C.C. and Jack face a block in their relationship when C.C. decides to go public about the affair but Jack refuses. Meanwhile, Liz struggles to keep both Tracy and Jenna happy when the two find it hard to share the spotlight, while Frank makes fun of Toofer's Harvard education with bizarre results.
Absurdist chaos drives 71 jokes in 23 minutes — barely missed elite tier.
Directed by Michael Engler · Written by Ron Weiner
WAR
148.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Secrets And Lies” ranks #2 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 100.0 — Elite. The episode packs 84 scored jokes at 3.6 per minute, averaging 7.8 on craft and 7.8 on impact, with Liz landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Executive 5: Final executive stands up last: 'I murdered my wife.'
Jack: Jack: 'I like when a woman has ambition. It's like seeing a dog wearing clothes.'
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch C.C.: And I just want you to know that, in 1984, I voted for Ronald Reagan.
C.C. Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz · Jenna: Liz: 'And this award you just got? It's a cookie.' Jenna: 'Ooh, crunch!'
Liz Jenna Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Executive 3 · Executive 4: Third executive: 'I'm gay.' Fourth executive: 'I'm black.'
All Jokes — 84 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: Jack sends his assistant to a nonexistent Italian bakery in Queens to get him out of the way
Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Kenneth: Kenneth's assistant arrives panicked: 'This is the address he gave me. He never makes mistakes. I can't go back there without sfogliatelle!'
Kenneth Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch C.C. · Jack: C.C.'s name tag: 'Lakeesha Gutierrez-Arafat'
Jack · C.C. · Liz: Take off your pants suit. / Right back at you. / Oh! Workplace!
Liz · C.C.: Liz: 'I like your necklace.' C.C.: 'It's actually a rape whistle but the whistle part fell off, and I just liked how it looked so I kept it.'
Liz C.C. Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Liz: Liz says 'It' meaning business: 'I call the movie Risky Business, Risky It, because 'it' means business.'
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Liz: Liz says 'Lemon out' as she exits — as if signing off from a radio broadcast
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pete · Toofer: Pete to Toofer: 'Hey, take that off. You didn't go to Harvard.' Toofer: 'I went to Harvard.'
Frank · Pete: Frank: 'Well, I got a squeezer from an Indian girl on a bunk bed, so I think I got the full Harvard experience.' Pete: 'That does sound pretty accurate.'
Frank Pete Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Jack · Liz: Jack: 'That woman you met this morning in my office is not a colleague of mine. We are lovers.' Liz: 'Oh, that word bums me out unless it's between the words meat and pizza.'
Jack Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: 'Okay, if I can't say lovers, you can't say feelings.'
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: This corporation has a very strict 'bros before hos' policy.
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'Oh, come on! I don't have that. Very hairy.'
Liz Reaction Beat Character Comedy Callback Jenna: Jenna wins 'Best Actress in a Movie Based on a Musical Based on a Movie'
Jenna Absurdist Setup/Punchline Tracy: Tracy storms in: 'Okay, enough! How long are we going to talk about this stupid award? We have more important things to worry about. Like where are the french fries I did not ask for? You guys need to anticipate me.'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'It's not fair, Liz Lemon. Everybody wins awards but me. Even Shaquille O'Neal got a Kids' Choice Award for that animated movie we did.'
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Tracy · Shaq: Cutaway to animated Shaq movie clip: 'Boy, I hope we rescue the Starfish King on this adventure.' 'It'll be a slam dunk!'
Tracy: Non-sequitur line from animated movie: 'Would you call what we did last night sex?'
Tracy Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'A million dollars, a yellow Bentley, and nothing. I never win anything!'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy holds up a coffee mug his kids got him for Father's Day that says 'I'm a failure'
Tracy Visual Gag Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'Maybe I should just give up and try this crystal meth I've been hearing so much about.'
Tracy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Tracy: Tracy: 'Pacific Rim? I love the Pacific Rim. I spent nine months in Japan shooting Samurai, I-Am-Urai.'
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tracy: Tracy explains 'sharking' — running up on a lady and pulling her tube top down while a friend videotapes. 'It's considered a crime here. Thanks a lot, Puritans.'
Tracy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Liz · Pete: Liz to Pete: 'He's fine. I just need you to make him a Pacific Rim Emmy.' Pete: 'Props has an old basketball trophy we could solder some wings onto.'
Liz Pete Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jenna · Liz: Jenna: 'I don't get that kind of treatment.' Liz: 'I don't have to treat you that way because you're the sane one. You're my rock.' Jenna: 'It is amazing how grounded I've been able to stay despite my célébrité.'
Jenna Liz Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Frank: Frank walks up to Toofer with a Harvard sweatshirt on: 'What's up, dude? I went to Harvard.'
Frank Running Gag Character Comedy Callback Jenna: It is amazing how grounded I've been able to stay despite my célébrité.
Jenna Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Toofer · Pete · Frank: Toofer produces the Signet Society pin, Pete produces the same pin from his pocket, Toofer says 'Oh, you mean this pin?' — and Pete points out 'Your lame thing is on his pants.'
Tracy: Tracy: 'Perfect. Just when I get back from Maiden Voyage, Newark's first offshore gentlemen's barge.'
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'Liz Lemon know who keeps the lights on around here. But I couldn't do it without my background players.'
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: Tracy offers to let Liz and Josh 'hold' his award, then says 'Then you can check out my award. Ha ha ha! Banter!'
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jenna: Jenna says 'I can't even get a real exterminator to get that squirrel out of my dressing room.' — followed immediately by the sound of squirrel chaos
Jenna Setup/Punchline Running Gag Jack · C.C.: Jack to C.C. about the dinner guest list: 'We had to eliminate anybody with any influence or connections or stature, so that pretty much left you. Then we added Kenneth so you would have somebody to talk to.'
Kenneth: Kenneth awkwardly tries to make conversation with Liz: 'What's your favorite pizza topping? Mine's plain, but I like others.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Jack to Liz, completely sincerely: 'I have to say, you are the most beautiful woman in this room right now.'
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Kenneth: Kenneth asks Liz: 'Tell me a painful story about your teenage years.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Awkward Silence Tracy: Tracy opens his acceptance speech: 'People of the Pacific Rim, how you feel?'
Tracy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tracy: Tracy thanks 'a very special blond lady — Shelley Long, you're truly an inspiration to me!'
Tracy Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Tracy: Karaoke, karate, and most of all... wanizame atakku! / Shark attack!
Tracy Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna · Liz: Jenna: 'How could Tracy not thank me? I drag myself out of bed at 4:00 in the morning, go home, get dressed, come in here, and he doesn't even mention my name?' Liz: 'Jenna, the whole thing is fake.' Jenna: 'Yeah, but he thought it was real.'
Jenna Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'I did hear the janitor saying your boobs looked good.'
Liz Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Jenna: The squirrel reappears in Jenna's dressing room: 'Aah! The squirrel! It's not afraid of people!'
Jenna Running Gag Physical/Slapstick Callback C.C. · Liz: C.C. and Liz play a game where they apparently finish each other's celebrity references without speaking. 'Venus Williams.' 'Remember that time you fell asleep?' 'Captain Beefheart.'
C.C. Liz Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch C.C. · Liz · Kenneth: The Charades game at the dinner party: 'This is not a character from a television program.' 'Okay. This is not a character from the Bible.' 'Uh, pass.' 'You can't pass, you hillbilly!'
C.C. · Liz: C.C. slaps Liz: 'No. I'm sorry. I don't normally slap people.'
C.C. Liz Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy C.C. · Liz: In C.C. and Liz's conversation, out of nowhere: 'I'm-a the plumber. I'm here-a to fix the washing machine.' 'Come right in, Mr. Spunatelli.'
C.C. Liz Absurdist Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'I don't think you want to take advice from me. I ate a 3 Musketeers bar for breakfast this morning, and this bra is held together with tape.'
Liz Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Liz · C.C.: C.C. and Liz simultaneously: 'Me either.' Then Liz: 'Oh God, it was my birthday yesterday.'
Liz C.C. Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Frank · Writer: Hey, guys, it's me... Frank. / Oh, no. Escalation!
Frank · Toofer: Frank's mom is invoked in the hat insult; Frank defends her: 'My mom's a great lady.' Toofer: 'Was it her greatness that made your dad leave?'
Frank: Frank: 'He didn't leave. He's a submarine commander running silent.'
Frank Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: '$5 million each? That's NBA sexual-assault money.'
Jack Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: 'I like when a woman has ambition. It's like seeing a dog wearing clothes.'
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch C.C.: C.C.: 'I should never have listened to a woman who tapes her bra together.' — calling back Liz's earlier confession
C.C. Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Background TV ad: 'Everybody looks good in a Sheinhardt.'
Irony/Sarcasm Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback
Jenna · Sacha: Jenna has acquired an entourage: 'I'm Sacha. This is Patrice and Master Alexei.' ...and then 'And your name is probably something like Melissa.'
Sacha: Sacha (entourage member): 'Oh, Melissa? Your face is on the phone. Soccer practice is over and you need to pick it up.'
Sacha Character Comedy Escalation Callback Liz: Liz, grudgingly: 'All right, that's a pretty good burn, Patrice.'
Liz Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Jack · James Carville: Jack and C.C. spot James Carville in the elevator. Jack asks: 'How do you and Mary Matalin make it work? She's a brilliant, patriotic Republican strategist, and you, let's face it, are a pinko nutjob.'
James Carville: James Carville: 'Mary and I have proved that true love can weather any storm. Even Desert Storm.' — 'Cajun style.'
James Carville: 'Cajun style' repeated three times as Carville's punctuation throughout the advice scene
James Carville: Carville: 'Jack, is it really the opinion of others you're worried about, or are you learning something new about yourself and you find that a little scary?' — beat — 'Cajun style.'
Frank · Toofer: Frank/Toofer feud: 'If we give up our feud now, we'll be ridiculed. Remember when Lutz cried during that diamond commercial? It'd be worse than that.'
James Carville: Carville advises Frank/Toofer: 'You need to change the story, like Karl Rove did in the last election when he made it about gay folks and swift boats. What's your swift boat?' — then: 'You didn't hear this from me, but Josh is starting to do something new with his hair.'
James Carville · Liz: Carville tries to steal candy from a vending machine; Liz watches. Carville: 'Let me show you how it's done. Cajun style.'
Tracy: Tracy to Liz: 'I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up if Andy Dick calls.'
Tracy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz: Liz reveals she secretly runs Jenna's fan club as a punishment for a writer: 'That's me. I made Frank set that up as a punishment after he farted in my chair.'
Liz Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz describes secretly calling in to Jenna's morning radio show as all the callers: 'every caller was me. I am loving all of your characters. Thanks for calling, Sanjay. I really believe in Karma.'
Liz Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz · Jenna: Liz: 'And this award you just got? It's a cookie.' Jenna: 'Ooh, crunch!'
Liz Jenna Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz's monologue: 'I don't sleep, I don't eat right, thanks to you and Tracy Jordan. Mostly you.'
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jenna: Jenna: 'Oh, Liz. That's all I wanted to hear. I'll be onstage in 10.'
Jenna Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jenna: Jenna: 'And I'll wait till tomorrow to talk about you firing melon-ball lady.' Liz: 'All right.' Jenna: 'Not in front of the gays.'
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Frank · Toofer · Josh: Frank and Toofer's feud is resolved because Josh got a frohawk: 'Hey, look who bailed on their lame feud.' — beat — 'Dude, you got a frohawk, man. Do you think you're better than us?'
Josh · Frank · Toofer: Josh: 'It's not even my normal barber. My mom did it.' The writers: 'Dr. Haircut!'
C.C. · Jack: C.C. uses the John Legend CD as a pretense to see Jack: 'I don't know why it was so urgent you have it before noon.' C.C.: 'It was just an excuse.'
C.C. Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement C.C.: C.C.: 'I'm 43, and you have great hair. I can let this play out a little longer.'
C.C. Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Jack: 'C.C., these people are my peers, my heroes, my past and future Secret Santas.'
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack's public announcement: 'She's my liberal, hippy-dippy mama. My groovy chick. My old lady. She wants to tax us all to death and make it legal for a man to marry his own dog.'
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Executive 1: First executive, unprompted, stands up: 'I gave to NPR last year.'
Executive 2: Second executive: 'My children go to public school.'
Executive 2: Second executive confession: 'My children go to public school.'
Executive 3 · Executive 4: Third executive: 'I'm gay.' Fourth executive: 'I'm black.'
C.C.: And I just want you to know that, in 1984, I voted for Ronald Reagan.
C.C. Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Executive 5: Final executive stands up last: 'I murdered my wife.'