Quick Thoughts: 30 ROCK, "Never Too Late For Now"

I have to admit that I really didn't get this week's 30 Rock until the very end, and even then I had to watch it a few times to really appreciate it.

At first, I wasn't too jazzed about the Liz A-plot mostly because I'm not a huge fan of the sad-sack version of the character. I get that a big part of the show's appeal is the fact that Liz is a realistic woman with relateable problems within a very surreal world, and I love Tina Fey's commitment to the bit, but I can only take so many "Liz is an ugly loser" jokes. So, the fact that her entire story was about her giving up and embracing her spinster ways was off-putting. This version of Liz wasn't the adorkable woman I've grown to love, but a beaten down version of herself, and she wasn't attractive (and I'm aware that was the point). I even interpreted her perfect night out as a cruel joke that the world was playing on her (and the viewers), and it irked the hell out of me, so I was extremely thankful for the big reveal at the end. Watching Liz channel her inner-Hercule Poirot to figure out that her staff loves her was brilliant, and it was underscored by Jack's supportive smile.

Speaking of Jack, his nanny/negotiation B-plot was totally over my head during my first viewing because I knew what was going on, but I couldn't figure out why it was going on. After watching the episode again, I realized that it was a commentary on how becoming a father changes your life and who you are as a person. Now that Jack is a father, he views the world slightly differently which has impacted how he conducts himself at home and at work. His story was a nice, subtle, yet still funny way to tell a traditional tale. I'm always in favor of character development, so seeing this side of Jack could be interesting, but I just hope he doesn't change too much because his super-conservative, politically incorrectness, and shark-like approach to business are traits that make the character great.

The tacked on C-plot about Pete and Frank's bad was ultimately disposable, and was only worth a few chuckles, but it was responsible for the key clue that helped Liz figure out what was going on, so it wasn't totally useless. At least focusing on Pete and Frank was a nice change of pace, and we didn't have to endure more Lutz and/or Kenneth.

If I had written something down right after watching "Never Too Late For Now", I probably wouldn't have been so complimentary, but I'm glad I was able to give the episode another shot. It wasn't necessarily the funniest outing of 30 Rock, but it had the right amount of heart, and that's always a win in my book.