Cranky Sue

Its Christmas at NBC and Liz is spending her first holiday away from her unusually close-knit family. To compensate the saddened Liz throws herself into a Christmas charity. In classic sad-sack fashion its a scam.

Jack, intending to take a holiday trip to Rio, smacks his mom with his car and she spends Christmas with him. Jack’s hard assed mom loves Liz and she offers to take some pressure Jack. I love Jack’s mom. She’s a beast and the only person Jack truly fears. Its a great back and forth. To keep away from his mother, Jack forces the staff of the show to put on a live Christmas eve special. Jack’s mother confronts him and for the first time in his life he stands up for himself recounting all the hilariously bad Christmas memories.

After being burned by the scam charity Liz returns to the scene of the crime. After finding that her gifts really did go to poor kids she reveals herself as their benefactor, thus telling the kids that Santa isn’t real. Liz seems like a kinder gently Larry David this time around.

Every network TV Christmas show must have a moment of sappiness and 30 Rock delivers awkwardly. Jack and his mother reconcile in a blubbery Bing Crosby at the piano moment.. 30 Rock isn’t known for its emotional deftness so the closing moment is misplaced. Next week, will probably feature some unbridled cynicism to make up for it.