The show opened with Liz shouting, “Where are Tracy and Jenna?”  I found myself expressing the same sentiment throughout the entire episode.  Tracy and Jenna showed up at the beginning, dressed in a smock and a girl scout outfit, proclaimed, “Hey LL Sorry we haven’t had time to get into our costumes yet” and then fell into the background.

This was really a Liz and Jack episode, which is less exciting when they hardly interact with one another.  The show has overplayed Liz’ ridiculous desire to be liked by her staff.  Initially, it was an interesting plot line, constructed quite differently than Michael Scott’s incredible need to fit in with his staff on The Office.  Liz’ perspective came from her being the only normal member of her staff, among horny, immature male writers and the needy and self-obsessed Jenna and Tracy.  Yet this time, who was she impressing?  The handlers on set who we’ve never seen before?  Arriflex…er, Chris has quite the nerve “booing” Liz when she wins their lottery – nice of her to fund it in the first place! – and is enraged that she doesn’t accommodate her dry colleagues, and the lactose-intolerant dry ones to boot.  What has this world come to?

Jack, in a more realistic story line, laments over the end of his era with GE.  He was an innovative executive there, having developed the trivection oven.  When Jack noticed that the microwave division had its greatest profit margin after he left, Liz points out that he put the people there in the first place.  However, when he visits the plant where the microwaves are made, the engineering nerds don’t even recognize him, confusing him with the deliveryman (who looks an awfully lot like Alec Baldwin).

In a related plot, Kenneth temporarily dies from hypothermia.

Notes & Highlights

• Tracy thinks that when people boo, they are imitating ghosts
  • “Your boos are not scaring me!”
• Toofer’s pronunciation of “charade” and “schedule”
  • Also, Liz hates him.  Ivy-envy
• Jack’s company profile photo is a glamour shot of Alec Baldwin, circa early 1990s
• New Instant Catchphrase: “High fiving a million angels” (after Liz utters, “Why the trip down Memory Lame?”)
• Jack to Liz: “Don’t worry about getting to your point, I’m going to live forever”
• Liz’s college highlight: “A blonde girl high-fived me”
• The thoughtful window staring spot
• Jenna screaming about Liz, “She sucks!”
• Liz’s prophetic moment: “What about 3 years ago when I said there should be more TV shows about cake?”
• Lemon’s first fist bump: “Say hey Wily Mays!”
• Tracy and Jenna holding mirrors to each other
• Tracy again said, “too small” about Liz’s body, after Jenna professes an interest
• Jenna pronounces “charade” like Toofer
• Liz’s nicknames: Lizzard, Blizzard, Blizbian
• Tracy taking his glasses off.  Jenna, excited: “Augbert!”
• Maybe Jenna studied with Gob, from Arrested Development at The Royal Tampa Academy of Dramatic Tricks
• This dialogue with the engineer and Jack
  • Jack: “My God!”
    • Engineer: “Which one?”
  • Jack: “You’re going to wish you’ve never been born”
    • “Which time?”
• Kenneth has become tiresome: “You know my uncle was a tinkerer, until the FBI shot him.” I think they should have kept him on his own in the real world longer.  The writers dropped that story line too soon.
• Jack: “Kenneth I’ve told you this before.  Your nana is an idiot.”
• Jack: “You know I’m not a delivery man.  I’m wearing a suit.”
• Chris’ awesome nickname is “Crisco”
• Liz, about a dog: “I will put it down with a smile”
• Liz to Jack and Pete, in Jack’s office: “Oh, I didn’t think anyone would be here. I mean, I brought you guys a pizza!”
• Liz: “Want to see me shotgun this?”  
  • Jack: “Oh no, she means the pizza”
  • Pete: “She’s unhinging her jaw!”