TV Recap: ’30 Rock,’ “The Problem Solvers”

I’m ambivalent about the new character, Jack Baker a.k.a. “Danny” (Cheyenne Jackson). His humor in this episode was based around being the confused new guy, not any specific style of his own. Of course, this could be a way to give a somewhat stagnant show a new jolt of life, but they’ll have to walk a fine line between integrating him into the normal rhythm and simply jumping the shark.

Liz and Jack’s story lines are consistently the best, and I was glad they were paired up – sometimes it seemed, literally – for a second episode in a row. There’s interest floating around in making “Dealbreakers” into a talk show, and Jack wants to help Liz produce it. She thinks he’s using their friendship in a bid to make money, and decides to shop around for an agent. But Jack, as he says, doesn’t need her to make money, and turns his crushing disappointment into a war over the rights to the “Dealbreakers” franchise.

Both eventually come to their senses – Jack after realizing this opportunity would change Liz’s life, and Liz after realizing Jack has her best interests at heart. They come together at the end during a lovers-meeting-after-running-through-a-field parody scene and announce they only want to do business with each other. Aww, how touching. I always get a little freaked out when Liz and Jack are paired in a faux-romantic situation, but their friendship has grown so much and their chemistry and characters are so great, I at least wouldn’t mind them taking center stage for the rest of the season.

And was there a little spoiler into the future during this Jack/Liz drama? Padma Lakshmi (the show is pretty much using guest stars non-stop now) mentions, when Jack offers her the “Dealbreakers” talk show, mentions that it would give her more time to “focus on being a mom.” It is only after she says this Jack realizes he truly wants to change Liz’s life. Is she going to try for a kid again soon?

The other characters did not have anything good to do during this episode, especially Jenna and Tracy. After giving Liz advice about looking for other buyers for “Dealbreakers,” they decide they’re super good at solving problems. Custom-made shirts and un-funny scenarios follow. Tracy is at his best when he’s the prime crazy – he doesn’t need Jenna’s help. And Jenna could be funny in her own right, too, if Jane Krakowski were given better material. Their little skit at the end was cheesy, but nowhere near the level of Tracy’s “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” work or Jenna’s “Mystic Pizza the movie” antics (no pun intended).

As far as minor characters go, the funky janitor got the funniest lines in the episode so there’s not much to say for the writers or Pete.

I’ll end on a note of praise: The show’s been really good to Kenneth so far this season. He’s getting some of the funniest dialogue, and every story line gets the chance to play off him in some hilarious way. Also, we keep hearing references to him running the network someday. I think I see a series-ending twist coming sometime down the road.