Liz's scripted version of Jack and Avery's love story leaves Jack confused and frustrated by his feelings for Diana. Meanwhile, Jenna and Tracy attempt to beat Weird Al Yankovic at his own game, and Kenneth gets an unexpected new job at NBC.
Absurdist character comedy sustains 61 jokes across 42 minutes despite middling impact scores.
Directed by Claire Cowperthwaite · Written by Tina Fey
WAR
40.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Kidnapped By Danger” ranks #136 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 74.5 — Great. The episode packs 61 scored jokes at 2.4 per minute, averaging 6.8 on craft and 6.6 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: [whispering] I lie to myself. Every morning, when I wake up, I say, 'everything's gonna be okay.' But I'm lying. And I don't know how much longer I can do it.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: My father wore this to his high school prom. The theme was enchantment under the jim crow laws.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: [dubbed over] beautiful geniuses --Holes.
Kenneth Visual Gag Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Weird Al: ♪ daddy's fightin' overseas ♪ ♪ lord, keep him safe for mommy, please ♪ ♪ heart so proud ♪ ♪ daddy make my heart so proud ♪
Jenna: Yankovic! He reversed the parody. He normal al'd us.
Jenna Meta/Self-Referential Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 61 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: Pride: Make every room a bathroom.
Jack Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jack: Boy meets girl. Girl gets kidnapped by asian dictator. Boy makes movie to get girl back. Girl's so grateful she does birthday things to boy. Boy falls asleep.
Jack Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Liz: 'cause I'm gonna be mitt rom-mummy. I call it. You can't steal it.
Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jack · Liz: Why wouldn't you be mitt-zombie? Because I'm an idiot!
Jack Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: You're forgetting boy meets girl's mother. They are creepily attracted to each other.
Jack Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jenna: I need to thank my co-writers, gary greasy And jesus, a homeless man I stole the melody from.
Jenna Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Weird Al: ♪ trapper keeper, snickers bar, my thermos hit the floor ♪ ♪ broken knapsack
Tracy: Like, when people wanna see your boobs at mardi gras.
Jenna: Weird al corrupted something beautiful That was written to distract gary greasy While he came down from meth.
Jenna Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: My father wore this to his high school prom. The theme was enchantment under the jim crow laws.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: [dubbed over] beautiful geniuses --Holes.
Kenneth Visual Gag Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Put a message in a bottle and throw it in the river. That's where I go every day to fish for shoes.
Kenneth Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Old Janitor: Throw your resume away on the fourth floor And we'll be in touch.
Jack: Pride: The world is your toilet.
Jack Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: We smash cut to a night of passion In a completely dark room. Bathing suit areas get a workout.
Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Liz: [ridiculous boston accent] - jack, who's calling ya At such a wicked late hour? Ya mother?
Liz Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Liz: Jack donaghy, 50s, big irish head
Liz: think courteney cox-- Dances with a handsome pilot-- Think a young fred grandy.
Liz: No, that's how people from boston sound to me.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Unknown Actor: I got four inches of steel that might change your mind.
Jenna: I turned down intercourse with harvey weinstein On no less than three occasions...Out of five.
Jenna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy · Jenna: What do you think phil collins Was trying to do with sussudio? Which weird al famously parodied soup soupy-o.
Tracy: What do you think phil collins Was trying to do with sussudio?
Diana: I'm glad to see the endgame of feminism Is women dressing like dennis the menace at work.
Diana Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch Diana: Because it's crass, jack. Like personalized wedding vows or standing up in a pool.
Diana Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Diana: Like personalized wedding vows or standing up in a pool.
Diana: My housekeeper started screaming.
Diana Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist ★ Rewatch Diana: I flew here, but I saw a train from the window.
Diana Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Diana: I flew here, but I saw a train from the window.
Diana Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: All my life, I have been the third wheel That prevents people from having sex.
Liz Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: In college, they called me 'the blocker'.
Liz Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: I'm sorry, but you're stressed and you're lonely And that woman has flawless skin, Like an organic chicken. I haven't had lunch.
Liz Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Since the creation of earth 800 years ago.
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack: You must crumble like greek statues.
Jack Observational Wordplay/Pun Liz: One in four americans has an std. Chlamydia, herpes, garden variety genital swelling-- Rectal fissures.
Liz Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Lance: Diana, are you a time-traveler? Because I don't know how my mother-in-law Could be younger than my wife.
Lance Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jack: I would never use that much math In complimenting a woman. Their brains can't handle it.
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Diana: The fighter pilot wrists, the hair like a mature otter's pelt, Shoulders you could ride bareback.
Diana Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Slip what? Drill him against a wall. Wouldn't mind giving him the old skin flute.
Tracy: Don't eat that pie, don't eat my fries, don't wear that tie, Don't smell that guy.
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Escalation Tracy: I'm sorry, did you just say baloney thighs? Because that's the name of the boat weird al's gonna buy With the money he makes off you...Dumb bitch!
Tracy Wordplay/Pun Escalation ★ Rewatch Jenna · Tracy: There's nothing you can change pizza to. Because it's already weird.
Lance: This ice tea is so strong.
Lance Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Lance: Prius is the latin word for impotence.
Lance Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lance: There hasn't been a good Non-boat painting in 5,000 years.
Lance Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz: Sometimes to prevent monkey business, we must create it. The blocker.
Liz Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Lance: How is taking your mother-in-law Out on a date acting like you?
Lance Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Lance: It's impossible not to have a great time At planet hollywood.
Lance Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jack: An idea that's off the charts, kemosabe.
Jack Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Kenneth: Nothing can stop me now. [squeals] It's okay. I'm doing great. Everything's gonna work out.
Kenneth Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jenna: ♪ I eat pizza, I eat cheese ♪ ♪ I eat lots of broccolis ♪ ♪ fart so loud, fart so loud ♪ ♪ yum-yums make me fart so loud ♪
Jenna Absurdist Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Oh, mr. Subhas, your wife is on the phone. She's making dinner and she wants to know If you found any prosciutto today.
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jack · Kenneth: Why are you dressed like a janitor? - It's my new job. - But you just got promoted. - Well, I've had a few setbacks
Kenneth: Medically, it's a neck ridge.
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Kenneth: [whispering] I lie to myself. Every morning, when I wake up, I say, 'everything's gonna be okay.' But I'm lying. And I don't know how much longer I can do it.
Kenneth Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Weird Al: ♪ daddy's fightin' overseas ♪ ♪ lord, keep him safe for mommy, please ♪ ♪ heart so proud ♪ ♪ daddy make my heart so proud ♪
Jenna: Yankovic! He reversed the parody. He normal al'd us.
Jenna Meta/Self-Referential Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jenna: You know he was stationed at pearl harbor? During the korean war?
Lance: Our love is off the charts, kemosabe.
Lance Callback Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Lance: She made me boink her this morning And at first, I was like, 'please-- She boinks like a dog.
Lance Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jack: This is a group process, lemon. Don't be an egomaniac.
Jack Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy 