Flu is spreading amongst the "TGS" cast and crew fast, and Liz is determined not to catch it too. Dr. Spaceman is giving vaccinations, but Jack is being selective about who gets one. Liz is offered one, but refuses to accept it, championing the rights of the crew. Meanwhile, Jack must be creative if he is to spend any time with Elisa, since she is working seven days a week.
Flu fears fuel 53 jokes in 23 minutes—30 Rock's densest episode yet.
Directed by Don Scardino · Written by Jon Pollack
WAR
108.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Flu Shot” ranks #103 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 95.5 — Elite. The episode packs 68 scored jokes at 2.9 per minute, averaging 7.7 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
Kenneth: No need, sir. It would be an honor to die at my post and be given the traditional burial of a Parcell man. Wrapped in a Confederate Flag, fried and fed to dogs.
Kenneth Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Mr. Templeton: A man comes at night. He comes to the house and takes me. / He wears a suit. His hair is thick... like a Bolshevik Commissar. / He made me watch a giraffe with the legs of a man! / He gave money to a silver man! / He ate a plate of fire!
Mr. Templeton Absurdist Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Jack: Two-tiered health care is a crime. You know, in Cuba, everybody gets equal healthcare. / What a surprise. You've seen the Michael Moore movie. / Think again, Jack. I saw the trailer when I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Liz Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Liz · Cerie: It's called a 'Tankoort', Cerie. You may have seen it in Us Weekly being worn by Dame Judi Dench... 's mother.
Liz Cerie Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: It kind of peters out after that. I just suck pie off my sweatshirt for the next half hour.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 68 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Pete: Nowhere. We don't get next week off. We've got to load out the sets and take them to storage. Then at night, I've got to drive around Newark looking for my runaway daughter.
Pete Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Kenneth: Oh, Miss Lemon, how could you do that to your beautiful hands? With your flat, manly, milking thumbs and your long, graceful knuckle hair --
Kenneth Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz: Thank you, Kenneth. (delivered as if it were a genuine compliment)
Liz Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Liz: The place I go to has private beaches, soft-serve ice cream machines, and, after the French custom, people wear dark socks to the beach.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Liz · Cerie: It's called a 'Tankoort', Cerie. You may have seen it in Us Weekly being worn by Dame Judi Dench... 's mother.
Liz Cerie Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Oh, no! I must have ox fever! When did I walk barefoot near an ox?
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: The hotel was overbooked. I texted you. / No. No, you didn't! / Oh, I forgot to hit send. / Just hold on a second. [long pause] There you go.
Jack Liz Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Elisa · Jack: He's a sweet, old man with advanced dementia. Totally disconnected from reality. Oh, that reminds me. I owe Lou Dobbs a call.
Jack · Elisa: I'm sorry. What do you call yourself? / A Puerto Rican. / No, I know you can say that. But what do I call you? / A Puerto Rican. / Wow. That does not sound right.
Jack Elisa Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Oh, don't worry about me. I'm 'A-oh-boy.'
Kenneth Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Liz: Sully! Brett Favre, right?
Liz Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Dr. Spaceman · Jack: Jack, I need to ask you to drop your pants. [cut to: shot] That's it. Have a sucker.
Dr. Spaceman: Not my favorite part of the medical profession. My favorite part is attending executions.
Jack · Dr. Spaceman: Can I ask you a question as a woman? / You may, Jack. / Are you going to alter your voice or dress up in any way?
Liz · Jack: Jack, you can't call her that! / That's what I thought.
Liz Jack Irony/Sarcasm Callback Callback Jack · Dr. Spaceman: Yes, Lemon. Important people get better health care. They also get better restaurant reservations, bigger seats in planes -- / A more refined class of prostitute... / For me, it's really about the companionship.
Liz: I am from White Haven, PA. My grandfather dug out the White Haven quarry, and my other grandfather filled it back in with the sludge from the eraser factory.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: When is modern science going to find a cure for a woman's mouth?
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jack · Mr. Templeton: Who's going to tell them? Him? / Hey, it's me. Matlock. I need your help.
Elisa: Of course I do. I've been living in New York for 15 years, and I've never seen a Broadway play, or been in a restaurant without a TV in it. Or had a romantic dinner with a man in a suit.
Elisa Character Comedy Observational Liz · Tracy · Jenna: What is wrong with it? Is that a beak? / Yes! / No. / Yes!
Tracy · Liz: They said it was a flu shot. But I know it's really a truth serum. / It's not a truth serum. / Then why am I telling you you look like Tootsie today?
Kenneth: No need, sir. It would be an honor to die at my post and be given the traditional burial of a Parcell man. Wrapped in a Confederate Flag, fried and fed to dogs.
Kenneth Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz · Jack: Two-tiered health care is a crime. You know, in Cuba, everybody gets equal healthcare. / What a surprise. You've seen the Michael Moore movie. / Think again, Jack. I saw the trailer when I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Liz Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Liz · crew member · Jenna: Fight the powers that be! / That's right! / This makes me want to 'shoop'! / 'Shoop, shoop, shoop, shoop, shoop!'
Tracy · Jenna · Kenneth: We decided we'd get them all hot soup. So, go do that. / All the other pages have gone home sick. I can't make any runs right now. Maybe... the two of you could go get the soup?
Tracy · Kenneth: I don't understand. / Well, I'm saying you could get your wallet -- / My what? / ...and go downstairs to the basement. / No. / ...then, you go to the soup place and bring the soup back up here. / With what? My arms? / ...make sure to take your ID's with you. / That would be the worst part!
Jenna · Tracy: Without the crew, we'd just be two amazing people succeeding in a vacuum. / Come on. Do it for them. / Yeah. For the crew. / Because it's their birthday.
Jack · Elisa · Mr. Templeton: I had a wonderful time last night. / Yeah, I did, too. / Are you with Mr. Templeton now? / How I envy him. / I wish you would exercise my muscles... ...so they don't atrophy.
Elisa: I'd love to go out... get all dressed up, tip maitre d's, and be all like... 'Thank you, Roger. This table was super-duper.' / I live in the Big Apple. But I spend all my time with the Big Vegetable.
Elisa Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Jack: You sound just like Lemon. Come with me tonight. Be a member of the elite.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jack · Elisa: # The night's like a banquet... Give it a try...? # Candlelight, caviar... You and I...? # And Templeton... Mr. Templeton...?
Jack Elisa Absurdist Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch crew members · Liz: Liz is given a 'meat plate' by crew members as thanks for her speech.
Liz: I am so happy, the number four, the letter 'U'.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: Liz frantically thanking individual sick crew members, then recoiling in horror: 'Oh, God. They're all sick. They're all diseased! I can't get sick. I can't get sick. Stay away, sick ones!'
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Physical/Slapstick Liz · Dr. Spaceman: Give me the shot. I want to go on my vacation. I take back all the stuff I said. / If you want a shot... ...you're going to have to dance for it.
Dr. Spaceman · Liz: Liz, I believe doctor-patient confidentiality is a two-way street. / I'm cheating on my wife.
Tracy · Jenna: Okay, we forgot about that. But we have a good reason. Yeah, we were out getting soup for the crew. / Nope. We forgot about that too. We went out shopping together. We had fun, though.
Tracy · Jenna: Okay, we forgot about that. But we have a good reason. Yeah, we were out getting soup for the crew. Nope. We forgot about that too. We went out shopping together. We had fun, though.
Tracy Jenna Character Comedy Escalation Deadpan/Understatement Callback Liz: Is there anything you do that doesn't make my life harder?
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jenna: Yeah. I tried on a lot of outfits. And some of them, I was like, 'No.' But then, some of them, I was like, 'Yeah!'
Jenna Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tracy: I also want to thank you for controlling yourself sexually while we spend time together on this adventure.
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Elisa · Mr. Templeton: Oh! My purse! [Mr. Templeton grabbing Elisa's purse at the theater]
Liz · Jack: You took the old man with you? / I admit it's an ethical gray area.
Liz Jack Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Liz · Jack: It's called principles, Jack. / Oh. I think I'm probably getting it.
Liz Jack Wordplay/Pun Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Yes, well, we can't all be as noble as you. Turning down a flu shot on moral grounds, coming into work and risking your health despite your special vacation.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dr. Spaceman · Liz: About 24 hours after receiving the flu shot... ...you develop a distinctive rash... ...at the injection site. So, please let Make-Up know for... Tracy and Jenna. [reaction beat as Liz realizes she's been caught]
Kenneth: I wasn't resting! A Parcell man never lies down on the job. Unless that job involves... milking pig teats.
Kenneth · Liz: Did you... Did you get the shot? / No, no, no. This is a dream. You're having a fever dream. We're speaking French, and I'm your mother. / Oh... Oh, ma chère maman! Pourquoi? Pourquoi m'as-tu laissé?
Kenneth Liz Absurdist Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Elisa · Jack: It's Mr. Templeton's son. / I thought you said he didn't have any family. / Not here. He lives in London. But now, God has sent him to punish me for being so bad. / Or maybe it's a business trip.
Elisa Jack Deadpan/Understatement Setup/Punchline Elisa: I'd have to go back to working the late shift at Dunkin' Donuts. Oh, the customers are so sad. 'Can I help you?' 'Yes. What time do you start throwing out doughnuts?'
Elisa Character Comedy Observational Dark/Subversive Elisa: Well... he's stable, but vegetative. Totally unaware of his surroundings.
Elisa Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Mr. Templeton: A man comes at night. He comes to the house and takes me. / He wears a suit. His hair is thick... like a Bolshevik Commissar. / He made me watch a giraffe with the legs of a man! / He gave money to a silver man! / He ate a plate of fire!
Mr. Templeton Absurdist Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Elisa: You know, sometimes, they watch cartoons, and they think it's real. It's very common.
Elisa Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Jenna · Tracy: Tracy. I've got it! / Give it to me! It's mine!
Jenna · Tracy: They don't need soup. They need medicine. And what's the best medicine? / Medicine? / Laughter.
Mr. Templeton · Jack: Is Elisa the Puerto Rican? / Wow. That really doesn't sound okay. But, yes.
Mr. Templeton · Jack: And then... I want to go to a Negro bar. / I'll see what I can do.
Tracy: Attention, ladies and germs... ...and gentlemen.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tracy · Jenna · crew: Really? Do you really think this is helping? [reaction from sick crew watching Tracy and Jenna perform] / Hey! Leave her alone! Yeah! / What? Why aren't you laughing? This is happening to Liz!
Liz: No, they love Liz now. Everybody likes me. It's you two idiots --
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Reaction Beat crew member · crew: She got a flu shot! She... She lied to us! Give us back our meat plate! / Yeah!
Liz · crew: No, guys. Listen, you don't understand. This vacation -- / You sold us out for a vacation? / No! Not just any vacation. This one has beach socks and ice cream and sandwich turtles!
Liz crew Character Comedy Absurdist Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: There is a gentleman involved! A Filipino gentleman. His name is Banyani. I want to take him as my island lover! Last year, he was totally sending signals. And this time, I was going to go for it! There! I said it! Are you happy?
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Liz: It kind of peters out after that. I just suck pie off my sweatshirt for the next half hour.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack: What do we elites do when we screw up? We pretend it never happened and give ourselves a giant bonus. That you don't deserve.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Observational Jack · Liz · Dr. Spaceman: Did that come out of you or me? / I don't know. / It's really hot in here. / You know, the flu vaccine is actually a small dose of the virus itself. So, there's always the risk that -- Oh God! Both ends! Both ends! / I'm not going to make it!
Jack · Elisa: # Strap your helmet on...?
Jack Elisa Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Callback 