38 Comments

Well, that was the weakest episode of the season, and I place the blame squarely on Salma Hayek’s lovely but miscast shoulders (She even seems to throw Alec Baldwin off his game! Probably because he can’t understand a word she says, either. She’s on TV. She can afford a coach.) In a plot that seemed like one too many writer’s strike satires, Liz Lemon misses her vacation in “Saint Bartleby’s” because she refuses to be elitist and get a flu shot when there aren’t enough shots for members of the crew (though she eventually gives in.) But there were a few funny parts, including the triumphant return of Dr. Specimen SPACEMAN, and Tracy Jordan’s shopping “montage.” Both are after the jump.

Chris Parnell is back as Dr. Specimen SPACEMAN, Jesus, and the jokes in this scene are hilariously vaudevillian or something:

The shopping montage that wasn’t:

(I love how “Sharp Dressed Man” is just short enough that the show doesn’t have to pay a license fee.) Next week: hopefully Jack will break up with Salma’s character and we can go back to the show’s usual pileup of jokes that need no laugh track.

Related Posts:

Liveblogging This Poster For Benjamin Button
The Sundance Film Festival Has Nuked The Wig (Sorry), Or Whatever
Comments (38)
  1. Not to be jerk, but isn’t it Dr. Spacemen?

  2. DR. SPACEMAN! DR. SPACEMAN!

  3. spallcheque  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2009

    Not to be jerk, but isn’t it SALMA Hayek.

    also -NEIL Patrick Harris for the SNL post.

  4. Liz: “That wasn’t truth serum.”
    Tracy: “Then why am I telling you you look like Tootsie today?”

    Jenna: “Tracy, I’ve got it!”
    Tracy: “Give it to me! It’s mine!”

    Tracy: “I had a brianstorm, but it was a bad one. Jenna had to put my mouthguard in.”

    God, Tracy is awesome.

  5. Maybe I am just a big ol’ racist but I loved the running “Puerto Rican” joke.

  6. Wasn’t that “I’m a doctor, pull your pants down while I administer a procedure that has nothing to do with the lower half of your body” gag in Scrubs about 5 years ago?

  7. There are a couple of things I like about Salma Hayek’s ( . )( . ) character; her jokes, however, fall flat.

  8. Yes, but maybe they were taking a STAB at Scrubs for not being on NBC anymore. [groan] Kill me.

  9. And The Office already did the thing about white people thinking that calling someone by their nationality is racist (Michael calls Oscar Mexican). Come on, sitcom writers, isn’t watching other sitcoms, like, your job?

    • Eliza  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2009

      Yeah the “Puerto Rican isn’t an offensive word?” thing wasn’t funny. It WAS funny on The Office, though. Because “Mexican” actually does have a stigma attached, while I don’t think Puerto Rican does as much.

  10. Sorry, but the worst 30 Rock of the season was the Christmas episode.

  11. I thought this episode was pretty damn funny. I too want more Josh, Lutz, Frank and especially Pete (who was amazing in his one scene,) but it’s the show’s over reliance on guest stars in general, not Hayek in particular, that bugs me.

    But as I said, the episode was still really funny, and I’m 90% sure that you are a racist.

  12. owencafe  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2009

    the dunkin donuts scene was pretty funny

  13. That Tracy-Jenna-Liz scene was perfection. Jenna just keeps growing and growing on me through the seasons.

  14. Gibran  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2009

    Maybe the episode was blah overall, but Liz Lemon’s flu shot dance? Awesome.

  15. blurp  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2009

    no love for the You and Me and Mr Templeton song? seriously?

  16. Michael Buble! Jack loves him.

  17. If you cut out all of the scenes in the episode involving Salma, or simply imagine a capable Latina actress delivering her lines, you’ll get a much better episode. I mean, zombies, Dr. Spaceman, Tracy (he’s just always awesome).

    Jack needs to dump her or I may have to dump 30 Rock… as much as it pains me to say that (the only people who may change my mind about that are Tracy and Kenneth).

    Why oh why did she get the recurring role instead of Peter DInklage? He’s foxy AND he can act. I mean, they should put more focus on the ensemble thing they had going in earlier seasons, but if they must have guest stars they should be able to act their way out of a paper bag, for fuck’s sake.

    Also, blurp… I loved the song. It made me giggle.

  18. maggie  |   Posted on Jan 17th, 2009

    I think I heard her on Conan saying she filmed 6 episodes – so brace yourself for more Salma….

  19. Salma Hayek gives everyone Ox Fever.

  20. flaknitter01  |   Posted on Jan 18th, 2009

    Salma Hayek. Ugh. Flat as a pancake. Just when she’s about to hit the pavement, they dress her in cleavage gear and bring out the twins. They can only pull that trick so many times. She should stick with Ugly Betty. Bring back Edie Falco as Jack’s love interest. Peter Dinklage will be a mighty fine diversion until they get Liz back together with Floyd/Jason Sudeikis.

  21. I miss Ceci and Floyd too (I am a nerd and will refer to them by character names, as if they were my personal friends)!

  22. John  |   Posted on Jan 19th, 2009

    Even the worst episode of 30 Rock is better than 90% of the other crap on t.v.. I also really like Salma Hayeks character. The episode last week was fantastic. I think you guys complain too much.

  23. John  |   Posted on Jan 19th, 2009

    Even the worst episode of 30 Rock is better than 90% of the other crap on t.v.. I also really like Salma Hayeks character. The episode last week was fantastic. I think you guys complain too much.

  24. Eric  |   Posted on Jan 20th, 2009

    This was bad? The line “ZOMBIE LUTZ” was the best line uttered in recent history.

  25. Yeah I’m still not seeing where Salma goes wrong. I feel like she lifted last week’s episode and she basically blended into the cast this week. I have no trouble understanding her accent, possibly because I took spanish in high school or maybe because I spent 5 years working in restaurants… I am SO worldly!

    • ms. jones  |   Posted on Jan 21st, 2009

      I can understand her too, and I’m from the Canadian west coast, where there are few Spanish-accented people! But I guess some people just aren’t very good at dealing with accents?

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post, reply to, or rate a comment.