with them.
The Good: Tracy Jordan has been protecting his reputation since the show began (see 106 for example), so his desire to keep up with the new interns makes sense. It also leads to several typically amusing exchanges (see Comic Highlight). While having lived the high life, Tracy is also very ignorant so happily talks about what a wild night they had but comments “Have you ever tasted scotch? It’s terrible!”
I also enjoyed Liz’ way of getting a photo of her new neighbour “I told him his haircut was exactly what I’ve been trying to describe to my barber.”
The Bad: Otherwise the rest of the Liz plot wasn’t much fun. We don’t often get to see her being charming and funny. When these guys fall for her, right before she does something stupid, as a viewer you are left wondering why. If we never see her being comfortable with a guy then it is difficult to care about her relationships at all.
As for Jack’s story, it crosses the line into completely ludicrous. I don’t see it as totally impossible to have an actor play two parts in a comedy (see what Friends did in 210). But it’s scripted to be so unreal here that any amusement is taken away by the fact that the show is beating you over the head saying “this is a TV show, don’t suspend your disbelief.” The joke is more about Alec Baldwin than it is about Jack Donaghy and that spoils the comedy for me.
I’m also not crazy about the lazy jokes aimed at Hispanics. Mocking Puerto Rican grandmothers is hardly going to offend many people but the jokes just seem so lazy and obvious. The Telenovela itself is as flimsy a satire as you could imagine with scenes showing a kid’s head being blown off and a woman giving birth to the devil.
The problem I have with 30 Rock is that it is so childish and stupid and yet it tries to satirise current events. The two just don’t work together. Here we have investment bankers being satirised for having no real world skills. Yet the big punch line is just Tracy being foolish. Then we have Tracy arguing that people can’t see him as growing old or he will be “offered serious roles!” It’s a joke about a Hollywood stereotype and feels aimed at the thousands of people in that industry and not the millions living and working elsewhere.
Comic Highlight: In between Jack and Liz’ plots we jump to Tracy Jordan holding a flaming shot and being encouraged to shoot it by the interns. With a look of great concern he says “I’m going to, I’m Tracy Jordan! Why would I be afraid of fire next to my mouth?!”
The Bottom Line: I think 30 Rock cuts out millions of viewers with its satire bathed in stupidity. And for those who get all their jokes, they really aren’t that funny to begin with. This episode is filled with lazy, confused writing.
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