30 Rock: “Flu Shot” (recap)

Tom Rose
Fancast.com

Last night on 30 Rock it was time for 3 annual rituals: exotic vacations for The Girlie Show cast, the annual screwing of the TGS stage crew (they get to work overtime during vacation season, tearing down sets and looking for runaway family members) and… flu shots in the Green Room.

Sounds simple enough. Let’s see how it all goes to hell.

Liz (Tina Fey) is overly excited with anticipation for her exotic beach vacation to St. Bartleby’s (her one yearly indulgence) but there’s a hitch. Cerie forgets to hit the send button on the text message that alerts her to the cancellation. The Dame Judy Dench swimsuit has to go back in the closet. The news fills Liz with a new resolve to spend the time in an altruistic manner. Who benefits? The stage hands, those mules who slave away and really make TGS the success it is - behind the scenes.

When Liz learns from Jack (Alec Baldwin) that there’s only enough flu vaccine for the Top 5 elite, she uses that to become a hero to the crew. Suddenly she’s filled with ’60s hippie spirit and “shooping” backstage. And, of course, her excitement spills over to Tracy (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna (Jane Krakowski) who resolve to do their part. It’s off to the soup store!

Meanwhile, Jack (who takes the shot from Dr. Spaceman - a hilarious Chris Parnell - has a resolution to keep. His love life has suffered because of his relentless pursuit of the CEO job but this time it will be different. He decides he’ll do whatever it takes to woo his new lover Elisa (Salma Hayek) and the first step is figuring out whether or not he can call her “Puerto Rican” and get away with it.

He convinces her to see him while she’s attending to an elderly patient at her 2nd job. When he gets a look at the old guy, he has second thoughts. “That reminds me, I owe Lou Dobbs a call.” Lou Dobbs, Lou Dobbs, Lou Dobbs…. wait a minute… that was “Weeds“. Elisa is feeling left behind as well, since she’s the sole support for her extended family. So Jack takes her, and the old man, along for a swanky night out on the town. Romantically, it’s a wild success. Professionally, it’s a disaster.

When Cerie gets the call that Liz’s vacation is back on track (”I’m so happy for the number 4, the letter U!”) because the flu vaccine shortage has caused a flurry of cancellations, Liz decides to take that last flu shot and spends the rest of the day trying to cover up the tell-tale rash it leaves behind. Of course she fails miserably and the crew catches wind, making them all go back to hating her. Balance is restored.

All in all, it was an off episode. The writing was not as crisp as usual (Tina has got to stop jetting off to receive all those awards and get back to the typewriter) and there was a feel of “let’s knock this one off before the holiday break.”

That can only mean that soon enough everybody comes back from vacation.

I hope they all had their flu shots.

Here are the more memorable lines:

“I believe doctor patient confidentially is a two way street. I’m cheating on my wife.”
— Dr. Spaceman to Liz

“Hey, it’s me, Matlock. I need your help!”
— Jack to Elisa’s patient

“A Parcell man never lays down on the job. Unless that job is milking pig teats.”
— Kenneth, when told to go home and nurse his raging flu symptoms

What do you think? Is 30 Rock slipping? Let us know with a comment below.

We’ll be watching on Fancast.