Jack wonders if his career will get in the way of taking his relationship with Elisa to the next level. Tracy does an interview with Larry King and causes mayhem throughout New York City. Liz loses her cell phone in a cab and brings Kenneth with her out to Queens to retrieve it.
69 jokes in 24 minutes makes this 30 Rock's densest outing yet—escalation-driven chaos.
Directed by Constantine Makris · Written by Matt Hubbard
WAR
86.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Larry King” ranks #39 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 87.8 — Elite. The episode packs 69 scored jokes at 2.9 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 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
Kenneth: Oh, was it 'The Day is Done My Sweet, For the Lambs Have Been Decapitated?'
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: I was supposed to be in that movie Rush Hour but two weeks into shooting I was replaced by Jackie Chan.
Tracy Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Tracy: At the stroke of midnight, your Lexus is gonna turn back into a high-powered rats, fighting over a human finger.
Tracy Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Kenneth: I knew it! That's '99 Red Balloons,' Nena's famous anti-balloon protest song.
Kenneth Callback Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Tracy: I never said it was a 'thing.' It's me. I am the safest place in 30 Rock.
Tracy Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 69 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: Look at this guy, used to be a man once.
Jack Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: Lemon, you're a woman. Of course I am! That doctor was a quack, I don't even know why my parents listened to him.
Jack Liz Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Aww, ladies are such a bummer. Where is this going, how serious are we, why don't you listen to my story about my friend?
Jack Observational Character Comedy Liz · Jack: You mean, like, marriage? No, the one before that. Moving in together? That's huge! No, the thing you do before that. think 'you in the mid-nineties.' You haven't had sex?
Jack · Liz: We have, of course, pleasured one another- No, stop, I believe.
Jack Liz Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Jack: she keeps confusing me with this ridiculous notion that 'sex' and 'love' are somehow connected.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Liz: in 2009 I have done it two more times than you.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: Give it up what, what. Whoo, do not leave a brother hanging.
Liz Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Tracy: I've cursed for three hours straight just to get it out of my system, you dumb bitch.
Tracy Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Tracy: NGS Fridays at c-thirty on TB-10.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Asseef: wearing the shirt of a man.
Asseef Observational Wordplay/Pun Asseef: You bring 800 dollars, rich lady, or I throw the phone away.
Asseef Escalation Character Comedy Liz · Asseef: Oh, yeah, I'll definitely do that, on Opposite Day. I'm new to this country, is that a real thing?
Elisa: It's a caricature of me on a skateboard.
Jack · Elisa: We're Jack and Elisa - Jalisa. That's really lame, Jack. Yeah, that was just a joke.
Jack Elisa Cringe/Discomfort Meta/Self-Referential Elisa: I don't wanna go all 'Marc Anthony' on you, but I need to know how you feel.
Jonathan: You won't be coming in at all? But what about 'Jackonathon?'
Jonathan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Tracy: But then he scores a basket, even though he's not a wolf anymore.
Tracy: Larry, I'm not an expert, but I do have a strong opinion. New York as we know it will no longer exist tomorrow.
Tracy: in the days before Starbuck.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tracy: and the movies are only cost three dollars.
Tracy Observational Escalation Larry King: Tracy Jordan, saying three serious things, and then a joke.
Larry King Meta/Self-Referential Observational ★ Rewatch unknown character: The chuffa volatility index is off the charts!
Jack: Like a lion, ready to take its mate.
Jack Absurdist Character Comedy Liz: Ach, I lost my phone and this jagweed cabby has it.
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Liz · Jack: There's an adult picture of me on that phone. What picture? Oh my god! Yes. That one.
Liz: Drew took it as a joke, I'm making a face like- Why am I telling you this?
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Tracy: I was supposed to be in that movie Rush Hour but two weeks into shooting I was replaced by Jackie Chan.
Tracy Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Oh, Miss Lemon, I can't leave Manhattan on page business. NBC's interns doesn't cover it.
Kenneth · Liz: Say it. Say I'm your friend. Fine. You're my friend, Kenneth. Let's go.
Tracy: calm down, and start preparing their bodies for the Thunderdome. That is the new law.
Kenneth: Aww, I just got tagged.
Liz: It's a song, a lullaby that my nana Lemon used to sing to me every night
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Kenneth: Oh, was it 'The Day is Done My Sweet, For the Lambs Have Been Decapitated?'
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: she died a few hours later. It was my birthday.
Liz Dark/Subversive Escalation Kenneth: then I will not rest until I get my friend her phone.
Jack: I watched an American Masters last night about Baryshnikov. I picked up a couple of ideas.
Jack Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: there is no amount of money this company could lose that would cause me to- yes, that's the amount, I'll get dressed right now.
Jack Escalation Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: Devil's avocado here, Larry, I think people should freak the geek out.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Escalation Tracy · Larry King: if some of it was gone I'd probably wouldn't even notice. Now why would you say that? I don't know.
Liz: No, that's not a New Year's thing, that's the year she wanted to live to, and she didn't make it.
Liz Escalation Character Comedy Callback Kenneth: I knew it! That's '99 Red Balloons,' Nena's famous anti-balloon protest song.
Kenneth Callback Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: I can't handle the truth!
Kenneth: Adult? You mean like you're driving a car or wearing a suit?
Liz: and I only kept it because for once they were both pointing in the same direction.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Liz Escalation Character Comedy Tracy: At the stroke of midnight, your Lexus is gonna turn back into a high-powered rats, fighting over a human finger.
Tracy Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Tracy · Larry King: Hang on. I know Jack Donaghy, and that is an impostor. Hang up! Hang up on him Larry! I'm going to, but not because you told me.
Elisa: It smells like dude in here.
Elisa Observational Character Comedy Elisa: You'll eat cereal that comes in a bag, and you'll keep the free hand wipes from the casino.
Elisa Observational Escalation Elisa Escalation Character Comedy unknown character: Well, that was kind of neato, she just, whoop, flipped your words around on you.
Tracy: Hey, I'd recognize that voice anywhere Larry, that's my friend Peter Frampton on the phone.
Tracy: Without giving it away: the place I picked is very dry and warm. Its top is hard, but its bottom is soft. And although the location changes all the time, the money stays in the same place.
Tracy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Larry King: who is giving guitar icon Peter Frampton enigmatic clues about a secret treasure.
Jonathan: Nothing. I don't know.
Geiss: either because of the Soviets or of something ridiculous, like a woman president.
Geiss Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Elisa: Everything's gone cocoa for cuckoo poops!
Elisa Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Elisa: But I want a ring so big, that it gives me back problems.
Elisa Escalation Character Comedy Asseef: Work number, work number, work number. You have no friends.
Asseef Observational Character Comedy Asseef: I'm not talking to you.
Asseef Misdirection Character Comedy Tracy: I never said it was a 'thing.' It's me. I am the safest place in 30 Rock.
Tracy Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Kenneth: I would thank you to give the lady its cell phone back.
Kenneth: Because I'm having an asbestos removal party in my apartment on Sunday
Larry King: and, I'm quoting here, 'an idiot.'
Tracy: Watch TGS Fridays at 10:30 on NBC! Word.
Tracy Callback Character Comedy Callback Elisa: Aww, how do you turn this damn thing off?
Elisa Callback Visual Gag Callback 