Liz tries to begin a relationship with a new tenant after accidentally receiving his mail. Meanwhile, Jack's appearance causes Elisa's grandmother to disapprove of the relationship, and Tracy has trouble maintaining the lifestyles of Wall Street frat boys.
Character escalation drives this 83-point episode with nearly five jokes per minute across 94 gags.
Directed by Todd Holland · Written by Robert Carlock
WAR
118
Wins Above Replacement
“Generalissimo” ranks #110 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 95.2 — Elite. The episode packs 80 scored jokes at 4.2 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.4 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
Tracy: Do you know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts to get offered serious roles. And do you really want to see me play Arthur Ashe?
Tracy Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Liz: I know that I lied to you, and I accidentally roofied you, but... weirder things have happened, right?
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback assistant · Tracy: That would be terrible. / You leave him alone!
Jack: He looks exactly like me. [Beat — Jack stares at the TV]
Jack Reaction Beat Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: He stole that girl's love letters and opened them. / Opened her mail? That is just shocking. He's a monster. / Or he has a really good reason to do it.
Jack Liz Irony/Sarcasm Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 80 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Tracy: You know it, Lady Broseph!
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Jack: They're former investment bankers who were laid off after that economic crash that Nancy Pelosi caused.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch Jack: They've got zero real-world skills, but god, they work hard.
Jack Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Liz: Soap and spanish magazines? What, are you expecting a visit from the...
Liz Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Liz: None of this is mine. I live in 3-B, this is 13-B. You know what, I'm gonna say it. Women should not deliver the mail.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz: He's a pediatrician, so you know he likes kids. Or feet. No, kids.
Liz Wordplay/Pun Misdirection Liz: And he has a golf magazine, so you know he's not gay or poor.
Liz Observational Deadpan/Understatement unnamed character (possibly Pete or Cerie): That's a federal offense! And you already have 2 strikes.
Tour guide: Only the special tours get to see Conan without his wig.
Tour guide Meta/Self-Referential Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jack · Elisa: Is it because I'm white? I've had white boyfriends. Black, Cuban... Brazilian guys with German heritage...
Jack: He looks exactly like me. [Beat — Jack stares at the TV]
Jack Reaction Beat Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Elisa: He does look like you. [Another pause — Elisa also stares]
Elisa Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Brian (intern) · Tracy: 'This honky grandma be trippin'.' When I quote lines from your movie, that's not racist?
Tracy: You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition at. But yeah, I'm in.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: He has an ice cream maker? Come on! Don't be weird-looking.
Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat Oswald: I live in the basement, so I have all the nails.
Oswald Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement Drew: Sorry, I smell like frosting. I just love to bake.
Drew Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Liz: I want to go to there.
Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Liz: Boy, I hope those two don't eventually have a showdown that pits family against justice.
Liz Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Elisa: As a child, my grandmother worked in a silver mine without proper ventilation. Now, her mind is squishy like a hacky sack.
Elisa Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Elisa: Even though sometimes she comes at me with a knife because of a silver frenzy.
Elisa Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: Told him his haircut was exactly what I've been trying to describe to my barber.
Liz Character Comedy Misdirection Liz: He went to medical school at Columbia, all kinds of charity baloney... He gets all of the movie channels, including Starz.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz: He trains seeing eye dogs at home.
Liz Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch unnamed character (Pete/writer): That's no good for you. You're allergic to dogs. Guess I'll have to step in then.
unnamed TGS writer: He pulled an uncle Harland Parcell last night. Minus the wistful jug blowing.
Tracy: Have you ever tasted Scotch? It's terrible! And this thing they call 'box seats at the Rangers game,' it's so cold!
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy · unnamed writer: And what is Rohypnol? / Those are roofies! / So I shouldn't have taken two of them for my headache?
Tracy · Brian: There he is! Tonight, shooters at Blockheads, lay a base, meet up with my bro-hams at Cornell club? You know it, Bri-man! A'ight! / I have no idea what either one of us just said.
Tracy: Here come the roofies. You can do whatever you want to me.
Tracy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Jack (or writer) · Elisa: What? Come on, you're a nurse? Some of us are hot.
Jack: He just blew up that kid!
Jack Reaction Beat Dark/Subversive Elisa: Metrocards are a real thing. You use them on the subway.
Elisa Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Elisa · Jack: Isn't that romantic? / Now, all I have to do is kill off the Generalissimo, and clear a path to Elisa's abuela.
Jack · Liz: He stole that girl's love letters and opened them. / Opened her mail? That is just shocking. He's a monster. / Or he has a really good reason to do it.
Jack Liz Irony/Sarcasm Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Jack: And how did he use her mail to do that, exactly? / He read her most intimate secrets, and turned himself into that which she desired.
Liz Jack Irony/Sarcasm Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Drew · Liz: My dog ran away! / Let me get my coat.
Drew Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: The funny thing is this is what I love about him.
Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat Drew: I'm actually on the board of the Pediatric Restless Leg Syndrome Association. I forgot I even had this on. I have so many charity t-shirts.
Drew Character Comedy Escalation Tracy: Shoot it, dog! I'm going to! I'm Tracy Jordan. Why would I be afraid of fire next to my mouth?
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Hector Moreda (as Generalissimo) · Jack · Elisa: 'And now, this potion's gonna make me live forever.' / What's happening? / El Generalissimo was supposed to die!
Jack: Morena has gone broken arrow. We really should have had somebody on the set who speaks Spanish.
Jack Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Hector Moreda: This role has made me rich, famous and respected. I get to cut the line at Disneyland, if I come mid-week.
Hector Moreda: I have a lucrative endorsement deal with Sabor de Soledad!
Jack: Play ball, or you'll be back doing R-rated hypnotism at bull fights so fast, you won't know what hit you.
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist Jack · Hector: I see that we are not so different, you and I. / We laugh alike. / We think alike. / At times, we even drink alike.
Jack Hector Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hector: You can lose your mind!
Hector Character Comedy Reaction Beat Hector: I am super gay, and I would totally switch for her. She's amazing.
Hector Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Hector · Jack: El Generalissimo does not have to die to clear the way to the abuela. Not if the abuela comes to love him. / But that's impossible. / Seduction is never impossible for El Generalissimo.
Hector: I will become everything that old hispanic women desire. I will make her love me.
Hector Character Comedy Absurdist Hector · Jack: Like Julie Harris in The Belle of Amherst. / You are surprisingly gay.
Hector Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Jack · Liz: So did you ever find Buster? / What did you not understand? That picture is from a dog food ad.
Jack Liz Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback unnamed writer · Elisa: Are you an actress? / I'm a nurse. / Good. Don't listen to anyone who says you should become an actress.
Elisa: The Generalissimo tricked her to the villa by inviting her to a fancy party. But when she got there, it was just the two of them. He drugged her champagne and had his way with her. Later, she gave birth to the devil. You know, sweeps week.
Elisa Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Liz · unnamed writer (possibly Frank): That's what I could do to Drew. / Drug him? Having been on both sides of that, I could tell you it's not a good idea.
Elisa · Liz: El Generalissimo was once a good man. But the years of loneliness drove him insane. / I am not the Generalissimo.
Elisa Liz Irony/Sarcasm Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback unnamed writer: I called my uncle Harland, and I got his hangover cure. 'Mix two cups boiled possum meat with one messload ragweed, stir in alcohol...'
Tracy: It's like I said in my not-hit comedy Cruise Boat, 'I'm getting too old for this ship.'
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Tracy: Do you know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts to get offered serious roles. And do you really want to see me play Arthur Ashe?
Tracy Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch assistant · Tracy: That would be terrible. / You leave him alone!
Liz: The party's tomorrow night. Tonight, I'm just hanging out, eating fondue by candlelight. But come in, I was just opening a bottle of wine to drink alone.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Drew: I guess one glass couldn't hurt.
Drew Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: Buster, you wang! Let's get you back in your special kitchen cabinet.
Liz Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Drew: Man, that dog is giving me a headache. I have some aspirin in my white bag there if you need any.
Drew Irony/Sarcasm Running Gag ★ Rewatch Liz · Drew: You've been roofied! / You did what? / Not me. The pills!
Liz Drew Running Gag Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Drew · Liz: Is this my mail? / You're not thinking clearly. / Why is it all open?
Drew Liz Cringe/Discomfort Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Drew · Liz: That's not your dog. / I can explain. Just relax.
Drew Liz Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Drew: I am the Generalissimo! / I don't know what that means.
Liz Drew Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Elisa: Abuela made you breaded calf's brains.
Elisa Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Grandmother (via Elisa translating): What are you going to do about the NBC news? It's too sad.
Jack: I'll look into it... abuela.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Liz · Drew: Monty Python, Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Classic. / Membership in the Cheese of the Month Club, and the Steak of the Month Club, and a copy of Vegetarian Times. / I'm a flip-flopper.
Liz Drew Character Comedy Observational Callback Liz: Also a response to your complaint about bad grammar in subway ads. The word 'whom' deserves a defender.
Liz Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Callback Liz Lemon: I know that I lied to you, and I accidentally roofied you, but... weirder things have happened, right?
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Drew: I'm just saying that based on your mail, I actually would have wanted to meet this Elizabeth Lemon in 3-B.
Drew Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: I know that I lied to you, and I accidentally roofied you, but... weirder things have happened, right?
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Drew · Tracy · news anchor · reporter: Isn't that Tracy Jordan? / The Lehman Brothers investment bank will reopen under the direction of comedian Tracy Jordan. / I'm doing this so no one will know I'm getting old. / But you just told us you're old. / This interview is over.
Drew: I guess weirder things have happened.
Drew Callback Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback news anchor: And now to lighten things up, some pictures of beautiful latin babies, and the music of Tito Puente.
Liz · Jack: Jack this is ridiculous. / It's a date.
Liz Jack Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy