Liz schedules a root canal to avoid feeling lonely on Valentine's Day; Jack woos an attractive and successful TV host; Jenna's stalker loses interest.
Liz's feminist holiday spirals into 209 seconds of pure character-driven cringe.
Directed by Ken Whittingham · Written by Matt Hubbard
WAR
71.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Anna Howard Shaw Day” ranks #95 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 83.0 — Elite. The episode packs 72 scored jokes at 2.9 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 6.8 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
Tracy: On Valentine's Day, Angie and I rent a room with a heart-shaped hot tub and cook chili in it. Then we take it to a soup kitchen. And that's where it starts to get sexy.
Tracy Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jenna: I just thought it would be with me in the trunk of a rental car.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Tie, The Fountainhead or Uncle Buck.
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: A son I can throw a ball to and, when he's older, have power struggles with.
Jack Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Jack: You are truly the Picasso of loneliness.
Jack Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 72 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Liz: Valentine's Day is a sham created by card companies to reinforce and exploit gender stereotypes.
Liz Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Learn from my sexual misadventures, Evelyn.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: Last Valentine's Day, I watched my boyfriend, Drew's, mother/grandmother die.
Liz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: I met Floyd on Valentine's Day, but he left me for the city of Cleveland.
Liz Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Liz: Instead, these cookies celebrate the February 14th birthday of Anna Howard Shaw, famed American suffragette.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: No, C.N.B.C. gives me a headache. I get all my money advice from P.B.S.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Liz: Where should I put my money? In tech stocks? Or the housing market? Tech stocks, Foxy Moneybags! Tech stocks!
Liz Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Like when you think there's one more stair, but there isn't. And all of a sudden, you're like 'Whoa!'
Jack Observational Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Liz: Is that sex, Lemon? It's the way I do it.
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jack: Perhaps a, uh, bra with a front clasp.
Jack Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: I scheduled a root canal for February 14th, Jack. I will spend half the day in twilight sleep.
Liz Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Liz: My Stepson is My Cyber-Husband
Liz Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jack: You are truly the Picasso of loneliness.
Jack Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Or I am that painting elephant of being awesome.
Liz Character Comedy Misdirection Jenna: But if Beyonce simply answered one of my letters, I'd stop trying to break into her house.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jenna: Maynard's debilitating devotion validates how wonderful I am.
Jenna Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Jenna: Maybe to one of my peers, like Julia Roberts.
Lutz: Would a fake woman have a personal website at JDLutz.com/karen/proof?
Lutz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Frank: My cousin set me up on a blind date for Valentine's, and I just found out the girl is... well, urban.
Frank Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Frank: You know that load with the messed-up teeth who cleans the urinals? She'll only go out with me if she can bring her ugly sister.
Frank Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: One word. Oral. Two words. Oral surgery.
Liz Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Writer: When I had my wisdom teeth out, I tried to get in the bath with my mon.
Writer Cringe/Discomfort Dark/Subversive Writer: Then she takes the kids there and I stay home and get wasted in my garage. It's what keeps the magic alive.
Writer Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm Avery: And the food in his beard tells us that he purchased a snack pack on the train from New Haven.
Avery Observational Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jack: The Baltics or women's tennis.
Jack Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch Jack: Mitt Romney's oldest son, Jezba.
Jack Absurdist Character Comedy Avery: Just sit a couple out, Stein, god.
Avery Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jack: Blackberry, Warren Buffett. iPhone, Jimmy Buffett.
Jack Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Tie, The Fountainhead or Uncle Buck.
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Tracy: On Valentine's Day, Angie and I rent a room with a heart-shaped hot tub and cook chili in it. Then we take it to a soup kitchen. And that's where it starts to get sexy.
Tracy Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kenneth: I will be attending an all-day abstinence rally. You're welcome to come. I think I've got an extra gender-neutralizing hood.
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jenna: Has the dog who gives you your orders died?
Jenna Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Jenna: I just thought it would be with me in the trunk of a rental car.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Date: Oh, no, The Peace Corp. Lawrence Peace's corporation. We drilled for oil in gorilla habitats.
Date Misdirection Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: We are going to test poisons on you.
Jack Absurdist Dark/Subversive Date: I think it started when I walked in on my parents doing it the day Reagan was shot.
Date Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Jonathan: One time, I ran over an old lady in Arizona and just kept driving.
Jonathan Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Avery: It's 3:30 in the morning in Geneva, Jack. Who's your call with? The hooker working the corner outside Raiffeisenbank?
Avery Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: And in Switzerland, that is, uh, 'Night Business Month'.
Jack Character Comedy Escalation Frank: If you don't get that tooth fixed, the infection will probably move to your brain and kill you.
Frank Dark/Subversive Escalation Frank: Then your ghost is going to see some disgusting stuff.
Frank Character Comedy Callback Jack: 'mon se poivre' That means 'my salt and pepper' in Swiss French.
Jack Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Callback Liz: She was on Maxim's 'I'd Rape That 100.'
Liz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Liz: Meanwhile, the male escort that I hired to take me home from surgery has had a chlamydia flare-up, so...
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jack: A not-stupid program that I came up with.
Jack Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Jack: Lemon, your hair looks very nice today. You should wear it like that more often.
Jack Reaction Beat Character Comedy Jenna: 'Jenna, I was in your bedroom last night. I left a gift in your toilet. You will be my bride someday.'
Jenna Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Jenna: Doug is my vibrator.
Jenna Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Liz: Everything. Even zip up my own dress.
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Liz: Not because you're black. Although it doesn't matter, because I'm black too. Nope, you're going to meet me. No, I'm not black.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Grizz/Dotcom: Maybe someday, we'll live in a world where you ask us to pretend to be scientists.
Bon Jovi: Oh, sure. That sounds like an appropriate use of my time and talent.
Bon Jovi: 'I, the undersigned, henceforth known as The Alone' hereby state that on February 14th, I have absolutely no one in my life.'
Bon Jovi Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bon Jovi: 'I, The Alone, otherwise known as Jane Sadwoman' release Dr. Kaplan's office of all legal responsibilities.
Bon Jovi: 'Will likely die alone, eaten by house cats.'
Bon Jovi: That is the lamest thing I've heard since this. I'm Tyke Myson, baby boxer. I wrote that.
Bon Jovi: I'm Tyke Myson, baby boxer. I wrote that.
Liz: Because my boyfriend, Astronaut Mike Dexter, will be picking me up. On his motorcycle.
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Liz: You know, I don't think the 'anastacia' actually 'affectored' me.
Liz Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Liz: You're all here because you didn't want me to be alone today.
Liz: Drew. So handsome. So, so stupid.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Callback Liz: Because I am a sailor on the sea of the human heart.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Frank: Okay, this bitch is tripping her ass off.
Frank Reaction Beat Character Comedy Avery: Look, despite what happened in the shower last night, I'm a pretty traditional girl.
Avery Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Jack: A son I can throw a ball to and, when he's older, have power struggles with.
Jack Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Jenna · Kenneth: Oh, my God! Who did this? I don't know. I guess some weirdo out there loves you.
Liz: Yes, you're a very pretty doggie.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch TV Show: Shanice? What you going to do this weekend? Me going to re-wallpaper me powder room, man.
TV Show Character Comedy Observational TV Show: Don Cheadle on a bed of rice.
TV Show Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Cast member: Don Cheadle on a bed of rice.
Liz: Happy Valentine's Day, no one.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm 