30 Rock: Season 3

Barely snuck this one into the month of September. 30 Rock is a show that I always gave small chances to, but with an air of skepticism. For me, it was always the half hour between The Office and Always Sunny that couldn't go by fast enough, even if it did have scores of Emmy nominations. Still, the hype was undeniable; people loved this show. Early this summer, I found the first two seasons on DVD packaged together for just $25. In a purchase that could be described as both impulsive and pennywise, I went for it. I almost immediately regretted the decision. Season 1, for whatever reason, was difficult to stomach. Nevertheless, I bore through it and began Season 2 with low expectations. To my great surprise, I enjoyed it. My regret was gone. Season 3 wasn't any more enjoyable than Season 2, but at the same time it was no less enjoyable. So it seems like the show has found its groove and is doing all the right things to stay there. And that's fine. Now, having seen Seasons 2 and 3, I think I know what I hated about Season 1 by comparison: far too much Tina Fey. I think, and have always thought, that Tina Fey is attractive, intelligent, and humorous. But I have never found her to be gorgeous, brilliant, or hilarious. Someone once claimed that Tina Fey had been underrated for so long that once she finally burst into the national spotlight (around the time 30 Rock debuted) she was immediately over-praised. I couldn't agree more, especially in Season 1 of 30 Rock. The show is obviously based at least loosely on her time as a head writer at SNL, and I just got all kinds of self-important vibes coming from her (through her character) in the first season. Also, way too much Rachel Dratch. Rachel Dratch isn't funny. If you want to use her once or twice, fine, but she popped up like five different times - as five different characters, no less - in Season 1. Seriously? This isn't SNL, it's weeknight primetime. People have expectations. The quickest way to kill a show must be to throw Rachel Dratch at an audience in weekly doses. She even played male roles at times. This may have flown on SNL but, again, this is not SNL! Fortunately, Dratch was only around for Season 1. And for the most part, so was the self-aggrandizing Tina Fey; the ensuing two efforts were more subdued and largely better. The show still has its minor flaws, but try as I might to come up with something else to bitch about, I can't. I suppose at times Tina Fey comes off as a smarmy liberal, breaking the fourth wall to make snide political commentary here and there, but, again, maybe this is just her character speaking. Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are great at all times, as are the lesser-known Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer. And the amount of guest stars is unreal. In Season 3 alone we saw Steve Martin, Jennifer Aniston, and Oprah Winfrey, all within the first four episodes. Salma Hayek joined for a multi-episode arc as well. Plenty of other well-known stars have recurring roles and cameos as well. I credit Tina Fey and her SNL alum status. After all, that show pulls in guest hosts every week. In the end, this is not a show that I dislike, at all. But it is also not a show that I would tell other people to watch. At times, it's absolutely brilliant. But brilliance doesn't always translate to comedy, and also, I stress "at times." I look forward to the upcoming season, but part of this anticipation could be excitement over finally enjoying the bridge between The Office and Sunny. I dunno. If you haven't given it a shot yet, you might enjoy it. But I'm not telling you to watch it. It hasn't earned that yet. Maybe it has from its countless Emmy nominations, but it hasn't from me. At least not yet. Not yet.