What happened to 30 Rock?
What happened to 30 Rock and the fascinating world they created?
I love 30 Rock, always have probably always will but man has this show lost it's way. I see the problem as twofold: they have watered down the characters too much and they quit telling stories.
The characters have become caricatures. Remember when Liz Lemon was a socially awkward workaholic? The only thing holding her back from getting everything she wants was her tendency to put work first and being a homebody. She was confident, semi-successful, attractive, yet an insecure nerd. Now she's a walking Cathy cartoon, a sad pathetic woman destined for spinsterhood. Yes, Liz Lemon is Tina Fey magnified. There is no reason she shouldn't be mean, judgmental, insecure, and/or awkward. Why can't she also be talented, smart, funny, and/or beautiful? C’mon guys. You see Tina every day. It doesn't have to be a 50/50 mixture because it never has been. But Liz was at one time closer to at least 70/30 combo of Tina's traits. Now 95/5, skewing towards only the negative.
Jack was a confident, successful businessman with mommy issues. Sure, he could be an arrogant, selfish prick. But, that was undercut by his sweetness, caring, and need for approval. These days he is an aging playboy, a cliché with a young pretty wife and an accidental family. A douche with no interest in anything but himself.
What happened to Jenna and Pete and their friendships with Liz? Jenna has always been an oblivious, insecure, egomaniac. There used to be genuineness and a niceness that led us to believe her and Liz were friends. That she was someone who would encourage Liz to go for it with Jamie or Liz would talk to about her desire to start a family. Those moments are gone, replaced by someone who wants nothing more than to throw wine in people's faces to appear on camera or poison Kenneth to meet an EMT. Has there been a real moment between these two exceedingly different but once upon a time close ladies lately? Oh, Pete. Once a man who's life wasn't what he wanted but he was somewhat content with it. He was good at his job and loved his wife and family despite the enormous pressure and stress associated with both. Now an alcoholic dirt bag looking for any excuse not to be with his family or do any work. Where is the guy that would talk to Liz about her love life or take turns dealing with Tracy? The guy Liz trusted and cared enough about to let him move in with her when he was having problems with his wife. Again, have there been any real moments between these two lately?
The only characters they haven't lost are the ones they never bothered to develop. Kenneth is a sweet, innocent punching bag; no one expects him to be anything more or less. Tracy is an insane, over the top ex-movie star, who vacillates between being a burden and someone you know will come through in the clenches. When he gets close to becoming a cliché, they real him back in with a real moment. Frank is a juvenile sex-obsessed dirt bag. Toofer is a snobbish nerd. Cerie is a gorgeous idiot. Lutz is lazy moron nobody likes. Jonathan is a needy geek with a crush on Jack. Danny is...um Canadian?
Once upon a time, this show was full of unique, original characters. They were multi-faceted and interesting. A group of people who knew what they wanted but no idea how to properly achieve it. Now a bunch of one dimensional idiots who are incapable of getting what they want. They were a group of close-knit albeit self-centered people who cared for and helped each other. Now, self-centered people who live and work with in close proximity of each other.
I think the writer's backgrounds in improv and sketch comedy have come back to bite them in the ass. 30 Rock has always been about strange asides, weird non-sequiturs, and bizarre flashbacks. In the past, they aided or at the very least made sense with in the flow of the story. These days it seems like the story is there to get us from sketch to sketch. I think they are having too much fun being goofy and self-referential to worry about the gags making sense anymore.
Gone are the days of "Milf Island" where we learn something about Jack and Liz and their relationship, while "Survivor" is parodied in the background. Now we get "Queen of Jordan", or mainly sight gags (throwing wine, arguing about nonsense, Jack is gay, Liz is racist). No more "The Rural Juror" with the issues of Liz and Jenna's relationship and hopes and dreams examined with flashbacks to prove it. They moved from Jack and CC trying to make it work and Kenneth worrying about who he has become, leading to a spontaneous group outburst of "Midnight Train to Georgia". Instead, Jack and Avery are trying to get home in a meth lab, while Liz and Carol break up at gunpoint over a silly argument. Drew losing both his hands and having them be replaced with hooks? Jenna and Danny acting like an unhappy married couple? Frank and Pete starting a band? Why? Why not?
Jack and Liz don't need to be together but the show is never better than when they are playing off (or with) each other. Most of the best episodes have them attacking a story from different viewpoints, "Tracy Does Conan", "Rosemary's Baby", "Black Light Attack", "Mrs. Donaghy". Or them working together or helping each other out, "Retreat to Move Forward", "Succession", "Do-over", "Apollo, Apollo", "Mamma Mia", "Dealbreakers Talk Show", "!Que Sorpresa!".
The show needs to get back to writing stories in general, Jack, and Liz ones in particular, if they want to recapture the charm and magic that led to the initial onslaught of Emmys. Especially with time running out on the show.
I love 30 Rock, always have probably always will but man has this show lost it's way. I see the problem as twofold: they have watered down the characters too much and they quit telling stories.
The characters have become caricatures. Remember when Liz Lemon was a socially awkward workaholic? The only thing holding her back from getting everything she wants was her tendency to put work first and being a homebody. She was confident, semi-successful, attractive, yet an insecure nerd. Now she's a walking Cathy cartoon, a sad pathetic woman destined for spinsterhood. Yes, Liz Lemon is Tina Fey magnified. There is no reason she shouldn't be mean, judgmental, insecure, and/or awkward. Why can't she also be talented, smart, funny, and/or beautiful? C’mon guys. You see Tina every day. It doesn't have to be a 50/50 mixture because it never has been. But Liz was at one time closer to at least 70/30 combo of Tina's traits. Now 95/5, skewing towards only the negative.
Jack was a confident, successful businessman with mommy issues. Sure, he could be an arrogant, selfish prick. But, that was undercut by his sweetness, caring, and need for approval. These days he is an aging playboy, a cliché with a young pretty wife and an accidental family. A douche with no interest in anything but himself.
What happened to Jenna and Pete and their friendships with Liz? Jenna has always been an oblivious, insecure, egomaniac. There used to be genuineness and a niceness that led us to believe her and Liz were friends. That she was someone who would encourage Liz to go for it with Jamie or Liz would talk to about her desire to start a family. Those moments are gone, replaced by someone who wants nothing more than to throw wine in people's faces to appear on camera or poison Kenneth to meet an EMT. Has there been a real moment between these two exceedingly different but once upon a time close ladies lately? Oh, Pete. Once a man who's life wasn't what he wanted but he was somewhat content with it. He was good at his job and loved his wife and family despite the enormous pressure and stress associated with both. Now an alcoholic dirt bag looking for any excuse not to be with his family or do any work. Where is the guy that would talk to Liz about her love life or take turns dealing with Tracy? The guy Liz trusted and cared enough about to let him move in with her when he was having problems with his wife. Again, have there been any real moments between these two lately?
The only characters they haven't lost are the ones they never bothered to develop. Kenneth is a sweet, innocent punching bag; no one expects him to be anything more or less. Tracy is an insane, over the top ex-movie star, who vacillates between being a burden and someone you know will come through in the clenches. When he gets close to becoming a cliché, they real him back in with a real moment. Frank is a juvenile sex-obsessed dirt bag. Toofer is a snobbish nerd. Cerie is a gorgeous idiot. Lutz is lazy moron nobody likes. Jonathan is a needy geek with a crush on Jack. Danny is...um Canadian?
Once upon a time, this show was full of unique, original characters. They were multi-faceted and interesting. A group of people who knew what they wanted but no idea how to properly achieve it. Now a bunch of one dimensional idiots who are incapable of getting what they want. They were a group of close-knit albeit self-centered people who cared for and helped each other. Now, self-centered people who live and work with in close proximity of each other.
I think the writer's backgrounds in improv and sketch comedy have come back to bite them in the ass. 30 Rock has always been about strange asides, weird non-sequiturs, and bizarre flashbacks. In the past, they aided or at the very least made sense with in the flow of the story. These days it seems like the story is there to get us from sketch to sketch. I think they are having too much fun being goofy and self-referential to worry about the gags making sense anymore.
Gone are the days of "Milf Island" where we learn something about Jack and Liz and their relationship, while "Survivor" is parodied in the background. Now we get "Queen of Jordan", or mainly sight gags (throwing wine, arguing about nonsense, Jack is gay, Liz is racist). No more "The Rural Juror" with the issues of Liz and Jenna's relationship and hopes and dreams examined with flashbacks to prove it. They moved from Jack and CC trying to make it work and Kenneth worrying about who he has become, leading to a spontaneous group outburst of "Midnight Train to Georgia". Instead, Jack and Avery are trying to get home in a meth lab, while Liz and Carol break up at gunpoint over a silly argument. Drew losing both his hands and having them be replaced with hooks? Jenna and Danny acting like an unhappy married couple? Frank and Pete starting a band? Why? Why not?
Jack and Liz don't need to be together but the show is never better than when they are playing off (or with) each other. Most of the best episodes have them attacking a story from different viewpoints, "Tracy Does Conan", "Rosemary's Baby", "Black Light Attack", "Mrs. Donaghy". Or them working together or helping each other out, "Retreat to Move Forward", "Succession", "Do-over", "Apollo, Apollo", "Mamma Mia", "Dealbreakers Talk Show", "!Que Sorpresa!".
The show needs to get back to writing stories in general, Jack, and Liz ones in particular, if they want to recapture the charm and magic that led to the initial onslaught of Emmys. Especially with time running out on the show.