Liz Lemon starts making an effort to date by attending singles events with Jenna Maroney, and Jack Donaghy feels forced to choose between childhood love, Nancy Donovan and news anchor Avery Jessup. Meanwhile, a racist comment sparks an office-wide debate on affirmative action and leaves Toofer with a big decision to make regarding his future at TGS.
Sports obsession fuels 67 jokes across 41 minutes — densest episode of Season 4.
Directed by Don Scardino · Written by Kay Cannon, Tina Fey
WAR
70
Wins Above Replacement
“Lee Marvin Vs. Derek Jeter” ranks #91 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 83.4 — Elite. The episode packs 67 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 6.9 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: Oh, yeah? How come I'm always forced to play ridicarus characters that don't enununcia tewell.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jenna: It's a summer camp that teaches pretty blonde girls how to be mean.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Jack: As my good friend and fox-hunting partner Mary J. Blige would say, 'no more drama.'
Jack Absurdist Character Comedy Tracy: Dolphin... Eeeeeeeeeeeee! Eeeee-eeeee-ee-eee-eee-eee!
Tracy Absurdist Physical/Slapstick Liz: Look, Toof, you provide a point of view that is essential to keeping the diversity guy from bothering us.
Liz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy All Jokes — 67 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: I love it when you talk dirty to me. I cannot wait to see you tonight.
Jack Misdirection ★ Rewatch Avery: Think slutty Grace Kelly.
Avery Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Jack: And the opposite of that just walked in.
Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Liz: Test, test, test. This is a test for Jack's card. ♪ Wonder woman ♪ Excuse me, how do you re-record on these things? Whatever. I'll definitely figure it out.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jack: You look like a prison weed dealer.
Jack Character Comedy Observational Liz: I'm coming back from a singles dodgeball match, okay?
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Liz: Oh, I forgot, only guys can get hurt there.
Liz Observational Character Comedy Jack: As my good friend and fox-hunting partner Mary J. Blige would say, 'no more drama.'
Jack Absurdist Character Comedy Nancy Character Comedy Observational Liz Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Liz: His foot was over the line.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: Or, as I like to call it, singles fart suppression.
Liz Observational Character Comedy Liz: I look forward to not watching that on an airplane.
Liz Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Tracy: Not now, Jackie D. I heard on the walkie-talkies that there's a redheaded MILF walking around with some executive.
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Kenneth: You shut your mouth!
Kenneth Character Comedy Reaction Beat Jack: The grown-up dating world is like your haircut. Sometimes awkward triangles occur.
Jack Observational Character Comedy Liz: I feel like you've been saving that one.
Liz Meta/Self-Referential Reaction Beat Liz: Why would a lady get divorced at 50? Stick it out! Men die first, then you have two wonderful years, then you die.
Liz Dark/Subversive Observational Liz: Mrs. Doubtfire shimself could not do this.
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jack: Oh, god! The band is soaking!
Jack Physical/Slapstick Visual Gag Tracy: A guy on the subway just called me a biggledeeboo.
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Tracy: I've learned the word 'black' in every language, just so I'll know when to be offended. Russian, chernyi. Korean, hoog-een.
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Tracy: It's an 18th-century word for 'dark-skinned moor.'
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Tracy: Dolphin... Eeeeeeeeeeeee! Eeeee-eeeee-ee-eee-eee-eee!
Tracy Absurdist Physical/Slapstick Tracy: Barry Obams is the one who brought it back!
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Tracy: All you've ever known is your affirmative-action job and queen latifah covergirl commercials.
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Jerem: I'm Jerem! I collect posters.
Jerem Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Nancy: I didn't have the heart to tell Mrs. Schwitzer that you've moved to New York, so I told her you were in jail for manslaughter.
Nancy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Jack: Peanut butter and Miller high life.
Jack Character Comedy Observational Nancy: You're a wackadoo, Donaghy.
Nancy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Jack: You always know you're at the right party when it feels like the Riddler is about to attack.
Jack Observational Character Comedy Avery: Money bunny Avery Jessup steps out with sexecutive Jack Donaghy.
Avery Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jack: Like Santa claus taking a shower.
Jack Absurdist Observational Toofer: That is a 15th-century term for a black pirate! Racist!
Toofer Callback Absurdist Callback Toofer: Then why are my paychecks a different color than Frank's?
Toofer Observational Character Comedy Liz: Look, Toof, you provide a point of view that is essential to keeping the diversity guy from bothering us.
Liz Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Liz: 'I'm cool'? No, I'm sorry. You can't set me up like that. Don't quit.
Liz Misdirection Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Nancy: And you look like you won second prize in a beauty contest... Collect $10.
Nancy Observational Wordplay/Pun Nancy: Left over from my amtrak ride.
Nancy Character Comedy Observational Nancy: I got the night bloats.
Nancy Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Nancy: I thought you said this wasn't going to be sexual.
Nancy Observational Character Comedy Unknown caller: Here are the bullet points: Jeter's apartment. We're playing beer pong. It's New York Yankees versus former mayors. I got 10 grand on the mayors.
Jack: Like three's company, it's titillating, yet anxiety-producing.
Jack Observational Meta/Self-Referential Liz: Aw, man, being Janet sucks!
Liz Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Jack: How do you choose between Lee Marvin and Derek jeter?
Jack Observational Character Comedy Liz: On looks, Lee Marvin.
Liz Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Liz: This is gender inequity out the Yang!
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Liz: Meanwhile, I'm reading a book called hiding your arms, hiding your anger.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Jack: And even worse, they're both going to lose me.
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: Oh, yeah? How come I'm always forced to play ridicarus characters that don't enununcia tewell.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Liz: You know, there actually hasn't been a white Princess since 1991.
Liz Observational Dark/Subversive Jenna: It's a summer camp that teaches pretty blonde girls how to be mean.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Jack: Or that you're my prostitute.
Jack Dark/Subversive Observational Avery: The sportscaster who bites ladies.
Avery Character Comedy Observational Avery: Don't ask how I got them. But I do know the access code to his pyramid.
Avery Absurdist Character Comedy Wine guy: I found myself rooting for our boys in uniform, not those Blue hippies.
Liz: Some of them were former marines, but they were mercenaries working for a space mining company.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Nancy: The last time I used a birth control device, it was the '70s, and it looked like soap on a rope.
Nancy Observational Character Comedy Liz: I want him to genuinely like me, even when I'm old.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Jerem: You making much English. This is fun alcoholics meeting!
Jerem Character Comedy Observational Pete: You were only hired by the second city because they needed someone who could remember to feed the theater cat!
Pete Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Pete: You attended the university of Maryland on a partial competitive jazz dance scholarship.
Pete Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Bitch Hunter character: Happy birthday, bitches!
Jack: Why do you think your checks aren't the same color as Howie mandel's?
Jack Callback Character Comedy Callback Toofer: Okay, fine, fine! Toofer. I'll just go back to Toofer.
Toofer Character Comedy Escalation Frank: Three-fer, 'cause you're also gay.
Frank Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun