Jack manages to convince a reluctant Liz to attend her high school reunion. Meanwhile, Don Geiss awakens from his coma and shocks Jack with a declaration of who he wants to be the CEO of GE. A shaken Jack decides he needs to get away and blow off some steam, but tags along with Liz to her reunion instead due to bad weather.
High-velocity absurdist escalation carries this 64-joke episode to elite territory.
Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller · Written by Matt Hubbard
WAR
117.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Reunion” ranks #102 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 95.5 — Elite. The episode packs 78 scored jokes at 3.5 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.4 on impact, with Liz Lemon landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: Hey Liz, how's the telescope? / I don't know, Kelsey. How's your mom's pill addiction?
Liz Lemon: At least I'm not 50, alone, and sitting on 2,000 business cards for a job I'm never gonna get.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Liz Lemon: You went to a printer, didn't you? You picked out a font. You paid extra for a rush order. It was your happy, little secret.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: You made life a living hell for everyone here! / What? / We called you the white haven witch.
Liz Lemon: I'm sorry you're stuck in White Haven. / One time I laughed at a blind guy eating spaghetti! Sometimes I pee in the shower if I'm really tired! I saw my grandparents making love once and I didn't leave right away!
Liz Lemon Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 78 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jonathan · Liz Lemon: Your credit card called. They want to make sure you're the one buying cream soda in bulk. — I sure am.
Jonathan · Liz Lemon: Your landlord called. He said it is not the toilet, it's you. — That's his opinion.
Jonathan: You said I'd never amount to anything! Look at me now! Look at this necklace! / Sir, this is a school for deaf girls.
Jonathan Misdirection Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jonathan: I definitely would have gone to my reunion. But the boat I was educated on sank.
Jonathan Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Devon Banks (or GE underling): What if something happened to her? Something bad! Then we would have a secret that bound us together.
GE Executive · Kathy: Either a weather event is approaching, or... [cut to Kathy doing something bizarre with her mouth/body]
Tracy Jordan: How come there ain't no Puerto Ricans on Star Trek?! They got every race and life-form in the galaxy, except for Puerto Ricans. What's up with that?
Jack Donaghy: What is this, the local?
Jack Donaghy: I was the first person he called. Well, his French-Canadian mistress, and then me.
Jack Donaghy: I wish I had a Princeton reunion right now. Wipe that smug smile off Michelle Obama's face.
Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: Kelsey Winthrop flashback: 'Hey, Liz, how's the telescope?'
Jack Donaghy: You found a hairstyle that works for you, so long as it's not too humid.
Jack Donaghy: You're telling me you don't have the confidence to face a bunch of whittling, jug-blowing, IHOP monkeys?
Jack Donaghy: Lemon, you will go and show that Kelsey Winthrop that the ugly duckling has turned into a vaguely ethnic swan.
Liz Lemon: No, I'm not going. I'd never get a rental car now anyway.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz Lemon: They have popcorn on the plane. I want to go to there.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Running Gag ★ Rewatch Don Geiss: A beam of energy came and spoke to me during my coma. Maybe it was an alien. Maybe it was God. Maybe it was an unborn Aztec king. But it told me my work here is not yet done.
Jack Donaghy · Don Geiss: Oh, it's done. I think it's done. / You're still my choice to take over when I die. / If that ever even happens.
Tracy Jordan · Grizz · Dot Com: Tray, why are you in your angry chair? / Because Kenneth got a bigger laugh in the elevator than me today. / And where were you two?! Your job is to protect me from embarrassment. / Grizz had to go to the optometrist. / Making up words won't save you.
Liz Lemon · Tracy Jordan: So the standards department is telling me you can only say 'cat anus' twice during the show. But I'm gonna fight for you. You can say it three times. / Cat anus, cat anus, cat anus!
Liz Lemon · Jack Donaghy: Are you okay? / I have to be. What are my other options? Cry? Wallow? If I do that, Geiss and the beam win. If I control my feelings, I win.
Liz Lemon: Jeez, Jack, tough year. First William F. Buckley dies, now this. Next stop, impotence, right?
Liz Lemon Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz Lemon · Jack Donaghy: Why are you going to Miami? / Why does anybody go to Miami? Ass and the burgeoning art scene.
Liz Lemon: I'm sorry you're stuck in White Haven. / One time I laughed at a blind guy eating spaghetti! Sometimes I pee in the shower if I'm really tired! I saw my grandparents making love once and I didn't leave right away!
Liz Lemon Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz Lemon · Jack Donaghy: Cat anus. / I don't know who I am.
Hotel Clerk: I wouldn't recommend going to little Hanoi after dark unless you're wearing a khan dong.
Tracy Jordan: A ghetto mating call.
Liz Lemon: I didn't get the memo.
Liz Lemon: This place is bigger than my apartment.
Jack Donaghy: A manhattan, please. / Sure. What kind of bourbon? / [pause] Wine spritzer, please.
Hotel Clerk: To get to Danvers, go straight down Ngo Dinh Diem Boulevard until you see a sign that says 'detour.' Now ignore that. It's a trap.
Liz Lemon · Kelsey Winthrop: Kelsey? It's Liz Lemon. / Oh my god! / Yeah. Surprising. / But cocoon, and then flap, flap, flap — butterfly.
Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: You made life a living hell for everyone here! / What? / We called you the white haven witch.
Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: Hey Liz, how's the telescope? / I don't know, Kelsey. How's your mom's pill addiction?
Erin · Liz Lemon: This is a beauty mark. / But you thought it was funny to say that god pooped on me. / I didn't think anybody was listening to me.
Kelsey Winthrop · Liz Lemon: You brought it back! [Kelsey's facial tic returns]
Mulch Guy: And I still got the mulch business. It's hard work, but I'm outside all day and I don't answer to anyone.
Mulch Guy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack Donaghy · Reunion Attendee: Are you happy? / Well, I got a boat, good friends, and a trampoline. You tell me.
Jack Donaghy: This is mostly spit.
Jack Donaghy: 'This is mostly spit.' — Jack, evaluating his drink at the reunion bar
Rob Sussman · Liz Lemon: Hello, Elizabeth. It's Rob Sussman. Still think I am 'gayer than the volleyball scene in Top Gun'?
Liz Lemon · Rob Sussman: No, we were friends. / No, I just said that stuff to try to make it okay for you to come out. / Come out of what?!
Rob Sussman: I'd like you to meet my wife, with whom I've raised three beautiful dogs.
Liz Lemon: Even Rob Sussman hated me? He was the first gay guy I ever kissed.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Jack Donaghy: Hey, Lemon, check this out. I just made it up. 'Beers, boats, and buds.' Doesn't that sound great?
Jack/Larry · Reunion Attendees: No, no, it finally broke down. / Oh, man... / Yeah, from having too much sex in it!
Liz Lemon: How is this working? You are 12 years older than everybody here.
Jack Donaghy: Rich 50 is middle-class 38, okay?
Jenna Maroney: Jenna: Well, of course, Tracy. We're actors. If we didn't exist, how would people know who to vote for?
Tracy Jordan: Is it Allison from wardrobe's baby? What is up with that thing? So she can put her feet in her mouth. So can I.
Tracy Jordan: Come on, you know we're the big dogs around here. Hey, let's go throw a tantrum about the air-conditioning.
Jenna Maroney: That sounds really nice. [Jenna's response to the tantrum suggestion]
Jessica · Jack Donaghy: Say what you said to me that night at the lake. / [long pause] / No.
Reunion Attendee: Really, Liz? 20 years too late and way too little.
Kelsey Winthrop: What is wrong with you?! Diane?
Kenneth · Elevator Man: Could you hit four, please? / Next stop, Kansas City.
Elevator Passenger: You are so funny. They should put you on the show.
Kenneth: Singing in the elevator. It's like a road trip to the sky!
Tracy Jordan: Kenneth is a monster! We have to stop him!
Jessica · Jack/Larry: You know what was always my favorite thing? Seven minutes in heaven. You always got the bottle to land on me.
Jack Donaghy: Just to be clear, we're not making out. That would be social suicide.
Jack Donaghy: Or, as always, were you hiding behind your sense of humor instead of engaging in a real way?
Liz Lemon: At least I'm not 50, alone, and sitting on 2,000 business cards for a job I'm never gonna get.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Liz Lemon: You went to a printer, didn't you? You picked out a font. You paid extra for a rush order. It was your happy, little secret.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Reunion Attendees: What'd you do to Braverman?! / She's awful. / She's the gay one!
Tracy Jordan · Kenneth: It doesn't feel good when someone does your job, does it? / I don't understand. / I don't like it when you do jokes in the elevator. That's my job.
Kenneth · Tracy Jordan: I would never do anything to hurt you. You're my best friend. / We're not really best friends. We're just good friends.
Tracy Jordan: No, keep crying. I want you to feel this so you never make this mistake again.
Reunion Attendees · Jack/Larry: We've got this plan to get back at Liz, and we wanna know if you're in— / We're gonna Carrie her. / Like the movie. / It will be delicious.
Reunion MC · Liz Lemon: And now, for best school spirit, it's Liz Lemon! / Come up on stage, Liz! / No, thanks. I don't want it. / It comes with a $50 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse.
Liz Lemon: I want to go to there. [Liz on the Outback Steakhouse gift certificate]
Liz Lemon Callback Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Jack Donaghy: Wait, we cannot do this. We cannot Carrie Liz Lemon.
Jack Donaghy: We all have ways of coping. I use sex and awesomeness.
Liz Lemon: Thank you, Larry. And I'm sorry I lashed out at you. You will need those cards someday.
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Callback Deadpan/Understatement Callback Jessica: Larry, this is your son.
Jessica Misdirection Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack Donaghy: I am not Larry Braverman. I repeat, I am not Larry Braverman! I am Liz Lemon's platonic friend, Jack Donaghy.
Liz Lemon: Once and for all, I want to say I'm sorry. / You know what, suck it, you whittling IHOP monkeys!
Liz Lemon Character Comedy Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jack Donaghy · Liz Lemon: Lemon, the jet's waiting. / That's right, a jet! To New York City!
