As ’30 Rock’ comes to an end Thursday night, we look back at the things that have made up laugh throughout the show’s seven seasons.
1. Jenna Maroney and Mickey Rourke’s sexual history.
Throughout the years, we’ve been introduced to the crazy sexual past of Jenna Maroney and Mickey Rourke. Sporadically throughout the seven seasons we’ve gotten one-lines detailing their tumultuous relationship.
Some of the best lines include, “I’m gonna have to reinvent you. Break you down completely and build you up from scratch. Just like Mickey Rourke did to me sexually.”
Jenna’s entire sexual history was wacky, but her love affair with Mickey Rourke always trumped all other stories.
2. Kenneth’s weird back story
One of the most perplexing characters of ’30 Rock’ was Kenneth the Ellen Parcell. In the second to last episode of the show, Jack Donaghy appointed him the next president of NBC.
Let’s try to get Kenneth’s history right: His name is Kenneth Ellen Parcell, but his real name is Dick Whitman.When Parcells first came to America they lived in a town called ‘Sex Criminal Boat.’
The Parcells, whose “name is synonymous with honesty” later moved to Stone Mountain, and Kenneth lived on a pig farm. There was a case of too much inbreeding and the pigs turned violent. Yikes.
Kenneth’s favorite subject in school was science, or what everyone else called the Old Testament. He doesn’t drink hot liquids, since “that’s the devil’s temperature.”
3. Jack Donaghy, one-liners
These quotes do the talking:
“You look terrible, and I once watched you eat oysters while you had a cold.”
“I’m not a creative type like you, with your work sneakers and left-handedness.”
“The grown-up dating world is like your haircut. Sometimes awkward triangles occur.”
4. Tracy Jordan’s antics
Tracy Jordan is hands-down one of the craziest, more uncooperative character on the show. He’s given the audience a number of laughs and reminded us to “live every week like it’s Shark Week.”
He has two sons named George Foreman and Tracy Junior. He spends money like a mad man – remember the golden shoes? – and insists on being the star of the show, which has brought on many feuds with Jenna.
5. All the guest appearances
Matt Damon, Jon Hamm, Oprah (!!!), Julianne Moore, and the list goes on and on and on.
6. Everything about Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon was the heart and soul of ’30 Rock.’ She introduced a style of character to television we had never seen before. Finally, it was OK to be a quirky, hard working independent woman who loved food and didn’t have a model’s body. Liz Lemon, or should we say Tina Fey, paved the road for women such as Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation) and Lena Dunham (Girls).
Liz Lemon, or as Tracy Jordan called her just ‘LL,’ was a real woman. She loved food. Her skin was oily. She had a messy love life. And, just like most other women, she just does what Oprah tells her to.
We’re going to miss you ’30 Rock.’ Thanks for all the laughs.
Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant
