During her short-term suspension, Liz is lost without TGS and the stress that comes with her job. Jack works with Jenna so she can use her celebrity status to generate some promotional buzz for her Janis Joplin bio-film.
Jackie Jormp Jomp lands 75 jokes in 22 minutes—Liz's absurdist chaos peaks at 3.3-per-minute density.
Directed by Don Scardino · Written by Kay Cannon
WAR
150.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Jackie Jormp Jomp” ranks #39 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 99.1 — Elite. The episode packs 96 scored jokes at 4.2 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.6 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
Jenna: Jenna: 'Oh, I can play dead. I watched my whole church group get eaten by a bear.'
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'Syllabus of Us: Off-Vagabonds, Martyrs, and Quilts.'
Liz Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Emily: This could be your life too, Liz. Just short the housing market. Or write a cookbook specifically for mixed-race children. Or marry a rich, old dude who dies. Or have mild lupus and great insurance.
Emily Dark/Subversive Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz · Jack: Liz returns: 'I'm back.' Jack: 'What did it turn out to be? Lesbians?' Liz: 'No. Fight club.'
Liz Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: Apparently, neither name cleared. It looks like your character's going to be called Jackie Jormp-Jomp.
Jack Absurdist Running Gag ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 96 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jeffrey Winerslav: It's pronounced 'weener-slave.'
Seminar Facilitator: The seminar facilitator declares his own mildly awkward joke about someone eager to return to work 'a very appropriate and very, very funny joke.'
Jenna: Jenna: 'Jack, I did not hit that Asian page. I was just swinging my arm and she walked into me. Twice.'
Jenna Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Jenna: Wait. We can call her Janis Joplin? We got the life rights? It's not Janie Jimplin anymore?
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist Jack: Apparently, neither name cleared. It looks like your character's going to be called Jackie Jormp-Jomp.
Jack Absurdist Running Gag ★ Rewatch Jenna · Jack: Jenna: 'Oh, okay. So what's the good news?' Jack: 'I didn't say there was any.'
Jenna Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: You're holding that upside down.
Jack Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Jenna: Jenna sings a fragment: 'someday there will be a black president' as her Woodstock performance.
Jenna Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jenna: Jenna: 'Do you need a sex tape released? 'Cause I got a wrdne. It's night vision and you can see that his buddy is robbing me.'
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jenna: I'll set aside my feud with Raven-Symoné for one day. But she knows what she did.
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jenna: Jenna: 'I'll set aside my feud with Raven Simone for one day. But she knows what she did.'
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kenneth · Liz: Kenneth yells 'Mr. Donaghy, help! Rule breaking!' when Liz tries to take a script.
Jack: Jack: 'Remember that time I came back from the world economic forum with mono and missed a week of work and I wanted to pull my hair out but I couldn't because it's too thick?'
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: Jack says 'you start bouncing off the walls, spend your days jabbering at doormen' — Liz fires back, 'Hey, I brighten their day.'
Jack Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat Liz · Frank: Frank's hat says 'constant cving.' — Liz: 'He could do better.'
Lutz: Lutz/writer: 'The whole thing is loosely based on an evening I spent with Isaiah Thomas.'
Lutz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Kenneth: Kenneth: 'Ms. Vieira made me throw it away. And said pretty boys like me shouldn't be filling their heads with ideas.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Frank · Unknown Coworker: Hi, Frank. / Hello. / Coworker.
Liz: Liz, talking to her building's doorman: 'My job is very stressful. But in the end, I get paid to make people laugh. We have a saying that laughter is the best medicine, so I'm kind of like a doctor here.'
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Liz: 'Not even the time I had that virus they kept saying only raccoons get.'
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz · Emily: Liz has been living in her building for four years and has never noticed the gym or the vending machines.
Liz · Emily: No, I'm Liz. I've lived here for four years.
Liz: Liz: 'Right now I should be standing in a toilet stall so nobody bothers me while I eat lunch. God, I miss it.'
Liz Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Liz · Emily: Liz immediately identifies that Emily's candy drawer would need a 'decoy candy drawer to throw others off the trail.'
Liz Emily Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Kenneth · Jack: Kenneth goes to Jack directly to disclose his 'relationship' with a dancer — whom he has never spoken to — citing company policy.
Kenneth: Kenneth won't go to Pete because 'he has a ridge on the section of the skull associated with deviousness.'
Kenneth: Kenneth: 'I actually haven't spoken to her yet, but I have a long-term plan to marry her, and I wanted the company to be aware of my intentions.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Kenneth: Kenneth: 'And not because of my acute ventralitis.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: Jack: 'I see. I'll be sure to mention that at the next board meeting.'
Jack Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Kenneth: Oh, also, I don't know if this is harassment, but someone at the Today Show made me eat an unripe banana in front of her.
Kenneth Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Kenneth: Kenneth: 'Also, I don't know if this is harassment, but someone at the Today Show made me eat an unripe banana in front of her.'
Kenneth Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Grizz or Dotcom: Tracy's friend's reaction shot / non-response upon learning he'll have to disclose the relationship.
Liz · Wealthy Friend: Liz arrives at a wealthy friend's apartment in casual clothes, and the friend is 'dressed up' — for a weekday, at home. Liz: 'So this is normal? This is like your version of sweatpants and pop-tarts?' Friend: 'Not too shabs.' Liz: 'Short for shabby. Hilarious.'
Jack: Jack's ways to achieve a life of leisure: 'Just short the housing market. Or write a cookbook specifically for mixed-race children. Or marry a rich, old dude who dies. Or have mild lupus and great insurance.'
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Emily: This could be your life too, Liz. Just short the housing market. Or write a cookbook specifically for mixed-race children. Or marry a rich, old dude who dies. Or have mild lupus and great insurance.
Emily Dark/Subversive Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz spends the entire speech about why she can't/shouldn't join the spa day... and then we cut to her fully participating — massages, Bergdorf, dermatologist tune-up, dinner.
Liz Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz · Friend: 'Those look great on you.' / 'Then I'm buying them.' — mid-self-pitying monologue, Liz is clearly shopping.
Liz Friend Reaction Beat Character Comedy Callback Liz · Friend: Liz: 'What time is it?' Friend: 'Almost midnight.' — Liz had promised one drink, it's now nearly midnight.
Liz: Liz gets home after midnight and realizes: 'I forgot to watch my show.'
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna: Jenna: 'I'm prepared to do a nipple slip if you need it.'
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Jenna · Reporter: Reporter asks Jenna: 'Whose mom are you?' Jenna replies: 'Thank you.'
Jenna: Jenna is upstaged mid-sentence by a child shouting 'Dora the Explorer's backpack!' at the Kids' Choice Awards.
Jenna Visual Gag Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Kenneth · Dotcom · Grizz: Dotcom refuses to get Grizz extra mustard as part of their fight; Kenneth mediates: 'He'll never get mustard. Except for the mustard that comes with the sandwich.'
Kenneth · Dotcom: Dotcom: 'I didn't say—' Kenneth: 'I knew this would happen someday. A woman would come between us.'
Tracy: Tracy: 'Liz Lemon's in jail now. And somebody has to step up and take charge around here.'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Tracy: 'Let the problem solving begin.' — Tracy declares this ominously before doing something clearly problematic.
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Jenna: Jenna: 'First a backpack upstages me, then the paparazzi kept calling me Dina Lohan, and now the Cyrus family has decided to rock a bunch of funky hats.'
Jenna Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna's PR rep / Jack: 'Did Jackie Jormp-Jomp give up when those vampires attacked Woodstocks?'
Jenna: The Kids' Choice Awards memorial segment for 'those we lost in the kid entertainment industry' — and Jenna's face appears.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Awards Show Announcer: From DreamWorks's upcoming feature film 'On Top of Spaghetti,' Helen Mirren.
Jenna · Connor: Was that me? Did they just say I'm dead? / I thought you spoke to the producers.
Jack · Jenna: Jack: 'I want to Tupac you.' Jenna: 'Fine. But I have to pee first.' Jack: 'No, no, no — Tupac Shakur, the rapper.'
Jack Jenna Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack · Jenna: Jenna on the Tupac marketing strategy: 'Die young, become a legend. Just like Janis. Or Rusty, the bear from the Magicals.'
Jenna: Jenna: 'Oh, I can play dead. I watched my whole church group get eaten by a bear.'
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Seminar Instructor: Congratulations, Miss Lemon. You've completed your sensitivity training. Your suspension is up, and here is your certificate.
Seminar Facilitator · Liz: The sensitivity training facilitator celebrates Liz's completion but says 'coming back to work isn't always easy' and launches into a vivid description of workplace misery.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz to the facilitator: 'Why don't you drop those Dockers and gimme a piece of that sweet ass?'
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Jack · Liz: Jack on phone: 'Jeffrey Weener-slave said you put your fingers in his mouth. Did I? Or did he put his mouth on my fingers?'
Jack Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: Jack: 'It's gonna take at least six weeks paid leave to get to the bottom of this.'
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Jack · Liz: Jack: 'I'm very busy right now faking Jenna's death to sell her movie.' Liz: 'I'm not going to engage on that. Mantra.'
Jack Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz · Jack: Liz says she's on 'humanity leave.' Jack: 'Good god, what Indigo Girls song is that from?'
Liz Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'Syllabus of Us: Off-Vagabonds, Martyrs, and Quilts.'
Liz Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Jack: Jack: 'Lemon, you are not a rich divorcee.' Liz: 'I know. But I have some money saved — enough for two years. Maybe four if I give up cable. So I will be back to the show in four years.'
Liz Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Liz: How do you know all these Indigo Girls songs?
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Jack: Jack: 'There is no solace in their luxury. Only deep despair.' Liz: 'How do you know all these Indigo Girls songs?'
Liz Jack Callback Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Emily: Oh, God, there's a spider nest in my yoga mat!
Emily Setup/Punchline Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Callback Tracy: Tracy: 'Friendship and trust in the entourage is the most important thing. Like that HBO show. John Adams.'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: Tracy: 'Heavy is the head that eats the crayons.'
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack · Pete: Pete. A word. / Jenna's dead. / I don't feel anything. / What's wrong with me?
Jack Pete Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Pete: They already have an obituary reel for Jenna — 'We put it together after she cheated on that mobster.'
Pete Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Emily: Emily: 'Oh, eating right, working out, sleeping... Bm-ing like a rock star?'
Emily Character Comedy Observational Liz · Emily · Another Friend: All right, all right. What's the hump day schedule look like? / Oh, it's easy, Liz, it's Thursday. / I read somewhere it's Tuesday.
Tracy · Kenneth: Tracy has replaced the fired professional dancers with women 'who were brawling in a parking lot an hour ago' — now presented as the new TGS dancers.
Liz: My boss kept trying to tell me that I would go crazy living a life of leisure, that it's unhealthy — well, he's actually right.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Emily: Emily: 'I used to be a neurosurgeon before Jasmine Guy and I wrote our cookbook.'
Emily Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz · Emily: What, like Sudoku? / Uh, we did a games night for a couple of weeks. Didn't last. / So, charity work? / No, charity work sucks.
Liz Emily Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Erin · Emily · Liz: The 'special activity' is revealed to be a fight club — Erin punches herself in the face as a demonstration.
Emily · Liz: Punch me in the face, Liz. / I'm sorry, what? / You heard me. Punch me as hard as you can, and then I am coming at you like an animal.
Liz · Emily: Liz: 'Oh god, is this a fight club?' Emily: 'The pain proves we're alive.' Liz: 'Oh, this is very disappointing!'
Liz Emily Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz: 'I brought a roll of quarters to hold in my fist.' — before reluctantly agreeing to fight.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: Oh god. Jack was right. / Oh, I have to get back to my show. I need the show.
Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat Callback Liz: Liz: 'Oh god. Jack was right.' (about her needing to go back to work) — delivered in the context of a fight club.
Liz Callback Character Comedy Callback Emily: Emily: 'You want out, Liz? You're gonna have to fight your way out.'
Emily Character Comedy Absurdist Pete · Announcer: A memorial tribute for Jenna on TGS begins with: 'The coast guard won't officially declare her dead yet, but what the pirates did to that boat!'
Pete · Announcer: Jenna's tribute reel: 'That was some of Jenna Maroney's earlier work. It's hard to believe that both of those women outlived her. Especially the woman on the right.'
Jenna: Jenna, watching her own tribute: 'It has the year I was born on it. The real year. Not the actress year.'
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jenna: Jack: 'It's too late to change it, Jack.' — Jenna says this, not Jack.
Jenna Character Comedy Reaction Beat Awards Show Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, Itzhak Bemelmans and the Tracy Jordan Dancers.
Jenna: Jenna: 'Still alive. Not yet 32. Sorry, Jack. Worth it.'
Jenna Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Jack: Liz returns: 'I'm back.' Jack: 'What did it turn out to be? Lesbians?' Liz: 'No. Fight club.'
Liz Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Tracy · others: Liz, back at TGS, sees the chaos and launches into a rant: 'You guys mess up everything you touch, and then I have to come in here and fix it.' — then immediately starts smiling and hugging them.
Tracy: Tracy: 'Why are you smiling? You're freaking me out.'
Tracy Reaction Beat Character Comedy Tracy · Kenneth: Why are you smiling? / You're freaking me out.
Liz: Final tag: 'I'm back, nerds.'
Liz Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback