30 Rock is one of my favorite shows of all time, probably in my Top 5, but it does not get off to a great start. Season 1 is a slow first outing for 30 Rock, but even here you can see the potential this show has from the very beginning.
30 Rock is a comedy about comedies, SNL in particular. The main protagonist Liz Lemon heads an SNL-esque sketch show called TGS, while dealing with the fairly incompetent writers, the narcissistic actors, and the higher-ups in NBC, particularly her boss Jack Donaghy. It's an awesome premise, as I love shows about the filmmaking industry, and it allows for a lot of great self-awareness and meta humor that I can't believe NBC actually let slide. Even more, the cast is outstanding, with Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy in particular being two of my favorite TV characters ever. Everything should add up to a pretty amazing comedy, and it does, just not in this season.
The writing in Season 1 of 30 Rock, particularly the first half, really feels like it's still trying to find its footing. It just doesn't feel like it's as sharp or funny as it should be, especially given how fast-paced and consistently hilarious the rest of the show is. The Pilot in particular is nearly unwatchable at times, a sentiment Tina Fey actually agrees with. There are a few episodes scattered around this first half that do show signs of greatness, particularly when the storylines get bizarre and frantic, but they were always few and far between. Thankfully, the season did improve as time went on, especially after the episode The Rural Juror, when the show became far more consistent. And even more, the last four episodes which even had a sort of self-contained story arc were just plain excellent. It's just a shame the whole season couldn't have ended up like this.
I do still think there is a lot of good aspects of 30 Rock's Season 1, and some very strong episodes too:
Tracy Does Conan: This is the episode many cite as 30 Rock's first truly great one and for good reason. Tracy Does Conan is noticeably more fast-paced and frantic than the episodes before it, and is probably more gutbustingly hilarious than the entire rest of the season's first half combined.
The Rural Juror: This is 30 Rock's Growing The Beard moment and the Season 1 episode I like to rewatch the most. The titular fake film is hilarious and the rivalry between Liz and Jenna is a lot of fun to watch. "The Tracy Jordan Meat Machine" is also an amazing premise for a subplot.
Fireworks: Fireworks is the episode where it feels like 30 Rock truly became confident in itself. It's incredibly fast-paced with a joke nearly every five seconds, stuffed to the brim with multiple strong subplots that it adeptly juggles. Devon Banks is a great side character, Tracy's Thomas Jefferson subplot was funny, and the ending does an excellent job at bringing everything together.
Cleveland: Season 1's finale was fairly lackluster and unmemorable, but Cleveland which preceded it was just plain excellent. The usage of Cleveland as this fake-paradise that one can escape to is both funny and poignant, and Tracy Jordan's Black Crusaders storyline is 30 Rock at its most brilliantly bizarre.
Overall, Season 1 of 30 Rock has a lot of growing pains and it took a while to find its voice, with a pretty weak first half, but it's also fascinating to watch 30 Rock slowly piece together what it does right, as the final stretch of episodes showcases just how brilliant and funny this show can be at its peak.
2/5 Stars
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