Jack demands changes to make TGS both more relatable to average Americans and more cost-conscious and sends Liz and Pete to search for fresh blood. Kenneth organizes a strike by the pages.
Season 4 launch sustains 88.6 with 3.08 jokes-per-minute across absurdist escalations.
Directed by Don Scardino · Written by Tina Fey
WAR
88.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Season 4” ranks #30 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.6 — Elite. The episode packs 69 scored jokes at 3.1 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.1 on impact, with Jack landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Tracy: And then your wife starts getting all mad because the roof won't close and the bed that's in the shape of your face is getting rained on?
Tracy Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jenna: They never did find her earlobe
Jenna Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch Pete: That's the one where Tracy tore up that picture of the Pope. In his defense, it was Pope Innocent the Fourth. Because he increased taxation in the Papal States.
Pete Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: Are you a large child or a small adult? You look regular.
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Pages: What do we want? To get you sandwiches! When do we want it? Whenever will be convenient for you!
Pages Absurdist Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 69 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: I'm so happy to see all of you and to welcome you to Season Four. Which is, of course, the name of this restaurant
Jack Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jack: Cheesy Blasters jingle and Meat Cat flies away on his skateboard
Jack Absurdist Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Liz: All of America is America
Liz Deadpan/Understatement Observational Tracy: Then how come I got sued for sexual harassment at it?
Tracy Escalation Dark/Subversive Tracy: Don't look at me in the eyes!
Tracy Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Tracy: I better talk to Rabbi Shmuley about this
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: The best way for a lady to get heat in this industry is to either record a country album or have a lesbian relationship
Jack Observational Dark/Subversive Jack: We'll trick those race-car-loving wideloads into watching your lefty, homoerotic propaganda hour yet
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Liz: Well, you just don't like anybody, do you?
Liz Reaction Beat Character Comedy Liz: Uh, he's burning money again
Liz Visual Gag Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack · Liz: Right, Josh, I forgot about that guy. You think that's a good sign?
Jack: Our new mammogram machine is called the 'Git-Er-Done 2000'
Jack Absurdist Observational Tracy: Another actor? Why, they have so many feelings and opinions?
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Jenna: They never did find her earlobe
Jenna Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz: Pete's stealing money. Liz's uterus fell out.
Jack: So naturally, you came to me because this company is just the two of us
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Kenneth: As the Hill People say, 'Parcell gaw say del go up de saw say'
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Pete Cringe/Discomfort Deadpan/Understatement Kenneth: Dah don say da bay ton daw
Kenneth Callback Character Comedy Callback Jack · Kenneth: Kenneth? Boo! Thank you, sir.
Liz: Nothing. Uterus nothing.
Liz Callback Cringe/Discomfort Callback Tracy: You two have built a protective shell around me like a hermit crab or a mermaid boobie
Tracy Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Tracy: And then your wife starts getting all mad because the roof won't close and the bed that's in the shape of your face is getting rained on?
Tracy Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: Can I feel the rough skin on your hands?
Tracy Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Tracy: Um... which one is the elevator I'm not afraid of?
Tracy Character Comedy Escalation Kenneth: Hey, he's got a girl's middle name too
Kenneth Character Comedy Observational Liz: I'm picking up my 'new tritionist' and his elderly son
Liz Wordplay/Pun Misdirection Kenneth: All those zeros. It's downright un-American.
Kenneth Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Kenneth: 'Bonus' means 'extra'. I know that from game shows.
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: That's where you're wrong, Kenneth. It's extremely American. My talents are more valuable than yours, so I'm paid accordingly.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Kenneth: I would like you to sign your name to a piece of paper that says, 'I am a big, ol' liar.'
Jack: I am in the middle of a raging period! Of economic turmoil.
Jack Misdirection Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Pages: What do we want? To get you sandwiches! When do we want it? Whenever will be convenient for you!
Pages Absurdist Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Jack · Jenna: Do you know the song 'Are You Ready For Some Football?' Do I? That's what my phone plays whenever Ray Lewis calls me.
Jenna · Jack: What sports does N.B.C. have these days? Oh, off-season tennis.
Jack: Whatever religious undergarment Kenneth wears is in a twist
Jack Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Tracy: I think he's a friend. Uh... Oh, never mind. There's a door, I'm out. Oh, it's sunny!
Tracy Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Tracy: Are you a large child or a small adult? You look regular.
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: Do you have change for a $10,000 bill?
Tracy Character Comedy Escalation Tracy: I would like some chicken nuggets, a beer, and some of my wife's rice, to stay.
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Liz: It's like I tell my assistant. Your weight is a reflection on me.
Liz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Liz · Jack: How do you kill a snake? You cut off the head. Of course! Thank you. Now I won't be afraid to go into my garage.
Liz Jack Misdirection Character Comedy Liz: They used to call me the Chameleon. Because of my slender frame and my big, wet eyes.
Liz Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: It's an L.L. Bean child's wallet from the 1970s. There's no money in it, but I was one hole-punch away from a free Tasti D-Lite.
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Pete: Yes, she will give it back to you when he goes home and gets it from her wife.
Pete Wordplay/Pun Misdirection Liz: Yes, yes, we are doing it. No! So there you go, case closed. Pete and I are intercoursing each other.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Paula: Liz, I found your wallet in what our children call 'the big, wed cawr'.
Paula Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Paula: If this is what Pete needs, I would be willing to welcome you into our lovemaking.
Paula Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Paula: Pete, I know that I haven't been very sexual since my mother died.
Paula Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Josh: I don't need this show, because I could get a job tomorrow in the Air Force!
Tracy: That's incorrect! Lift with your legs!
Tracy Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Kenneth: They are a blanket union that includes mall Santas, horse whisperers, and bucket drummers.
Kenneth Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Brandon: I'm organizing a viral protest on 'Tweeter' and 'Youtubes'.
Brandon Character Comedy Observational Kenneth · Brandon: What show are you assigned to again? Donahue.
Tracy: Meet my new friends, 'Nobody', and his wife, 'Susan Walters-Hyphen-Nobody'.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bucket drummer: Once I'm vested, I'm out of here.
Jenna: ♪ It's tennis night in America ♪ ♪ Grab some buds and some brews, it's going to be a fight ♪
Jenna Absurdist Character Comedy Callback Jenna: I came in here to shoot these tennis promos, and they had blue gels on the lights. You know that makes my teeth look see through.
Jenna Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jenna: If it is a blonde woman, I will kill myself!
Jenna Escalation Character Comedy Liz: He was impervious to the charms of the 'Nympho Coed'. Charlene LaRue.
Liz Escalation Character Comedy Kenneth: Would you like something to eat? I have some leftover turtle meat from dinner. Or as you would call it, 'bonus' turtle meat.
Kenneth Callback Character Comedy Callback Kenneth: There's a bar in the shower that the previous tenant installed to keep from slipping. He still died in there, though.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Those glasses are for display only.
Kenneth: Sir, you sound like the mall Santas when they come back from lunch.
Kenneth Callback Observational Callback Pete: That's the one where Tracy tore up that picture of the Pope. In his defense, it was Pope Innocent the Fourth. Because he increased taxation in the Papal States.
Pete Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: Because I've had the Cheesy Blasters for three days.
Liz Callback Physical/Slapstick Callback Jack: I am a big, 'ol liar.
Jack Callback Escalation Callback Kenneth · Striker · Kenneth: A piece of paper that I can't really tell you about! Was this strike just over a personal thing between you and Mr. Donaghy? Massage it, Kenneth. No, it wasn't!
Jenna: ♪ So put down your meth and slip on your whites ♪
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy 