Every Episode of ’30 Rock’ Ranked
Twelve years since it premiered, five years since it concluded: here’s the definitive ranking of every episode of ’30 Rock’
65. Game Over (Season 7, Episode 9)
Dir. Ken Whittingham
Writer: Robert Carlock, Sam Means
The send off for Jack’s unexpected nemesis, Kaylie Hooper, is about as intricate as the show truly ever gets. It’s a plan on top of a scheme coupled with back stabbing and twist endings that feels almost like two episodes worth of stories compiled into one flash bang character finale but it ties up all loose ends as well as any Agatha Christie detective novel. On top of that we also get to see Tracy have the tables turned on him as he casts Octavia Spencer in his Harriet Tubman biopic. The only problem? Octavia Spencer turns out to be just like Tracy, and then some, even throwing out call backs to early Tracy Jordan meltdowns like running through traffic with a lightsaber screaming “I’M A JEDI!”. This leads Tracy to embrace his own inner Liz Lemon in an attempt to deal with Octavia, going so far as to done Liz’s trademark glasses and sweater. And Liz? Well, she realizes that if she can handle almost a decade of her life dealing with Tracy, she can handle having an older adopted child!
64. The Natural Order (Season 3, Episode 20)
Dir. Scott Ellis
Writer: Tina Fey, John Riggi
Important information is dropped in this episode! Namely, that the man who Jack thought was his father actually isn’t his father. Dun dun DUN! But it’s Jenna with her gibbon baby that places this episode in my heart. Jenna Maroney becomes more delightfully unhinged in the later half of the series, and by buying her gibbon a stuffed gibbon to call herself a grandmother is PEAK demented camp Jenna.
63. Hard Ball (Season 1, Episode 15)
Dir. Don Scardino
Writer: Matt Hubbard
Tucker Carlson is in the episode, yes, but Jenna Maroney saying “Ya Burnt!” is exactly what we all want to say to him in 2018 and it brings me LIFE. This episode mostly centers around Jack and Liz going through contract negotiations with Josh Girard (Lonny Ross), but it’s really Jennas plot of accidentally saying she hates the troops and her subsequent appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews that make the episode.
62. Cooter (Season 2, Episode 15)
DIr. Don Scardino
Writer: Tina Fey
30 Rock is a show that keeps its notes. Jokes from early in the series will be peppered throughout the rest of the series. I mean, just look at Jenna’s classic Muffin Top. In Cooter, outside of featuring the first appearance of Matthew Broderick as dopey Cooter Burger (a nickname he got from George W. Bush, ‘natch.), we get perhaps the greatest what the fuck moment of the series. In order to get fired from the government Jack schemes to get approval for a “gay bomb”, intentionally offensive to “both the red states and the gayer blue states.” as he says. When Jack presents this to Dick Cheney, the bomb accidentally begins leaking, resulting in Jack and a room full of government officials having an orgy. The orgy is referenced a lot later in the show, always to Jack’s chagrin.
61. Argus (Season 4, Episode 19)
Dir. Jeff Richmond
Writer: Dylan Morgan, Paula Pell, Josh Siegal
Argus refers to the pet peacock of recently deceased Don Geiss which is bequeathed to Jack. Jack shares that he and Don used to refer to each other as senpai and kohai as a sign of respect. Thanks to the internet though I can’t get through this episode without thinking about the senpai meme and how much Jack would have hated that. I like to think of it as accidental meta fiction. But really this episode is special because it’s the introduction to Will Forte’s Paul, who’s crazy kinky relationship with Jenna is about as touching as the show ever gets.
60. The Fabian Strategy (Season 5, Episode 1)
Dir. Beth McCarthy-Miller
Writer: Tina Fey
First, yes, The Fabian Strategy is a real military maneuver. Now can it successfully be implemented to force your home redecorating ideas on your partner without them realizing it? Perhaps, but probably not nearly as nimbly as Avery Jessup pulls the wool over Jack. The downside to the episode is that Producer Jenna could have had a major season arc. I wanted to see cut-throat Jenna do the shows dirty work. If we could turn back time, imagine 30 Rock parodying The Apprentice with Jenna Maroney as host? Just gotta change “You’re fired.” to “YA BURNT!”
59. Gavin Volure (Season 3, Episode 4)
Dir. Gail Mancuso
Writer: John Riggi
While the conclusion of this episode set in stone that Steve Martin wouldn’t ever be back to reprise his role, it’s a shame because his sensibilities are perfectly matched for what 30 Rock was trying to do. Smart, irreverent humor that was unafraid to not only show it’s own ass but also be a little juvenile. And as the multimillionaire germophobic shut-in who may be the perfect match for indoor kid Liz Lemon, of course he secretly is just under house arrest and is crazy. She sure knows how to pick ‘em!
58. TGS Hates Women (Season 5, Episode 16)
Dir. Beth McCarthy-Miller
Writer: Ron Weiner
Liz means well. She really does. Even when she is being racist, slut shaming, or simply outing a woman in hiding from her abusive ex. Cristin Millioti is great as the new oversexed writer on TGS that threatens Jenna and confuses Liz, especially after she sleeps with Lutz. As Tracy said: “That one is a head scratcher!”
57. Succession (Season 2, Episode 13)
Dir. Gail Mancuso
Writer: Andrew Guest, John Riggi
Bless 30 Rock for taking Milos Forman’s monumental Amadeus and parodying it for this episode by pitting Frank and Tracy in a Saleiri and Mozart tet-a-tet. But just, ya know, replace the breathtaking music with video game pornography. Same difference, right?! Hey, at least we get to see what Dr. Spaceman looks like in a cape!
56. Retreat to Move Forward (Season 3, Episode 9)
Dir. Steve Buscemi
Writer: Tami Sagher
I love when Liz saves Jack because the bits of positive masculinity that Jack has in him typically come out when he’s gracious. And after leaving a hot mic on for an entire room of his peers listen to him psyche himself up, Liz saves the day by flashing the crowd. He’s astonished, and touched by her brazen fearlessness to help out a buddy.
55. Plan B (Season 5, Episode 18)
Dir. Jeff Richmond
Writer: Josh Siegal, Dylan Morgan
Remember this episode for Jacks hilariously offensive idea for a LGTBQ+ tv network: TWiNKS, which forces him to rehire Devon Banks. But love this episode for the greatest intentional pot shot at Aaron Sorkin, who appears in the episode parodying his own penchant for the walking-and-talking scenes, as he applies for a writing job on Nick Lachey’s The Sing Off. Sorkin of course had a rival show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which had similar themes and premiered around the same time as 30 Rock. Which show do you think won that ratings war?
54. Audition Day (Season 4, Episode 4)
Dir. Beth McCarthy-Miller
Writer: Matt Hubbard
Even though I know it’s not, I always wished the robot street performer shown during this episode who will eventually get a job on TGS thanks to his willingness to shake the bed bug ridden hand of Jack Donaghy was actually Cheyenne Jackson, but it’s just not. But no matter: this episode is all about auditioning for a new actor on TGS and Jenna’s warning not to hire Liz and Pete’s number one choice Jayden. For once Jenna was right, Jayden’s cray-cray, but it did give 30 Rock the opportunity to have Martin Scorsese, Christopher Walken, and Sir Gilbert Gotfried in cameo roles as Jayden’s impression of Martin Scorsese, Christopher Walken, and Sir Gilbert Gotfried!
53. I Heart Connecticut (Season 5, Episode 19)
Dir. Stephen Lee Davis
Writer: Vali Chandrasekaran, Jon Haller
While I do wish that the arm wrestling competition that enhances Pete’s confidence, and ego, wasn’t simply explained away as a dream, watching him go mano-a-mano with Rob Riggle is still a series highlight. But as a fan of horror movies clearly the biggest draw for me in this episode is the torture porn film that Jenna Maroney is filming Take My Hand, that through various re-writes and sponsorship deals from Wal Mart and the state of Connecticut, it develops into a family friendly film promoting tourism! And after watching the most recent Saw film Jigsaw, perhaps it would have been more engaging if we saw how beautiful Toronto was!
52. Secret Santa (Season 4, Episode 8)
Dir. Beth McCarthy-Miller
Writer: Tina Fey
Call me crazy, but I’m not into Secret Santa or White Elephant or any type of gift exchange. I dunno, I’m also really bad at buffets so maybe I just get stressed in crowds? Suffice to say I would have found a way out of Kenneths “Secret Santa Fun Swap”, but perhaps not by claiming a fake religion that could inadvertently get me arrested by cops. But hey, this is a holiday episode so we still do get some Christmas songs which means new cast member Danny gets to show off his beautiful singing voice, which Pete then subsequently uses to torture Jenna. A Christmas gift for everyone!
51. St. Patrick’s Day (Season 6, Episode 11)
Dir. John Riggi
Writer: Colleen McGuinness
Things we should have guessed before the start of the episode. 1. Of course Jack would slay at a ‘Settlers of Catan’ style board game. He’s a master manipulator and entrepreneur. 2. Who’s TGS’ number one star? Tracy and Jenna, naturally! 3. Whenever Liz Lemon does say I love you to TVs greatest boyfriend Criss Chros, it’ll have a Star Wars reference. The most endearing aspect of the episode? The fact that Criss earnestly wants to be friends with Dennis, recognizing the importance of it for Liz and his relationship, and also because that’s just Criss. He is the purest soul on a show that isn’t good enough for him. Never change James Marsden, never change.
