30 Rock (Season 4)

Coming after two fairly comedic-focused seasons of 30 Rock, Season 4 shifts to a heavy focus on plot and romantic drama. The results are mixed.

Season 4 has a lot of plot threads to it, with the season kickstarting with an arc based around the hunt for a new actor, while Liz is becoming famous for her Dealbreakers brand that she created during the third season finale. Later on, Liz has another bad boyfriend, Jack is stuck in a love triangle, three relatively important characters are getting married on the same day, and even Jenna enters a relationship of her own. I do actually like a few of these storylines. The aforementioned actor storyline is actually a lot of fun, and Jack's love triangle is probably one of his most compelling arcs in the whole series. I also really like how the final two episodes feel like a parody of your usual cliffhanger-heavy, ultra dramatic season finales. However, the main issue for Season 4 is that the focus on story means that the comedy can be lackluster at times.

Generally, 30 Rock's fourth season just feels lower energy compared to the last two, with a slower pace of humor and more misses than hits. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of solid and funny episodes here, but the show never hits the comedic heights of Seasons 2 and 3, and most of the great episodes end up being squished into the start and end of the season. The middle of the season is particularly lackluster, containing an entire stretch of average, forgettable, and sparingly funny episodes. Thankfully, the final six-or-so episodes of the season seems to regain the energy that makes 30 Rock so great, and balances the comedy and drama pretty much perfectly.

Here are some of the best and most notable episodes of the season:

Season 4: While the lack of addressing the Season 3 finale is disappointing, I thought this episode was excellent for its humor. Kenneth going on strike, the hunt for the lead actor, and especially all of that meta humor about TV series getting stale is all genuinely hilarious.

Dealbreakers Talk Show: The strong resolution of Liz's Dealbreakers plot is a joy to watch as you see her attempts at a talk show slowly and hilariously fall apart.

Black Light Attack: Sue is one of the funniest side characters in the show, so it's great for her to get some focus this episode as she joins Tracy's entourage. Her dynamic with Tracy is a joy to watch. I also really like the storyline of Liz desperately hooking up with the new actor.

Emmanuelle Goes To Dinosaur Land: This episode is a strong set-up for the season finale with a fun cliffhanger, but it's also one of the funniest of the season. Liz revisiting all of her old boyfriends is fun to watch, and I love Tracy's breakdown in the CGI Garfield costume.

I Do Do: This season finale feels like a parody of soap-opera-esque sitcom finales, while also being an excellent soap-opera-esque sitcom finale that's stuffed with plot. There's weddings, breakups, surprise boyfriends, pregnancies, and firings to the point that by the end of the finale, the show is pretty much entirely different.

Overall, Season 4 is still a solid season with plenty of strong episodes, solid plot progression, and funny moments, but the emphasis on story means that the comedy is infrequent at times, and the middle of the season can be a bit of a slog. 

3/5 Stars