30 Rock ‘Nothing Left To Lose’: A Fitting Title

The title of last night’s 30 Rock probably wasn’t supposed to be a statement to the viewers on the series, but it sure as hell felt like it. We’re at 117 episodes of 30 Rock now, and it’s becoming clear the breakneck joke pace of this show isn’t really going to work in the long term. ‘Nothing Left To Lose’ was a great signifier of where the show is now, both in title and execution: full of lazy, repeated jokes, and wacky caricatures of characters we’ve already seen before.

I can remember a time when I’d be laughing consistently through an episode – and with the highest rate of jokes per minute in recent comedy memory, that’s how it always should’ve been. The extra little bits of plot and character growth always felt extraneous, though without it, the show is actually a lot weaker; without the human element, 30 Rock is more like a live-action Seth McFarlane cartoon than an intelligent Tina Fey creation.

First off, the repetition on both micro and macro levels is getting ridiculous. Jokes don’t come and go in the traditional rule of ‘three times is enough’: certain jokes are repeated over and over throughout the episode, with substantial decreases in comedic value each time it re-appears. Now, part of this is turning out plot lines of not-really-funny jokes: Tracey can smell, so let’s have him smell stuff!!! Dr. Spacemen is crazy!!! Jenna is insane!!! Pete isn’t manly!!!

This could be less of a problem if the jokes haven’t been repeated over and over, episode by episode, season by season. We already know how wacky Jenna and Tracey are, and how emasculated Pete and Lutz are by everything in the world. One joke an episode will suffice to re-reinforce personalities; we’re going on six seasons now of the same cycle of jokes, and this season, seems to be happening less and less with entertaining guest stars to help pad the plot and provide a distraction.

I didn’t laugh once during30 Rock, and a lot of the dialogue just felt cluttered, full of extraneous gibberish and rushed side comments, and any joke that had potential was crushed by the sinking feeling that it would return in lesser form later in the episode. Even the premise isn’t that funny, and like I said, it’s all storylines we’ve seen before, done better.

Some of them weren’t even accurate: Hornberger’s never had issues taking advice from Jack, and in past episodes, has learned a lot from the things Jack had to offer. I can’t buy that someone who is so measured and calculated about what he does with people that I can’t see him screwing up his life so bad that his wife won’t sleep with him without a child’s wig on. And does anyone still find pranks on Jenna funny, or just predictably effective?

‘Nothing Left To Lose’ was another disappointing episode in a show that is starting to sink pretty quickly. No news on a seventh season yet, but I don’t really see why they wouldn’t try to get one. For now, I guess we can all work on practicing our cringes for what is bound to be a disappointing live episode later this month (cause I mean really, was the first one even that great?)

Grade: D

Other notes and thoughts:

– when are we going to see Tracey’s daughter? He wanted it so bad in season 4 (or 5? I can’t remember anymore), and we haven’t heard much about her. Think he would be a little more excited.

– I was really hoping Kenneth being fired last season meant the end of his character on the show. Womp womp.

– Six seasons of Mickey Rourke sex jokes… anyone getting bored with them yet? It’s one thing to be ‘clever’ and bring in old jokes, but on 30 Rock, it just feels like its scheduled.

what did you think? Am I way too harsh on 30 Rock, or is it starting to show its age? Leave your thoughts on ‘Nothing Left to Lose’ in the comments section below!