In order to hide his relationship with Lynn, Frank convinces his mother that he is dating Liz. Tracy and Jenna team up to try to solve the case of Pete's missing whisky. Meanwhile, Jack teaches Kenneth how to take down his first business nemesis.
Detective noir parody sustains 2.44 jokes per minute with zero setup wasted.
Directed by Michael Slovis · Written by John Riggi
WAR
110.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Alexis Goodlooking And The Case Of The M” ranks #95 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 96.1 — Elite. The episode packs 66 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.7 on craft and 7.6 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: But I've never crushed anyone except accused witches.
Kenneth Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: I haven't seen you since the 1985 G.E. talent show when I convinced you to sing Monster Mash, knowing full well that Jack Welch is terrified of monsters, and I ended your career.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Henry · Jack: What about the drive up to Pittsfield when we stopped at Sturbridge Village? Remember? We had fun. We saw a candle being made. I didn't really care about that candle, Henry. I don't even remember what color it was. Regular white-tan candle color, Jack!
Henry Jack Character Comedy Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Liz: Okay, but if you look at my Internet history, I'm researching a movie about two male centaurs kissing.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Liz · Lynn: And I can't be your girlfriend, 'cause I'm not an old pedophile. We prefer the term adultophobe.
Liz Lynn Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 66 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Sylvia: There she is! Whore of whores!
Sylvia Character Comedy Escalation Sylvia: My Frankie could have any woman on earth, and he chose you?
Sylvia Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Sylvia: Do you like ox, Liz? I'll defrost an ox for you.
Sylvia Character Comedy Absurdist Liz: I have a boyfriend. In Canada.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz · Lynn: And I can't be your girlfriend, 'cause I'm not an old pedophile. We prefer the term adultophobe.
Liz Lynn Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Liz · Frank: No one can remember why anymore. [beat] You were his teacher, and you seduced him.
Liz Frank Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Frank: Liz, we just need you to go along with this until... I don't know, my mom dies. Or I die.
Frank Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Lynn: In prison, I was part of a fake family with a bald woman, and our son was a basketball with a wig on it, but... okay. This is creepy.
Lynn Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Like that parasite I got from eating Sushi on AmTrak.
Liz Character Comedy Observational Kenneth · Jack: All my suits are my late father's... Mr...
Jack: And I'm including making it through the '80s without having sex with Belinda Carlisle.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Kenneth: We have far too many sponsors that make housework easier for women.
Kenneth Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Kenneth: Son, if you wanna get ahead in this world... Oh, God, this hurts... Tell your mother I'm gay.
Kenneth Setup/Punchline Misdirection Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Liz · Jenna · Tracy: Nerf rifle. Mass Effect 3. What else do we need for, uh, research?
Jenna: Is there singing? Because I sing. Tracy doesn't sing, so I should do it. The audience expects it. I'll sleep with you.
Jenna Character Comedy Escalation Liz: We're just saying that so we can charge it all to the show. It's the perfect crime... As long as Pete never finds out.
Liz Irony/Sarcasm Setup/Punchline Pete: Someone with a key to my office, a janitor or a security guard or some black... Hearted individual, probably white.
Pete Misdirection Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jenna: Tracy, every blond actress in the business has done a pilot about a tough but pretty lady cop with special abilities. Mine was called Goodlooking. I played Alexis Goodlooking, who was also good-looking, and my special ability was being good at looking for clues.
Jenna Absurdist Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Tracy: Because like all black actors, I have a lot of experience with playing a wise black fellow who gets reluctant white people to do things.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: I have some real problems with this Law & Order SVU script. We can't say 'dick wolf' on TV.
Kenneth Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jack: we can no longer use the words 'hit, great show, fun,' or 'broadcast television.'
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive Kenneth: He's the best friend I've ever had, tied with everyone I've ever met.
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jack · Henry Warren: We got the contract! We're gonna make the bottles for New Coke. And I'm gonna make sure you get all the credit. Aces! Let's do some cocaine.
Kenneth: But Bradley gave me my nickname. 'Susan.' Like 'lazy Susan,' 'cause I'm lazy and effeminate.
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: 'Paranoid,' from the Greek 'para' meaning 'beside,' and 'noid,' which is some sort of a... Pizza demon! No, that can't be right.
Jack Wordplay/Pun Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: But I've never crushed anyone except accused witches.
Kenneth Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Sylvia: I know the best thing for a fever is food, wine, and cheek pinching! So I packed everything up, prayed to the patron Saint of locked apartments, and here we are.
Sylvia Character Comedy Absurdist Sylvia: Eat an arancine. [beat — implied force-feeding]
Sylvia Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Jenna: I may not pick up, 'cause I lost my phone just now.
Jenna Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jenna: Read him his rights. I should tell my husband I'm gonna be late tonight. No, wait, I can't. He's dead.
Jenna Character Comedy Callback Callback Jenna: Hang on. The trash was moved.
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist Jenna · Tracy: Hang on. The trash was moved. [Beat.] Hiding something, Mr. Lutz?
Bradley · Kenneth: What's wrong, Susan? Mr. Pfister just took me to the woodshed, which I didn't even realize could be a metaphor.
Bradley Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Kenneth: I guess I signed off on a script where an Asian character refers to 'Rindsay Rohan' posing for 'Prayboy.'
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: Your meatballs are good! Like Ikea good!
Liz Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Sylvia: Are you sure you're not Italian, Liz? Maybe from the North? That's where the vampires used to live.
Sylvia Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Sylvia · Liz: Elizabeth, I'm gonna ask you to leave. But this is my... [door closes]
Sylvia · Liz: Elizabeth, I'm gonna ask you to leave. / But this is my... [Sylvia cuts her off]
Jack: Kenneth, sometimes you've gotta get your hands dirty for the good of company... And country. My two favorite kinds of music.
Jack Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Misdirection ★ Rewatch Pete: Hey, everybody's just sitting around in there waiting for you two to shoot promos. Thank God I've got my awesome Phil Donahue story.
Pete Character Comedy Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Pete: Look, all I wanted to do was hang with my friends, rock some jams, and tell the story about my cousin seeing Phil Donahue. I mean me! I-I'm the one who saw him.
Pete Character Comedy Running Gag Misdirection ★ Rewatch Callback Jenna · Tracy: I broke the number one rule of being on the force. Don't fall in love with your car? No. I let it get personal. You're right. The car thing is stupid.
Jenna Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Frank: Yeah. I had to sleep here. You know, they turned the heat off. If I hadn't found that other blanket, I'd... Wait, where'd it go? Oh, God. It was mice! The blanket was mice!
Frank Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Frank: I haven't gained weight in months. It wasn't worth it.
Frank Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Liz · Frank: First of all, why were you in my bedroom, and why would you tell me that part of the conversation? / It's the only part where we weren't having break-up sex.
Henry: Henry Warren-Chang. I married a very bossy Chinese lady.
Henry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: I haven't seen you since the 1985 G.E. talent show when I convinced you to sing Monster Mash, knowing full well that Jack Welch is terrified of monsters, and I ended your career.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Henry: I'm great. I lease a certified pre-owned Lexus, both my sons are magicians, and for my birthday, wei-lin got me tickets to the Broadway show Memphis.
Henry Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Henry · Jack: What about the drive up to Pittsfield when we stopped at Sturbridge Village? Remember? We had fun. We saw a candle being made. I didn't really care about that candle, Henry. I don't even remember what color it was. Regular white-tan candle color, Jack!
Henry Jack Character Comedy Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Jenna: Take a sit 'cause no one is going anywhere!
Jenna Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Jenna: 'cause we have you dead to rights, you black bastard! And if you don't play along, we tell Pete about your little scam... How the show's been paying for your video games and nerf rifles and pornography.
Jenna Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: That's right! We know you ordered a porn version of Temple Grandin entitled Ten Poles Rammed In. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Tracy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Tracy: Let's get outta here, Maroney. The sight of these people plus the crayons I ate earlier make me sick.
Tracy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pete: Pete's birthday song — Pete performing a song about the Phil Donahue encounter to the tune of 'Piano Man'
Pete Character Comedy Running Gag Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Tracy · Liz: Any mysteries that need solving, Liz? Actually, yes. What happened? Who attacked you and gave you that haircut?
Liz: It's tears! Frank was crying when he made these. He lied! He's miserable.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist Liz: Forget it, Tracy. It's midtown.
Liz Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Kenneth, don't do it. You can't destroy Bradley, you... innocent goon.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: You're the most remarkable person I know, and I've met Jaleel White. Incredibly charismatic. He makes Stefan Urquelle look like Steve Urkel.
Jack Character Comedy Absurdist Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Jack: Like Hitler... Or Willy Wonka.
Jack Dark/Subversive Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Like Hitler... Or Willy Wonka.
Jack Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jack: If you're thinking that way, then I'm... already too late.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Sylvia: La Donna di scoregge called and said you were sick, so I came by to make you chicken soup.
Sylvia Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Lynn: I am in a Mexican prison gang. You kill me, Los Tiberones will green-light a 1-8-7 on you, and you don't want that kind of heat.
Lynn Character Comedy Absurdist Escalation Callback Lynn · Liz: And then prison, where we only had one movie with Dabney Coleman and the kid from E.T.? Cloak & Dagger? Shut up, Liz.
Lynn Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: Okay, but if you look at my Internet history, I'm researching a movie about two male centaurs kissing.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch 