The Jan. 29 episode of 30 Rock was a repeat of “Reunion,” one of the funniest shows so far this season. It features terrific guest appearances from Diane Neal (who played A.D.A. Casey Novak in Law & Order: SVU), Janel Moloney (Donna Moss in West Wing) and Jeff Hiller, who played the dead naked guy in Ghost Town.

Liz arrives at the studio and is greeted by Kenneth.

Kenneth: “Oh, Ms. Lemon, you have several messages. Ah, let’s see. That company running that bike tour in South Carolina says no singles.”

Liz: “Oh-kay.”

Kenneth: “Your credit card company called. They want to make sure you’re the one buying cream soda in bulk.” (A play off of Tina Fey’s American Express card commercial.)

Liz: “I sure am.”

Kenneth: “And, your landlord called and he said it’s not the toilet. It’s you.”

Liz: “That’s his opinion.”

There’s a fourth message for Liz, and it’s from one of her high school classmates confirming her RSVP to attend their reunion. Liz clearly has no plans to attend but Kenneth, Tracy and Jenna try to convince her otherwise:

Jenna: “I definitely would have gone to my reunion, but the boat I was educated on sank.”

Up in the executive offices, Jack is producing a photo shoot of the current CEO, Kathy Geiss. Mesmerized by a set of jingling keys and holding an Etch-a-Sketch that says “Kathy=CEO,” Kathy is a mute, soap opera-loving stand-in for her father who remains hospitalized and in a coma. Jack has a plan to get to the top spot, but some things have to be in place for that to happen. And his timing couldn’t be better. Kathy’s odd behavior signals that Don Geiss has awakened!

At the studio, we learn that nothing ticks-off Tracy more than being out-joked. Kenneth unknowingly upsets Tracy after he gets a bigger laugh for his joke in the elevator. It seems Tracy feels no one should get a bigger laugh than he, and especially not Kenneth.

The news of Don Geiss has Jack in a tizzy. He shares his joy about his imminent return to GE’s executive row by giving Liz a peck on the forehead.

Jack: “What’s that flavor?”

Liz: “It’s Dove Age-Fighting Acne cream.”

Taking a seat at Liz’s desk, Jack notices the phone message about her high school reunion: “I wish I had a Princeton reunion right now. I’d wipe the smug smile off Michelle Obama’s face.”

Like the others, Jack is surprised to hear that Liz has no plans to go. But in a flashback, we begin to understand Liz’s lack of enthusiasm. Liz’s high school self was not pretty. She was overweight, had a tight white-person afro and wore unflattering thick-framed glasses (and who didn’t?). And all the kids in the cool, pretty crowd like Kelsey Winthrop taunted her.

As Liz waxes nostalgic, Jack gives her self-confidence a swift kick: “You’re telling me you don’t have the confidence to face a bunch of whittling, jug-blowing IHOP monkeys?  “Lemon, you will go show that Kelsey Winthrop that the ugly ducking has turned into a vaguely ethnic swan.” Jack convinces Liz to take the corporate jet to western Philadelphia so that she can attend her reunion.

Later, on the Edison Terrace at 30 Rock, Jack meets with the recovered Don Geiss. Jack is the first to learn that Geiss plans to stay on as CEO, but he will name Jack to the top spot at the time of his death. Jack, needless to say, is stunned.

Back at the studio, Grizz and DotComm find a pouting Tracy sitting in his “angry chair.” Kenneth’s outrageous behavior needs to be stopped, and Tracy commands his team to join him in the elevator and laugh at his jokes.

Don Geiss’s decision to stay on at CEO is a major set-back for Jack, and he’s about to lose his marbles. He finds Liz and explains that since he’s returning to his old job, he’ll do what he can so the Standards Department allows the show to use “cat anus” at least three times on the air. Jack is on the brink of losing it, but Liz puts things into perspective: “Geez, Jack. Tough year. First, William F. Buckley dies, now this. Next stop, impotence, right?”  Meanwhile, the corporate jet is still available and Liz’s plans to go to her reunion are in place. In fact, Jack will join her and drop her off in Philly on his way to Miami.

Liz: “Why are you going to Miami?”

Jack: “Why does anyone go to Miami? Ass, and the burgeoning art scene. I need to blow off some steam.”

Unfortunately, the trip doesn’t go quite as planned. A major snowstorm forces the jet to make an emergency landing, and Jack and Liz find themselves at a two-star hotel in White Haven. For Liz, the flight was nerve-wracking:

“Boy, it was something landing in this storm, huh? Listen, about some of the stuff that I said — ‘One time I laughed at a blind guy eating spaghetti. Sometimes I pee in the shower if I’m really tired. I saw my grandparents making love once and I didn’t leave right away!’”

Liz’s crash-landing confessions are lost on Jack. He’s consumed by self-doubt and questions his dedication and hard work for GE. As they’re checking in at the front desk, Liz attempts to cheer him up:

Liz: “I know it’s not Miami, but you can blow off steam here. We have a lovely N.C. Wyeth museum.”

Front desk clerk: “Actually some meth addicts burnt that place down last August.”

Liz: “Well, there are excellent restaurants on Cabot Street.”

Front desk clerk: “Umm…the Vietnamese immigrants took over all of those places. I wouldn’t recommend going to Little Hanoi after dark unless you’re wearing a ‘kon-dong.’”

And there aren’t no bars in the entire county! It seems that Jack’s mood can’t sink any lower.

Liz makes a grand entrance at her high school reunion. The stares from her classmates boost her confidence. She sees her old nemesis, Kelsey Winthrop, and says hello. But Kelsey’s reaction is completely unexpected.

Kelsey: “Wow, I did not think you’d come.”

Liz: “Well, I almost didn’t. I was in Manhattan, working in the fast lane…”

Kelsey: “You made life a living hell for everyone here. You would have to come to the reunion to make us go through it all over again.”

It turns out Liz wasn’t exactly a nerd in high school, as she remembers. She was a bully! Other classmates attack Liz upon seeing her: “This is a beauty mark, but you thought it was funny to say God pooped on me.”

As Liz deals with the truth about her high school years, she sees Jack in the gymnasium. He’s showed up because they’re serving alcohol.

Liz: “What are you doing here?”

Jack: “I’m getting drunk. Lemon, would you buy my mulch?”

As Liz admits to Jack that she wasn’t exactly the lovable nerd but the bully you hate in high school, another classmate approaches her: “Hello, Elizabeth. It’s Rob Sussman. Still think I’m gayer than the volleyball scene in Top Gun?”

Just as Liz is getting fed up with her classmates, Jack decides he wants to be like them: “All my life I thought I made good choices, but am I happy? These people are happy, I envy them. I wish I was one of them.” With that, Jack’s wish is granted as someone mistakes him for popular classmate Larry Braverman. Liz and Jack find themselves in their old ways — Liz struggles for acceptance from her peers while Jack makes friends easily.

Back at the studio, Tracy turns to Jenna for help, but she doubts his observations about Kenneth. It’s not until she finds herself in the elevator with him that she sees the truth. How could Kenneth’s rendition of “Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” garner more enthusiasm then her solo of Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings”?

Jack enjoys his new persona as Larry Braverman and reminisces with his classmates. It’s not until Liz shows up that his bubble is burst. As they stand together in the gym closet for “seven minutes of heaven,” Jack and Liz point out each other’s faults: “Were you hiding behind your sense of humor instead of engaging in a real way?”

Liz retaliates by accusing Jack of being just as fake by telling him she found the 2,000 business cards he printed with the job title that he’s never going to get. Jack leaves the closet in tears.

It’s time for Tracy and Jenna to confront Kenneth, and they do it by taking over his page job. We see Jenna with sandwich delivery in hand, and Tracy in the middle of a 30 Rock tour. It makes Kenneth uncomfortable.

Tracy: “I don’t like it when you do jokes in the elevator. That’s my job!”

Kenneth: “Oh, Lord. I didn’t know. I would never do anything to hurt you. You’re my best friend!”

Tracy: “We’re not really best friends, we’re just good friends.”

It’s nearing the end of the reunion and the awards are being presented. Jack is enlisted by his classmates to play a prank on Liz — they want to “Carrie” her when she goes up on stage to receive the award for “Best School Spirit.”

It’s not the award she wants so much but the $50 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse, so Liz begrudgingly approaches the stage. Just as she is positioned directly under the bucket of goo, Jack comes to his senses and rushes the stage.

Jack: “We all know that Liz Lemon has her faults. But no one is perfect. I mean, I’m certainly not perfect. No, no, no. It’s true. I’ve made mistakes.. sacrificed happiness for a job I don’t think I’m ever going to get. We all have ways of coping. I use sex and awesomeness. Lemon here hides behind her insults, but that’s not who she is. She is a good person, whom I’m honored to call my friend.”

The crowd applauds Jack but the truth that he’s not Braverman finally comes out, when he’s introduced to his son.

Now, with the high school classmates turning on both them, Liz and Jack flee from the stage as the goo just misses them. Liz has some parting words:

Liz: “You know what, suck it, you whittling IHOP monkeys! Lemon, out!”

And with that we conclude this week’s encore episode of “Reunion.” Next week is a brand new show with guest star Jon Hamm!

30RockOnline.com, out!

This article was posted on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 12:53 pm by Sakura and is filed under the category Episodes, Quotes. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed.