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30 Rock: Greenzo

By fred | November 9, 2007

(S02E05) Last week I started my review of 30 Rock by saying how much I loved this show, and how I was really encouraging everyone to get people to watch this show, because it really is worth it. And after an episode of The Office that was good, but not great, it’s with great pleasure that I went into 30 Rock hoping it would be, absolutely great.

Little did I know that it was in fact going to be so much more than I had expected. I’ve seen this episode, and given how things have been going so far this season I feel the need to correct something I said last week : I do believe this show is the funniest sitcom out there. Hands down.

I do enjoy Scrubs or My Name Is Earl, I love How I Met Your Mother and The Office is still good. But this little baby has definitely surpassed them all, it is filled with an impressive amount of great lines & laughing-out-loud moments, stories are great, I loved every little bit of this episode so much that I had to see it a second time right after, it was just too good.

And given recent events, I can’t express again how much the writers are to thank for such an awesome moment of television, if you know what I mean.

There are so many things to love about this show, but I think the one thing they have that’s also so great is that it occurs in NBC. Unlike the late Studio60 last year, they do not use a fake network’s name or anything. Not only do they use the name of NBC, but this week they went even further by including NBC’s “Green Week” into the plot - and that was brilliant.

Besides, 30 Rock was the only show to really embrace the idea of green week, thanks to the great Greenzo, but stopping there they also made fun of the whole thing in the mean time. Honestly, things couldn’t have been better. This episode was so good it’s impressive, definitely (one of) the best this season, or overall, and a testimony to why writers are so important in the world of television.

As I was watching this episode I couldn’t stop laughing, and it was all so good I think I should quote the whole episode here. It really was that good.

Past weeks I used to mention that I didn’t like stories around Tracy that much, and I missed the writers. This week, it was perfect in every way : the writers were all back, and perfectly used, other staff members as well in fact, and even Tracy was not only fully integrated to the story but it felt natural, and was damn hilarious.

By the way, during the awesome flashbacks of previous parties Kenneth had, and that only Liz attended to, I loved the use of Tracy’s hit “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” - had me laughing even harder!

Talking about Tracy, like with Jenna, this episode was also great in that there were a few different stories, yet all characters were involved one way or another in the one main story of Kenneth big party. It all got mixed together brilliantly, and gave an impression of real unicity. That’s something Seinfeld was also really good at, while there may have many stories during one episode (though they were excellent when having only one single plot during an episode too), it somehow always all made sense and all came together one way or another.

The show was great, stories and characters were all there interacting with each others, those flashbacks or independent jokes “à la” Family Guy were also there, and all of it worked like a charm.

I can’t quote the whole episode, obviously, but I can try !

- “The only reason men starts taking care of themselves is if they’re getting some to have sex with them. If it wasn’t for that, they’d just sit at home in their own filth.” And then Franck comes in, dressed like, well, you’ve seen him…

- I loved Liz’s reaction when Greenzo first appeared, priceless. “Saving the Earth while maintaining profitability” Schwimmer was really perfect for the role.

- “Greenzo ? Was that the first name that came to your head ? - Can you believe it ? It just popped, right in there!”

- “Hilary Clinton wants an all homosexual army. How will that affect my family ?”

- “I just wish my mom were still alive, so I could rub it in her fat face!”

- Loved how Liz reacted and how it was filmed when she saw “it”… “He’s having another party!!”

- They’ve always been so great at product placement on this show. Doesn’t bother me, in fact, I just love it:
“
- So Greenzo, what else can kids and parents do to protect the environment ?
- Well kids, you can tell your parents to buy a GE front-loading washing machine to save water!
”

- As a boss, you need to keep your employee motivated : “Lemon I want you to write them up. I want the sketch to be punchy and entertaining, so… don’t treat it like your show!”

- Apparently, NBC uses numbers even less meaningful than Nielsens : “Look how Greenzo’s testing! They love him in every demographic : colored people, broads, fairies, Commies… gosh, we gotta update these forms!”

“
- Wow, if he’d lick the envelop you could clone him and then you’d have two Guys-es
- Yeah, right Lemon. I’m gonna clone Guys, then compete with the Guys’ clone for CEO position. Think it through!
”

- “Great, now I smell like midlife crisis!”

- Not only was Cerie back during this episode, but we actually got to see her quite more than usual. Great legs by the way.
“
- Here’s a tip, Cerie : decide what you want before you open the refrigerator ! You just release enough hydrofluoric carbon to kill a penguin. This penguin!
- Do you ever take off that costume ?
- Do you ever take off yours ? Greenzo out!
- Did he just talk to me like I’m ugly ?
”

- It’s Green Week, so here’s another lesson of two from Greenzo !
“
- Did you leave your computer on all night ?
- Yeah, it just takes a really long time to reboot in the morning ?
- Hey, you know what else takes a long time ? Building a new Earth !
”

“
- I just got this, like 8 years ago !
- Good job, leave all the lights on for the invisible people.
”

- Okay, how about a little advice now : “Hey kids, can you hold your breath ? Good, now do it forever!”

- One last lesson learned today : “Wow, Meredith just taught us a very important lesson, kids. It’s rude to interrupt people!”

- Houston, “We’ve lost control of Greenzo!”

- Yes, he’s having an affair with his wife. And a little help would be appreciated: “Could you got home early tonight ? Paula wants to get caught again !”

- The future doesn’t look so bad after all : “When I die, they’ll want to put my face on money. If there were money in the future, instead of just hugs.”

- To Al Gore: “While you’re here, what do you say you throw in a pair of green tights and a cape, and tell the kids how big businesses is good for the environment!”

- If you thought Al Gore only cared about ManBearPig, you were wrong : “Quiet! A whale is in trouble, I have to to!”

- And of course, what better way to end an special green episode that this one : “This Earth is ruined, we gotta get a new one!”

Best comedy on TV people, I’m telling you!

Posted in Reviews
Shows: 30 Rock