One of the nice things about having written for the A.V Club for almost thirteen years is that I have the luxury of only writing about television shows I love (The Office, 30 Rock, Eastbound & Down) or am perversely fascinating by (the deathless warhorse that is Saturday Night Live). So it brings me absolutely no joy to report that the show’s fourth season malaise continues with its fitfully amusing fourth episode. I’d almost rather not write about 30 Rock than write negative reviews.
30 Rock was once a show about a Saturday Night Live-like sketch comedy show. It is increasingly becoming a show about 30 Rock. In perhaps an unintentional homage to The Simpsons, as the laugh-out loud one-liners become fewer and far between the winking, meta-textual gags have increased exponentially. 30 Rock seldom lets us forget that we’re watching a television show but the inside jokes increasingly reek of desperation.
Actually, desperation was pretty much the theme behind tonight’s episode. The search for a new cast member to pump new life into the fading institution that is The Girly Show With Tracy Jordan continues apace, with Jack and Liz having struck out spectacularly during an ill-fated scouting trip down South.
Liz has her heart set on a fresh-faced up and comer but realizes that she’ll have to employ some Machiavellian maneuvering to convince Jack that her choice is really his choice. So she stacks the auditions with comically unappealing choices. Then Liz takes pity on Dot.com and lets him audition for the missing slot.
The floodgates are open. Everyone wants to audition: the writers, Josh (who has been reduced to gay online porn since leaving The Girly Show), the psychotic janitor, even Brian Williams.