30 Rock season 6 takes a leap of faith with its ninth episode, “Leap Day,” where Liz and Jenna try to charm a nerdy internet billionaire, Tracy enlists the writers to spend a restaurant’s gift card, and Jack must learn the true meaning of Leap Day. While not as outlandish as last week’s effort, “Leap Day” still delivers some laughs, despite the underwhelming use of guest stars.
30 Rock: Staying Fresh or Stagnating?
When it comes to a long-running TV series like 30 Rock, the conversation often shifts from the show’s evolution to how it manages to stay fresh. In a way, it’s about seeking youthfulness rather than growing up. If 30 Rock had a prime, it would have been during its third and fourth seasons, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still squeeze laughs out of its characters. Last week’s “The Tuxedo Begins,” which I missed covering due to a Canadian excursion (curse you, awesome set visits to foreign countries!), was just weird and different enough for 30 Rock to warrant a much greater discussion. However, ‘Leap Day’ is a more measured exercise in classic 30 Rock.
(*) Mind you, I was jet-lagged and more than a little hazy, but did 30 Rock seriously turn the Jack and Liz dynamic into a Dark Knight, Jack as Batman, Liz as The Joker parody? It was unique, but lord is that something you never expected from 30 Rock
Leap Day: A New Holiday for 30 Rock
‘Leap Day’ isn’t the first time 30 Rock has dabbled in fictional holidays, as we can recall from ‘Verdukianism’ and other classic stories. However, the strange and unheard-of customs of Leap Day are more of a backdrop for the plot rather than the central focus. Leap Day is portrayed as a bizarre ‘do-what-you-feel’ day amidst Liz and Jenna’s efforts to seduce an internet billionaire, Tracy’s attempt to spend a $50,000 Benihana gift card, and Jack’s struggle to get into the spirit of the holiday. The holiday’s odd characters and customs provide a few laughs here and there, but 30 Rock is less effective when it asks viewers to acclimate to its context, rather than tell unique stories within more familiar settings (see the mixed, if ambitious, Valentine’s Day two-parter).
Perhaps it’s the omnipresence of 30 Rock in syndication these days, but I’ve been rewatching the first season episode ‘Black Tie,’ which felt somewhat similar to ‘Leap Day’ in its awkward seduction subplots with Jenna and Liz. There’s always a sort of safety net to these stories, as we know neither woman will end up with the person they’re dancing around. However, I appreciated ‘Leap Day’s’ willingness to be cavalier with the Liz/Criss relationship and even continue the idea of Jenna and Paul’s sexual walk-about. The episode did throw a few new devices into the mix; I particularly liked the willingness to carry out a Christmas Carol-style vision of the future with Kenneth as Jack’s spiritual guide, but it doesn’t end with anyone undergoing any drastic changes indicative of what ‘Leap Day’ would suggest.
Guest Stars: Hit or Miss?
Elsewhere, it’s worth noting that Jim Carrey and Andie McDowell guest star within the episode, though they never interact with the story, instead (presumably) playing themselves in a Santa Clause-style movie within the show about Leap Day William. Guest stars can be tricky, but I’ve always felt they work best as either parodies of themselves or original characters, so there’s very little to get out of turns that don’t feature any real connection to the show (see: The Office‘s use of Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman some years ago). It makes for an amusing distraction, but doesn’t offer up any of the magic that makes 30 Rock great.
So far, it’s been tough getting this season off the ground, with its late start dates and grouped-together episodes. While worth a few laughs, ‘Leap Day’ doesn’t make a strong case for the show’s continuation in further seasons.
And Another Thing…
- It feels a little cheap to reposition Kenneth as Jack’s new assistant, given he’ll be doing almost the exact same responsibilities as when he was a page.
- Artie Ziff references, anyone? Simpsons did it!
- I did get some pretty good laughs out of the brief exchange where Tracy insists Dot Com is an imaginary friend.
- Does anyone actually celebrate Leap Day? I’d like to this year.
I love 30 Rock but Season 6 just seems more untethered and more desperate to capture new ground while ignoring what made the show so charmingly comic in the first place. Liz, Jack and Jenna made up the reliable foundation and the great pleasure of the show was the absurdist take on inter office tensions writ large by Tracy's neurotic plays for attention and the ironic wit packed into every crevice in between. "Apollo, Apollo" mastered these delights and "Sandwich Day" is another favorite of mine.
Those syndication royalties are already flowing so maybe Season 6 is a mail-it-in effort to provide more product. The old scenes with Jack and Liz sparklled and I want to see that again before they strike the set for good.