"30 Rock Season 2" Shaping Itself Up

 

    I doubted, and doubted, and doubted, but I have to admit, 30 Rock season two was pretty good. I was concerned it wouldn't really get any better, and since this season was already cut short due to the writers strike, making it only fifteen episodes, it was a real uphill battle. But they did it, the writing felt sharper, it felt like they had a better idea of how to both handle the characters, and balance the main cast so it didn't feel as Jack- and Liz-centric, even if I loved those characters. Let's talk about it.

    I feel like the show is really starting to figure out how what to do with the side characters. I will say Dot Com and Grizz have risen up tremendously on my list of favourite 30 rock side characters, even as Rachel Dracht doing random roles has sadly disappeared. Like one of my original complaints from the first season was that they hardly actually did anything with the setting of it being on a show, and while I don't think they've actually done anything to solve that issue, I will say they've made it a non-issue. Since the show has become better at balancing the A-plot B-plot format, and I care more about the side characters I've begun being less mad about it. It's just one of those things I assume I'll have to accept.

    On the note of what I complained about being fixed, I kind of enjoyed CC. I must admit, when she first popped up on my screen all I could think about was Carmela Soprano, it felt very odd and out of place to see her in any sort of romance not involving Tony. Yet, the show made her her own character. I was pleasantly surprised to find that her character felt believable enough, at least for 30 Rock Standards. Even Jenna and Tracy grew on me, which you'd hope considering they're part of the main cast. As a side note, I am starting to love Jonathan and hope he stays forever.

    That is not to say this season did not do anything wrong. Like last season, it introduces these big changes, yet does nothing to follow up on them. Last season ended with the "Black Crusaders" chasing Tracy, and it was shown that they were actually real, even to Jack. Yet, by the time season two rolls around you're just kind of wondering what happened. They're never brought up again and you kind of just wish something had actually changed. The same could be also be said for the end of this season. Liz has a pregnancy scare, it doesn't happen, though supposedly she's up for adoption. Oh and Jack quits, but you basically get the sense that he'll for the most part be back in his old job pretty soon.

Final Score: 80/100

    It was a fantastic season though. They're doing a great job of being one of the wittiest and funniest shows out there. Surprisingly, despite basically being my age, I don't really feel as if I'm missing many of the jokes from this show. If anything, the jokes I miss have more to do with the fact that I'm not American rather than the fact that I'm quite young in relation to this show. Now that I've hit season three, I will soon finally be encountering a series of blackface episodes on this show. Not that I mind too much though, I always thought the blackface episodes on both Community and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia were both fine, because they were pretty clearly not endorsing it and making fun of how ridiculous it was, but I can see why streaming services might not even want to touch it.

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