While Jack puts together the perfect 50th birthday party for himself, home videos inspire him to try to recreate his happiest moment. Dennis decides to tell Liz about his addiction. Meanwhile, Kenneth and Pete work to make Tracy's childhood dream come true.
69 jokes in 23 minutes: 30 Rock's densest episode channels absurdist chaos over setup.
Directed by Millicent Shelton · Written by Robert Carlock
WAR
138.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Apollo, Apollo” ranks #75 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 97.4 — Elite. The episode packs 88 scored jokes at 3.8 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.5 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
Jack · Bystander: Jack laughs at the commercial, trails off looking for a comparison for how much he's laughed, then: 'Everybody, back up! Get out of the way! He's going to Jack!'
Jenna: Liz: 'The reason I have some English inflection in my speech is because I lost my virginity to the My Fair Lady soundtrack.'
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack's list continues: 'Live in a house with stairs. Beat up a Russian. Hit Mom with a car.'
Jack Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: Jack: 'I've danced with Queen Noor. I've hunted the world's most dangerous game.' Liz: 'Man.' Jack: 'Manatee. I once shot a manatee.'
Jack Liz Misdirection Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'What is this, Horseville? Because I am surrounded by "neigh"-sayers. Wordplay. That is solid.'
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 88 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack · Liz: Jack asks if Liz is frying bacon; she says it's her new running shoes
Jack Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jack: Jack laughs dismissively at Liz's running shoes explanation
Jack Reaction Beat Character Comedy Liz: Liz explains her mail piling up and forgetting to buy toilet paper as why she hasn't RSVP'd
Liz Character Comedy Observational Jack · Liz: Jack: 'Don't wear that thing with the belt.' Liz: 'What thing with the belt? Don't hang up! I have a lot of belted outfits!'
Jack Liz Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy's press release: 'I have decided to fulfill my dream of going into space. If you have a spaceship and are looking for a hilarious astronaut with an irregular heartbeat and $30 million...'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Tracy: Tracy: 'I wrote that yesterday. I will not be taking questions.'
Tracy Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Dennis · Liz: Liz opens the door to Dennis: 'Hello, dummy.' Liz: 'No. Nope. Not interested. Have a good life.'
Dennis Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dennis · Liz: Dennis: 'It's important. It's about my mom.' [Liz relents] Dennis: 'That was a lie.'
Dennis · Liz: Dennis: 'I recently discovered that I am a sex addict.' Liz: 'No, you're not.' Dennis: 'Yeah, I am.'
Dennis Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dennis: Dennis: 'And I'd be an even worse sex addict if I wasn't so consumed with my latest business venture.' ... 'One word. Coffee. One problem. Where do you get it? Anywhere. You get it anywhere.'
Dennis Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dennis: Dennis's vending machine is at '38th and 6th in the basement of the K-Mart. You just go downstairs, you get the key from David...'
Dennis Character Comedy Escalation Dennis: Dennis: 'I am sorry that my disease has made you a victim of my sexual charisma. I am sorry that I have ruined you for other men.'
Dennis Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Dennis: Dennis: 'My sponsor said that you were going to try to pick a fight to lure me into hate sex. It's not going to work, Elizabeth. My support group? It's lousy with nymphos.'
Dennis Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'I have a Google News Alert for the phrase "Tracy Jordan ridiculous disaster".'
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pete · Liz: Pete: 'I think he has stuff all morning.' Liz: 'You think or you know?' Pete: 'Hang on. I'm going into a tunnel.'
Pete Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Jack reads his mother's birthday card: 'Jackie, here is some of your junk. It was taking up the space my new boyfriend needed for his golf bags. His name is Paul and he doesn't want to meet you.'
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz sees young Jack in the home movie: 'Oh, my God. Is that you? I like your little sweater vest.'
Liz Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz · Jack: Liz: 'You threw up.' Jack: 'What? As a kid, you never got so excited, you vomited? No one does that. I mean, I've peed a little.'
Liz Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Liz: Liz: 'I'm lizzing! I'm lizzing!' Then explains: '"Lizzing" is a combination of "laughing" and "whizzing."'
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack reads from his childhood list: 'Go to Disneyland. Ride in an airplane. Kiss Peggy Fleming.' Then: 'Done, done and... oh, boy. Done.'
Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jack Donaghy: Ah, well, if you want a good 'liz'... read this.
Jack: Jack's list continues: 'Live in a house with stairs. Beat up a Russian. Hit Mom with a car.'
Jack Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: 'Fly on a plane? I've flown on Air Force One. Go to Disneyland? Lemon, I've held Walt Disney's frozen head in my hands.'
Jack Escalation Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: Jack: 'I've danced with Queen Noor. I've hunted the world's most dangerous game.' Liz: 'Man.' Jack: 'Manatee. I once shot a manatee.'
Jack Liz Misdirection Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz · Jonathan: Jack: 'Be friends with Batman.' Liz: 'There's still a couple of hours.' Jack: 'Jonathan, could you get Adam West's agent on the phone, please?'
Adam West: The talent agent answering: 'Griswald Talent Management. Representing excellence.' Agent: 'It's funny. I actually played Peter Pan on Broadway. Did you know there's a Broadway Street in Tampa?'
Adam West: Adam West doing Peter Pan harness training: 'Also, you can't have anything in your pockets.' West hands off a phone to someone, says 'Ready' and then 'I'm flying!' followed by 'Oh, my God. Why are there so many dead doves up here?'
Adam West Absurdist Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Adam West: Oh, my God. Why are there so many dead doves up here?
Jenna · Dennis: Dennis calls Jenna on Liz's phone; Jenna, answering Liz's phone, pretends to be Liz and does a British accent
Dennis: Dennis gives his sex-addict apology to 'Liz' (actually Jenna): 'I am sorry that my disease made you a victim of my sexual charisma. I am sorry that I have ruined you for other men.'
Dennis Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Dennis · Jenna: Dennis: 'You know, I was the love of Liz's life.' Jenna (as Liz): 'I'm not sure you were.' Dennis: 'Oh, no. I totally was. Peace.'
Tracy: Tracy: 'What is this, Horseville? Because I am surrounded by "neigh"-sayers. Wordplay. That is solid.'
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'When I was a kid, growing up in the projects, I would look up at the stars and dream of going into space. Of escaping the slums. Of killing an Ewok.'
Tracy Dark/Subversive Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: 'I don't have friends at NASA. Bunch of nerds.'
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz · Jack: Liz: 'Ugh. I was going to go for a run today!' Jack: 'Oh. [Laughs]'
Liz Jack Callback Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna: Liz: 'The reason I have some English inflection in my speech is because I lost my virginity to the My Fair Lady soundtrack.'
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jenna · Liz: Jenna: 'Dennis and I were in a very emotional place because of Hurricane Katrina.' Liz: 'What those people were doing to the Superdome?'
Liz: Liz: 'You were trying to be an actress then, despite your neck.'
Liz Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Liz · Jenna: Liz: 'Let's go give him a piece of our mind.' Jenna: 'Let's stab him.' Liz: 'Yeah, your thing.'
Liz Jenna Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack · Kenneth: Kenneth: 'I wore nothing but hand-me-downs until I was 12 years old. But I thought you were the oldest, sir.' Jack: 'Oldest boy.'
Jack Kenneth Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Kenneth shows off his keychain: 'Look at this keychain I got. Every time you move his head, his head moves! Look!'
Kenneth Character Comedy Observational Jack · Kenneth: Jack wonders what Kenneth's perspective is like; the show plays swelling inspirational music as Jack imagines Kenneth seeing the world with wonder [visual gag — music swells, Kenneth sees simple gifts as magnificent]
Kenneth: Kenneth: 'You've got all of these fancy presents from business associates and this big empty house to store them in. Happy birthday, Mr. Donaghy.'
Kenneth Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Jack: A coin rattles dramatically after Kenneth leaves, in the empty silence of Jack's big house [sound gag / awkward silence]
Jack Awkward Silence Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dennis: Dennis: 'Oh. I get why you're here. You want me to rank you.'
Dennis Character Comedy Misdirection Jenna: Jenna: 'You had gone on that over-30 Outward Bound trip to Arizona, and you had asked me to house sit. Well, Dennis came over. And, as I mentioned, we were both pretty torn up about Hurricane Katrina. What those people were doing to the Superdome?'
Jenna Callback Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Callback Liz · Dennis: Liz: 'I want you to understand exactly how unimportant you are. You are not the love of my life. You are not capable of hurting me. And you could never do anything to damage this friendship.' Dennis: 'It was in your bed.'
Liz: Liz: 'Aw, guys, come on! I eat in there!'
Liz Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Dennis · Jenna: Dennis: 'Alright, fine. I'm ranking you now. Hey, blondie — you're number one.' Jenna: 'I don't care!' Jenna (aside): 'Thank you, Dennis.'
Adam West · Jack: Adam West introduces Jack at his own birthday party as 'Jake Dellahee'
Adam West: Adam West mid-introduction: 'But I can't stay long. I'm on a case. The Penguin's in town.'
Jack: Jack: 'It's all wrong. Uh... Everyone, go home now. Uh, the party's over.'
Jack Reaction Beat Character Comedy Party Guest: A party guest: 'I was told I'd get a meal.'
Liz: Liz arrives late to the party: 'Jack, am I the first one here? Ugh. I waited! This always happens.'
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Jack: Jack: 'The closest I came to vomiting tonight was when I saw Ann Coulter's shoulder blades.'
Jack Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Jack Donaghy: I'm going to find out what was inside that box, I'm going to buy it with money, and it is going to make me happy.
Jack: Jack: 'I'm going to find out what was inside that box, I'm going to buy it with money, and it is going to make me happy. And if that doesn't work, I'm going to Benjamin Button myself.'
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist Liz: Liz: 'We're not meeting in the middle!' [in response to Jack's Benjamin Button plan]
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Pete: Pete: 'In Cape Canaveral. By which I mean, through that door. We told him he had to be blindfolded before launch to prevent "Space Madness."'
Pete Character Comedy Absurdist Pete: Pete: 'We put him on the Channel Four traffic copter for a couple of hours. And now, he's landed here in sunny Florida.'
Pete Absurdist Character Comedy Pete: Pete: 'As a child, I dreamed of being a Congressman like my father. Now, I do this. One D.U.I. in high school.'
Pete Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Tracy: Tracy: 'At least it's a dry heat here in Florida.'
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Pete · Tracy: The 'computer' (clearly a recorded voice) says: 'Good work, Astronaut Jordan. Now do 20 space sit-ups.'
Tracy: Tracy: 'Computer, when do I get some Tang? Also... I'm thirsty.' [Laughs] 'Wordplay.'
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna: Jenna: 'I felt so jacked up on the way home that I threw a brick through the window of a Banana Republic.'
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Liz · Tech: Liz: 'If I learned anything from watching 24, you're going to want to zoom in and enhance.' Tech: 'Why don't you ask Jimmy what's in there? It says "From Jimmy" on it.'
Liz Tech Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jack: Jack: 'Get me a deaf person.' Then to lip-reading specialist: 'I was told this was a job interview.'
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist Bystander: Bystander: 'He's mortal!'
Jenna: Jenna (on crutches): 'These crutches are real, everyone. Liz tried to kill me.'
Jenna Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dot Com · Pete · Tracy: Dot Com: '"T" minus 10 minutes.' Pete: 'Quiet. Tracy is coming. Are go for launch. Star Wars.' Tracy: [Imitates Ewok]
Jenna: Jenna: 'You're no longer my plus one to the Canadian Grammys.'
Jenna Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tracy: Tracy: 'I'm scared! But I'm also excited! [Laughs] Whoo! I'm lizzing!'
Tracy Callback Character Comedy Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: Jack bought a vintage Apollo Command and Lunar Module toy for $7,000 at a store where 'a morbidly obese gentleman called me "pal."'
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Tracy: Tracy (on fake space radio): 'Space is very cold, but very beautiful. And sometimes it sounds like Jenna yelling in the distance.'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Tracy · Kenneth: Tracy sees Jack's Apollo toy through the porthole: 'Oh, my God! Where did you get that rocket? Mr. Donaghy is letting me hold it! It's awesome!'
Jack Donaghy: You know, I actually envy you two. Sometimes, I wish I could see the world through your eyes instead of mine.
Kenneth: Kenneth: 'Is he letting me keep this? I think so. I wish I was there so I could play with it.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz Lemon · Jenna Maroney: How about on the next show, you could do that song that they wouldn't let you sing at the Inauguration? / No. 'Chocolate Rainbow' is too good for T.G.S.
Jenna: Jenna reveals Liz's past: 'When we were living in Chicago and Liz was still trying to be an actress, the only job she ever booked was for a local phone sex line.'
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Jenna: Jenna: 'It was a chat line for urban singles. And they only hired her because their first choice was deported.'
Jenna Character Comedy Escalation Dark/Subversive Liz · Writers: The commercial plays: Liz, as 'Bijou,' says 'Hi. I'm Bijou. Call me.' Writers react with: 'Bijou!' — then 'Call us. In English, German or Polish.'
Liz Writers Visual Gag Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz · Frank: Liz: 'I have since had Invisalign.' Frank: 'That is not attractive.'
Writers: The commercial: 'That's not even enough numbers!' [referring to the phone number]
Writers Visual Gag Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jenna: '21 hours a day. What is this?' — The commercial runs only 21 hours a day
Jenna Absurdist Character Comedy Kenneth: Kenneth walks past, sees the commercial, and says: 'What's so funny? Oh, is that Billie Jean King?'
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack · Bystander: Jack laughs at the commercial, trails off looking for a comparison for how much he's laughed, then: 'Everybody, back up! Get out of the way! He's going to Jack!'
Kenneth Parcell: He's mortal! / What just happened?
Jack: Jack: 'I feel great. I feel like a kid.' Then quietly: 'Bijou.'
Jack Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback