Selma Hayek as Jack’s love interest Elisa has been a welcome addition to 30 Rock over the last few weeks, but it couldn’t last forever. After Elisa demands to know where the relationship with Jack is going, he abandons his duties at the office to take her on a lover’s vacation.

Liz leaves her cellphone in a cab and after remembering that she had an “adult” picture on it, she’s forced to head to Queens to get it. Scared of a journey out of the confines of Manhattan, Liz convinces Bobby Jindal er, Kenneth to travel with her.

Tracey is on Larry King this week. Larry as a guest star was a surprisingly funny addition. Tracey is supposed to be promoting the show but after a breaking news story about a crashing Asian stock market, his insane speculation on civilization’s demise causes panic in the streets. Tracey cracks out some of his best one liners in his exchanges with King. In has rants he lets slip that he personally hides his money everywhere including his work. The writers watching Larry King ransack Tracey’s office in an attempt to find the cash. Tracey even gives them a cryptic riddle as a clue for the cash’s location.

Tracey’s predictions of doom are so effective that Jack’s underlings interrupt his romantic vacation. Elisa demands that Jack kick them out but he’s persuaded by the sheer amount of money that could be lost. Elisa looks like she sure to leave him permanently.

By the time Kenneth and Liz reach the cab driver, they’ve been spray painted, separated by an argument and Liz has had her purse snatched. The cabbie demands Liz pay two grand or he’ll send her private picture to everyone in her address book. She’s broke but kenneth steps in to save the day. Tracey has been hiding his cash in Kenneth’s page coat fulfilling his inane riddle. Liz escapes with her dignity and her cellphone.

After being stood up by Jack for work, Elisa stomps out. Leaving him alone with his cronies. Moment’s later the missing head of the company, Don Geiss sends Jack a video of his instructions. Geiss, also gripped with panic delivers a message of love and togetherness. Jack leaps to his feet and chases after Elisa. After finding her on the street, Jack admits his love and proposes marriage. She accepts and for a moment there is a happy ending. The next day however, Elisa leaves Jack a tape of her own. She is returning to Puerto Rico until next fall and she will “call him”. Its a sad brush off for Jack, and a sad departure for Hayek. Her onscreen presence will be missed.

30 Rock serves up a valentine’s day episode this week. In tow are previous guest stars Selma Hayek and John Hamm as Jack and Liz’s love interests. Even Kenneth the page gets in on the romance by meeting a beautiful blind girl. He’s so frightened to talk to her that Tracey steps in Cyrano-style to help him.

Have gotten another chance from her dream man, Liz is determined to have things go well. Ever the pitiful figure, things go horribly wrong. Liz exposes herself in more ways than one and Dr. Baird is confronted with the stark image of Liz on the toilet. After Dr. Baird is suddenly saddled with his daughter, the two vow to see the date through to the end in an effort to expose their negatives to each other in a huge bitter gulp. By the end,   the two seem to be happy. I hope desperately that this works out. Hamm is a great addition and Liz could sure use a man.

Not so for Kenneth. Kenneth spots a beautiful red haired blind woman working on the set. Ken just isn’t able to muster the courage to talk to her. Tracey leaps in talking in a crazy faux country accent in an attempt to woo her for Kenneth. Despite getting assistance from Tracey, Jenna and the crew Kenneth falls short when the blind girl feels his face to get an idea of his looks. Nice, a blind girl hung up on looks.

Jack and Elisa are going to church for Valentine’s day and then off to eat the most decadent dessert in the city.  Clearly out of his depth in church, Jack’s behavior in the confessional is so cynical and cold-hearted that the priest runs away in terror. Elisa is left mortified and shaken. I was certain this would be the end of Jack’s seemingly magical relationship with the insanely hot Elisa. In the end however a McFlurry coupon (thanks McDonalds) in the offering plate drives her back into Jack’s arms.

It makes sense now to talk about the changing relationship between advertising sponsors and 30 Rock. Fans will remember the Snapple jokes from earlier seasons. Essentially, companies are buying ad time inside the program. This has been going on with movies for some time, with mixed results. 30 Rock has handled these well simply by owning up to it and turning it into a joke. It works for them. It won’t work this well for most however and consumers of network TV are going to be bombarded with more cheap reality shows and McFlurry ads in the context of the programs. I can only imagine how poorly these will go over with mediocre TV writers.

After back to back episodes featuring Selma Hayek, I was looking forward to the inevitable romantic flame out between her character and Jack. Oddly, this week’s episode didn’t mention her at all and seemed to be out of sequence. The episode was a one-off that though very funny, seemed to be conspicuous in its lack of continuity. But in this kind of hyper-real comedy, does it really matter?

Jack invites Liz along to a corporate retreat worried that he’ll need back up after his fall and return to prominence at NBC. With some hesitation Liz agrees, but as soon as the pair make it to the camp Liz and Jack’s odd relationship makes the other executives question Jack’s competence. Liz, ever the neurotic re-imagines her days of being the nerdy outsider at camp. In a fantastically funny apex, Jack begins to psyche himself up in the bathroom with a pep talk. He has forgotten that he is wear a mike for his speech and all of his “camp buddies” begin to make fun of him. Leaping into action, Liz jumps on stage and begins to make an even bigger ass of herself in order to draw attention away from Jack. Doing poor impressions and singing songs in her bra on stage is both hilarious and truly endearing. Its a sweet gesture, and one that hints at a future relationship between the two. Thankfully, that is years away

Jenna continues to study for her disastrous Janis Joplin biopic with faked Wikipedia entries Frank made as a practical joke. When she finds out, the two argue and fall into an uncomfortably passionate love making session. The next day, it becomes clear that the troll like FRank is actually embarrassed by their affair and Jenna becomes offended. Turns out Frank is quite the Romeo and all the women in the crew begin to fight over him. I have to say, I have a hard time seeing the appeal of Frank on the show at all. Judah Friedlander and his lame-ass hats just don’t appeal to me.

Later, Dr Spaceman diagnosis Tracey with diabetes, but in keeping with his oblivious personality Tracy decides to do nothing about it. This triggers Kenneth’s maternal instinct and he repeatedly tries to get Tracey to eat vegetables with tales of country witches. Considering I’m from the same area of Georgia as Kenneth claims to be, I find his amazing optimism and good hearted nature even funnier.

As always, a decent episode of 30 Rock is a thousand times better than the best episode of Two and a Half Men so its hard to complain about it. Though there weren’t any titillating shots of Mrs Hayek this week, there was a fine consolation prize of seeing Tina Fey in a bra.

30 Rock once again features guest-star Selma Hayek as Jack’s love interest and Peurto Rican (that does not sound right) nurse Elisa. She’s again playing the lower middle class caregiver to the hilt. The newly minted couple are unable to spend time together due to the demands of her nursing schedule. Jack happens upon the idea of bringing her client, the senile Mr. Templeton, along for their nights out wining and dining in New York city. The montage with Mr. Templeton in his wheelchair while the two lovers kiss, see broadway shows and dance is given added gravitas by the addition of an original Michael Bube tune written about Mr. Templeton. Its these kinds of touches that help take 30 Rock form being just very funny to spectacular.

Back in the studio as Liz is about to embark on her only vacation of the year, the crew is gripped by the flu. Fearing the derailment of her single moment of annual relaxation she turns to the studio’s Dr Spaceman (played by a personal favorite Chris Parnell). After being told that there are only enough flu shots for the elite members of the cast, Liz refuses her shot out of solidarity to the crew. Eventually her desire for fruity drinks and Caribbean beaches wins out. She breaks down and gets the shot. Her duplicity is uncovered further pushing down her popularity with the crew.

As for the cast, Tracy and Jenna, having been saved by their flu shots, try to do something nice for the crew. Their shallow natures however end up not only making them look like jerks but also making the crew feel even worse. Once Again Tracy and Jenna are as lovable and vapid as usual with the usual comic results.

30 Rock is on a roll. Hayek is great mostly because she’s not being asked to do too much. She’s stunningly beautiful and down to earth. She’s perfect for beguiling Jack and bringing humanity into his crass shallow rich world. It won’t be long before she’s gone however. So enjoy it while it lasts, because she’s bound to break his heart once again cementing his world view.

NBC is firmly behind “The Office”, “30 Rock”, and “The Biggest Loser”. All three shows have been renewed for next season, and the network is continuing to shake things up with its programming schedule.

The untitled Amy Poehler comedy from producer Greg Daniels will be premiering April 9th, even though there is no pilot, and no title for the series at this time.

NBC is experimenting with its line-up heavily, adding Jay Leno every week night, and still committing to producing the same number of scripted dramas.

If this works as they seem to have it planned – it could be a huge boost for the network. By having Leno on every night – it lessens the programming slots to fill. What does this mean? Well, it means that they can produce the same number of scripted dramas – and run new shows all year long, instead of having to rely on repeats.

This could ultimately end up being a good thing for viewers. Only time will tell.

A Blafair to Remeblack

As the second act of the season begins for 30 Rock, the show is riding high. Tina Fey was on everyone’s “best of 2008” list and guest stars are lining up to cameo on 30 Rock. This week’s guest star is Selma Hayek (and her ladies) as Jack’s mother’s new nurse. Guest stars are often hit or miss but I’m happy to report this week is a pleasent surprise.

Liz’s biological clock is on a nuclear sub-like countdown so while pinching kid cheeks on the street, she accidentally mistakes a little person for a child. Her awkwardness knowing no bounds, she plays off the mistake as an awkward pick up attempt and ends up on a date with him. Despite his stature, Liz finds him appealing and wants to continue the relationship. Not surprisingly, Liz embarrasses herself and offends her date, but she tries to make up for it with a Sex in the City moment which delivers an even more awkward ending.

While dealing with both Tracy and his wife’s inability to contain their sexual relationship and Jenna’s insane desire to play Janis Joplin in a biopic, Jack becomes smitten with the beautiful latina nurse (played by Hayek) attending his mother. After finding a lump, Jack is concerned that he may have testicular cancer and his nurse tries to be of some support. Because of her kindness and her joyous family celebration in the park, Jack falls in love and the two share a kiss. Unlike Jennifer Aniston’s cameo, Hayeks was an absolute home run. Rather than turning her into a caricature of herself (as with Anniston and her crazy girlfriend bit) the staff of 30 Rock decided to make her a tough no nonsense working nurse. It works and I am delighted to report that Miss Hayek and her assets will be returning next week.

2008 has been a good year for Tina Fey.

Due largely to the Sarah Palin impressions on SNL which put her in a brighter spotlight than ever before, Tina has reached out to a whole new audience with her comedy.

Tina Fey is no stranger to us, though. We’ve seen her in two feature films, on “30 Rock”, and as one of the lynch pins of “SNL” as both a writer and performer.

Now, the Associated Press has named her “Entertainer of the Year”. (I would quote them – but you know how they feel about that. No sense in getting the blog sued, or deep-linking to one of their own articles, which would help it not only in search results, but also in general traffic. Instead, we’ll just mention them that once, and be done with it).

That’s a pretty high honor in a year when Heath Ledger gave an awe-inspiring performance in “The Dark Knight”, and Robert Downey Jr. redefined what a super hero can be.

Now – if people would just start watching “30 Rock” – everything would be great.

(S02E11) “Chuck vs. the Santa Claus”

In a random “only on Chuck” moment, the Buy More finds itself home to a high speed chase crash with Ned the supposed “good guy” robber holding everyone timidly hostage while looking to Chuck for advice. Besides friends and his government protection in danger, sister Ellie and future brother-in-law Captain Awesome are also at the Buy More previous to it’s opening to the general public, hoping, as so many of us do, to find a few good deals and last minute gifts the day before Christmas.

As our story unfolds we learn that Ned isn’t as hopeless as he once appeared and is instead a fulcrum agent working with the crime scene “negotiator” to determine A) where Bryce is located at and B) where the intersect is. With Sarah and Casey going out of their way and even losing an appendage in the process of keeping Chuck safe it’s not hard to see who they’ve been protecting. Unknowing that their covers been blown they leave Chuck in the Buy More with the bad guys when offered out as a hostage swap.

Knowing exactly what matters most to Chuck the fulcrum agents are easily able to determine exactly how valuable he is and why when they give him the option of either sharing what he knows or watching his sister die.

All’s well that ends well though and in Chuck we’re guaranteed that things always end well where good and evil are concerned. Therefore it should come as no surprise that Sarah, Casey and Chuck are able to first escape then take down the bad guys (with a little help from the Buy More crew) and end with their lives, if not relationships, in tact for Christmas.

I do so love a happy ending.

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.

Cat Anus

Week in and week out 30 Rock is one of the funniest shows on television. This month Tina Fey is on the cover of Vanity Fair and her impression of Sarah Palin was the talk of the political world. All eyes should be on 30 Rock right now. That is generally when good shows become disappointing and middling. Fey is too good a writer to let her baby fall apart and this week’s episode proves it.

This episode has Liz returning to her high school reunion. Its an old sitcom trick. To make it fresh Liz the lonely nerd discovers that her classmates always thought of her as a bully. After Don Geiss wakes up from his coma, Jack thinks he’s about to become the new CEO but finds that Geiss is holding on to power with his cold nearly dead hand.

Tracy is jealous that Kenneth is getting more laughs on the elevator than him. Stupidly threatened, Tracy brings Jenna into it and the two of their egos become obsessed. Their undeserved egos are so swollen that they make Kenneth cry with guilt. Its a great take on celebrity.

Out of depression, Jack comes with Liz to her reunion posing as a classmate and mingles with more success than Liz. Her former classmates attempt to pull a “Carrie” moment on her for revenge, Jack steps in and gives a speech that is so over the top that it just has to end in disaster.

Its another great one from Fey and company. Its impressive how over the last 4 years she’s gone from being “the girl on weekend update” to a sitcom star and cover girl. Its well deserved and welcome.