Determined to prove his marriage has survived Avery's kidnapping unscathed, Jack asks Liz to officiate their vow renewal. Meanwhile, Criss tries to convince Liz that he's worth sticking around for. Tracy meets with Cornel West to discuss his influence as a black celebrity.
Season finale escalates character chaos into 65 jokes across 42 minutes—near-elite density.
Directed by Michael Engler · Written by Tina Fey, Matt Hubbard
WAR
92
Wins Above Replacement
“What Will Happen To The Gang Next Year?” ranks #26 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 89.5 — Elite. The episode packs 65 scored jokes at 2.8 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.2 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
Jack: But any child would be lucky to have you be the mother it loves then hates for a few years, then loves again, then half-heartedly defends to its spouse, then puts in a home.
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Cornel West · Tracy: Who were your black role models growing up? / Darth Vader, ninjas, some black licorice I tried to make into the shape of my dad.
Kenneth: Have a good day, Doris. / [High-pitched] 'You have a good day too, Kenneth.' / Whatever, Doris. Grow up.
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz: What Bill O'Reilly erotic novel are you living in?
Tracy: Look, I don't wanna make us look bad, but these dumb white writers don't know how us soul cats speak, one 'twixt the other.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 65 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Liz · Criss: Hey! You didn't whisper in my ear and kiss me to wake me up like you always do. / I've never done that.
Liz Criss Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Liz · Criss: You named your van after the guy from Dawson's Creek? / I've seen everything he's ever been in except for that.
Liz: We don't need a nursery now. And who knows if we'll ever even have a... Plant or whatever?
Liz Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Liz: Hey! I don't bail. I am still watching Smash, Criss.
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hazel: I mean, the people there can be a little sexually conservative for my tastes.
Hazel Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Hazel: Gonna move to the bay area now, pretend that that was your dream the whole time? Have fun always carrying a light sweater.
Hazel Observational Character Comedy Hazel: I look forward to reading your obituary, 'Least famous person in the world dies.'
Hazel Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Liz · Jack: Yes, I married Becky and Dee because love is love and there's no reason they shouldn't experience the joy of marriage like any other couple. / I'm not going to the container store.
Liz Jack Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jack: Congratulations. You just turned into your father.
Jack Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Liz: What Bill O'Reilly erotic novel are you living in?
Jack: I suppose our situation is most reminiscent of 'The Commodore's lust' from the 'Patriot's after dark' series.
Jack Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Liz: And I'm gonna throw that thing in front of a train. Go Phillies!
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Liz Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Diana: Stop, drop, and roll! Let me out! Let me out!
Diana Physical/Slapstick Reaction Beat Tracy: Did they say when the banquet is? Because I'm kind of between tuxes due to weight fluctuation.
Tracy Character Comedy Misdirection Tracy: For instance, in Pixar's upcoming movie about trash, I'm doing the voice of a lazy bottle of grape-flavored soda named Funky Bobo.
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Dotcom Reaction Beat Setup/Punchline Avery: I was living in an exact replica of Cinderella's castle that Kim Jong-Un had built for his shoe collection.
Jenna: And I know a little bit about suffering because I work out... A lot!
Jenna Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jack Setup/Punchline Escalation Hazel: Oh, God, I had so many husbands.
Hazel Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Kenneth: Well, where will you sit patiently in the dark while you wait for the next day to start? I mean, sleep?
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kenneth: Have a good day, Doris. / [High-pitched] 'You have a good day too, Kenneth.' / Whatever, Doris. Grow up.
Kenneth Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kenneth: I don't mean it, I nice it.
Kenneth Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jack Misdirection Absurdist Scott: Check out Kim Jong-Un's pants. Where's the flood?
Scott Observational Character Comedy Liz: ♪ My soil's pretty good so I will plant this seed ♪ ... ♪ Growing together ♪ ♪ Planty and me ♪
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Criss: [Shouting in Hebrew]
Criss Visual Gag Escalation Criss: I had no idea the shmuley Israel memorial parade was a predominantly Jewish event.
Criss Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Criss: You know what kind of women in their 40s have never been married, Liz? Uggos, crazies, and bailers. You're not an uggo.
Criss Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Kenneth · Hazel: [Gasps, snorts, groans] / Doris! / Wonderful. See you tonight, roomie.
Jenna: I'd admire you if you weren't brunette.
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist Hazel · Jenna: I'm a natural blonde. / That's insane!
Hazel · Jenna: Stop looking at my ass. / Stop pointing your ass at my eyeballs.
Tracy · Dotcom: It's an honor to finally meet you, Questlove. / Tracy, this is Dr. Cornel West.
Tracy: Look, I don't wanna make us look bad, but these dumb white writers don't know how us soul cats speak, one 'twixt the other.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Cornel West · Tracy: Who were your black role models growing up? / Darth Vader, ninjas, some black licorice I tried to make into the shape of my dad.
Tracy: Under my own nose. Like a mustache. A mustache. Tom Selleck!
Tracy Character Comedy Escalation Scott: One day we made love while tapping. It was beautiful. No butt stuff.
Scott Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Liz: Jack and Diana... Avery! Avery and Diana... Damn it! Jack and Nancy.
Liz Character Comedy Escalation Waiter: Kim Jong-Il is dead. I'm only waiter. I'm greatest waiter of all time.
Waiter Character Comedy Escalation Jack: He said that to me in Galveston when a busload of drunk debutantes tried to get on his boat. It was named 'Mr. water boat.' Did it sink? Yes. Because there were too many people on it.
Jack Character Comedy Escalation Kenneth: Oh, are you talking about Hazel or the raccoon that won't let me into my kitchen?
Kenneth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Kenneth: And to think I thought Hazel was a bitch! / Friendly and loyal like a well-trained female dog. But she isn't a bitch. She's a meaniepants.
Kenneth Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tracy: A guy with two first names? Next.
Tracy Character Comedy Observational Tracy: I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about me looking funny in this reflection. I'm gonna do a movie where I play someone's fat old aunt and I say stuff like, 'whoo-wee!' And 'sweet child, sit yo' black ass down!'
Tracy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Liz: Why didn't you take out the cameras and kill all the witnesses, you beautiful bastard?
Liz Escalation Character Comedy Liz: You can't go to prison, you idiot. They will ravage you and your beautiful woman face.
Liz Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Criss: I didn't Rob a bank, Liz. God! No, I sold the van this morning... To a really nice young guy on Meth.
Criss Misdirection Character Comedy Criss: I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over.
Criss Callback Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Liz · Criss: Have you ever had a girlfriend willing to Thelma and Louise with you? / No. Never. But come on, Bonnie and Clyde. Okay, I'm a boy. I'm a boy, Liz.
Jenna: Also, I hear Pippa Middleton couldn't come today because Avery was borrowing her ass.
Jenna Character Comedy Observational Kim Jong-Un waiter: I just want alereeb to be happy.
Liz: Are you people kidding me? Seriously, no one has anything to say? You're all cowards.
Liz Irony/Sarcasm Escalation Jenna: I played Avery Jessup in 'Kidnapped by danger,' now available on Sega Genesis.
Jenna Character Comedy Absurdist Avery: I kept my sea monkeys alive for 30 years.
Avery Character Comedy Absurdist Avery: I mean, if we wanted this thing to succeed, why would we ask Liz to officiate?
Avery Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Liz: [Laughing] Yeah! Divorce! Whoo!
Liz Reaction Beat Character Comedy Hazel: It started that way. But then I fell in love with you.
Hazel Character Comedy Escalation Kenneth · Hazel: Don't you ever do that again. / [Both moaning]
Criss · Liz: You said, 'baby,' instead of 'plant.' Now say, 'man cave.' / Never!
Criss Liz Callback Character Comedy Callback Liz · Criss: Because we are thinking about having a baby... Together... That will emerge from my vagina. / Or a Chinese vagina.
Jack: But any child would be lucky to have you be the mother it loves then hates for a few years, then loves again, then half-heartedly defends to its spouse, then puts in a home.
Jack Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Jack: Number one, don't overthink the names. Stick to Kings and Queens of England. There will never be a president Ashton or a Dr. Katniss. Or a non-sexually confused Lorne.
Jack Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Tracy: All I want is Jack and Liz get together. On Friends, it was so satisfying. They do on Cheers, they do on Moonlighting. Everybody do it! Don't overthink it, writers. Whoever you are.
Tracy Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch 