Jack and a very pregnant Avery take a romantic break in Canada. When Avery goes into labor, the power couple desperately scramble to not give birth to a Canadian. Meanwhile, Liz's getaway with Carol gets grounded, literally, when their plane collects dust on the tarmac. And Tracy is an EGOT winner, but with that comes overwhelming demands.
Escalating character chaos drives 78 jokes across 43 minutes—3.13 per minute average.
Directed by Don Scardino · Written by Kay Cannon
WAR
96.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Double Edged Sword” ranks #52 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 87.1 — Elite. The episode packs 78 scored jokes at 3.1 per minute, averaging 7.3 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
Jack: Are we not even making our own meth? What is happening to American manufacturing?
Jack Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kenneth: On D-Day, my grandfather wore a German uniform under his American one, just in case.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: But I'm going to treat her just like a human baby.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Avery: To what, Jack? Be a mouthpiece for Federalism and then die in a duel against someone named Aaron? Is that what you want our daughter to be? A big government duel loser?
Avery Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: Oh, no, you don't! We will not be party to this socialist perversion. You will take our money!
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 78 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Liz: I blew mine up, and now it smells like my mouth.
Liz Observational Cringe/Discomfort Character: I never sleep on planes. I don't want to get incepted.
Jack: You're going to Nags Head? Isn't that redundant?
Jack Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jack: You will hand me an envelope predicting my joke about Nags Head.
Jack Meta/Self-Referential Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: We're going to Toronto for the G8 Economic Summit. It's going to be... very erotic.
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist Liz: I packed underwear that isn't gray!
Liz Character Comedy Observational Jack: Like you, Avery is a Type-A nutjob.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Dating yourself is a double-edged sword.
Jack Setup/Punchline Observational Jack · Liz: Well, that would only be a problem if I had any flaws. Not only is your fly open, there's a pencil is sticking out of it.
Jack Liz Setup/Punchline Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Jack: Good day to you, sir.
Jack Character Comedy Reaction Beat Jenna: You are more talented than I.
Jenna Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jenna: You're ready, Mirror Jenna.
Jenna Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Tracy: Clear. I'll need a whale saddle.
Tracy Absurdist Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tracy: Kate Capshaw's husband?
Tracy Character Comedy Misdirection Tracy: the guitar-playing chimpanzee that I bought this morning. Dotcom is confirming that he drowned.
Tracy Dark/Subversive Escalation Tracy: Why are you putting me in a suit? I still haven't memorized my Torah passage!
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Kenneth: Success is a double-edged sword.
Carol: I realize you're more important than everyone else on the flight, what with those Jets sweatpants...
Carol Irony/Sarcasm Observational Carol: Excuse me, young lady. Are you old enough to be traveling alone? I don't know. I'm going to visit my Nana, but I'm scared. Wait, that's too young. Roger that.
Carol Absurdist Character Comedy Carol: This is a $90-million aircraft, not a Tallahassee strip club.
Carol Observational Escalation Carol: And that is Sky Law.
Carol Absurdist Running Gag ★ Rewatch Passenger: I'm a businessman. I'm not an air marshal.
Passenger · Liz: There's a man on the wing! We haven't taken off yet. It's just a mechanic.
Hotel Worker: Oh, God, you're breaking the extra bone all Canadians have in their hands!
Jack: Why did I buy a beryllium mine if her birthstone isn't going to be aquamarine?
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: Good God. She'll be Canadian!
Jack Character Comedy Escalation Jack: Your milk comes in bags. Bags! Your pavilion at EPCOT doesn't have a ride!
Jack Escalation Observational Jack: And if Canada is so nice and friendly, why does most of our meth come from your Asian drug gangs?
Jack Dark/Subversive Escalation Jack: Are we not even making our own meth? What is happening to American manufacturing?
Jack Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: If only we were in Kenya right now, we'd be fine.
Tracy: I'm not scared of you people! And I don't think those cashews look like a bowl of baby penises!
Flight Attendant: And NBC sitcoms that didn't make the schedule.
Carol: to control the herds of walking mozzarella sticks who think that $300 and a photo ID gives them the right to fly through the air like one of the Guardian Owls of legend!
Carol Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Carol: Well, good luck pressing 'Take Off', then 'Autopilot', then 'Land'.
Carol Misdirection Observational Jack: When I asked the lady at the desk, she told me in kilometers!
Jack Character Comedy Observational Jack: We ruined those kids' field day.
Jack Callback Dark/Subversive Avery: To what, Jack? Be a mouthpiece for Federalism and then die in a duel against someone named Aaron? Is that what you want our daughter to be? A big government duel loser?
Avery Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: Dear God, they've re-started the failed NBC shows. Oh, no. Please, no. Not 'Gals on the Town' again!
Liz Meta/Self-Referential Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Show Theme: Love and friendship, having it all / Or maybe just a great pair of shoes / One of them has to be Asian / Can they be good at their jobs?
Show Theme Meta/Self-Referential Observational ★ Rewatch Liz: We were like them once, and we can be again! But we're just airplane folk now!
Liz Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Liz: He compromises readily on movie choices and... sexual positions.
Liz Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Carol: I'm assuming you don't want to stop for gas in the middle of the ocean.
Carol Absurdist Misdirection Carol: Stewart did not study dance at Carnegie Mellon to become a flight attendant to clean bathrooms.
Carol Character Comedy Escalation Carol: Those potato chip bags are designed to be opened in flight. You open them at sea level, somebody could be killed.
Liz: If I can't poop on the street, why should my tax dollars pay for someone else to?
Liz Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Carol: including any lipless middle-aged women in lesbian clown shirts, should please be seated at this time.
Carol Character Comedy Escalation Tracy: Sorry, but Tracy Jordan doesn't do safety schools!
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Tracy: Sorry, but Tracy Jordan doesn't do safety schools!
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Kenneth · Tracy: You ever hear of the 'Peter Principle'? Yes. Just now.
Tracy: But my incompetence knows no bounds.
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Kenneth: On D-Day, my grandfather wore a German uniform under his American one, just in case.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dotcom: Or perform his husband bedroom duties... for instance, painting the bedroom?
Dotcom Misdirection Character Comedy Dotcom: because Al Sharpton doesn't have an office.
Kenneth: And I know, because I've looked it up for you a dozen times!
Lorne: Great. I'm Lorne. If you're a cop, you have to tell me.
Lorne Observational Character Comedy Avery: I'm still in Girl Scouts. I have 9,000 badges.
Avery Character Comedy Escalation Jack: Hey, I'm still looking for a golf ball I shanked in 1987. I am not taking that penalty stroke!
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Carol: Austin Powers on 'Crossfire', timely stuff.
Carol Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Liz: "Uh, folks, half an hour means forever."
Liz Callback Escalation Callback Liz Character Comedy Escalation Carol: I did not! I wanted the books to slide off!
Carol Character Comedy Escalation Carol: Admit that I, as Captain of this vessel, was in the right. You were wrong to question me, and I was correct in my treatment of you and your fellow animals.
Carol Escalation Character Comedy Lorne: Because they sound very sitcomy.
Lorne Meta/Self-Referential Observational ★ Rewatch Jack: and declare war on Germany, like back when we were awesome.
Jack Character Comedy Observational Lorne: They made me memorize all 700 words in the Canadian dictionary.
Lorne Observational Character Comedy Lorne: I know, I'm a stereotype. 'All guys from Quebec are good at karate.'
Lorne Misdirection Absurdist ★ Rewatch Lorne: Oh, my God, where are my manners? Do you want to try meth?
Lorne Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch Lorne: Actually, you dial 272 here.
Lorne Observational Character Comedy Tracy: IKEA on a Saturday?
Tracy Observational Escalation Liz: Having seen 'Crimson Tide' on Showtime last weekend, I believe the only course of action available to us is passenger mutiny! I am Denzel!
Liz Escalation Character Comedy Carol: I am invoking Sky Law. You are now silenced, shrieking harpy.
Carol Callback Escalation Callback Liz: I'll be a folk hero, like that guy everybody hates now!
Liz Observational Misdirection Old Man: You'll have to go through this old bastard first!
Old Man Escalation Physical/Slapstick Jack: But I'm going to treat her just like a human baby.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Liz: of that double-edged sword just swinging around, trying to cut your faces off.
Liz Callback Escalation Callback Jack: Oh, no, you don't! We will not be party to this socialist perversion. You will take our money!
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Tracy: This morning I taught the local schoolchildren all the words to 'Monster Mash'.
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Tracy: Like how an ant is much bigger than a smaller bug?
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist 