100 (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"100" is a double-episode of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
, covering the 20th and 21st episodes of the fifth season
, and the 100th and 101st episodes overall of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt and the show's executive producers Robert Carlock
and Tina Fey
, who is also the series' creator, head writer, and star. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on April 21, 2011. Commemorating the 100th episode
of the series, this episode was one hour long and included a multitude of guest stars including Michael Keaton
, Tom Hanks
, Rachel Dratch
, Will Forte
, Brian Williams
, among others.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) faces news of cancellation for TGS from Hank Hooper after the departure of Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) brought in terrible ratings. Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) promises Hank the return of Tracy and asks for one more chance for TGS to prove itself with its 100th episode. Meanwhile, a gas leak in the building leads to hallucinations among the characters, such as Jack's imaginings of alternate versions of himself visitng him. In another plot, Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) considers becoming a mother after a joke Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) made five years ago.
"100" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. According to Nielsen Media Research
, it was watched by a total of 4.60 million viewers - with 4.80 million watching the first half-hour and 4.44 million watching the last half hour.
(Alec Baldwin
) calls Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) up to his office and informs her that Hank Hooper (Ken Howard
), CEO of the fictional NBC parent Kabletown, wants to meet them. It turns out that Hooper was already in the room, sitting in Jack's chair, and he goes on to tell Liz that without Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
), he has decided to cancel TGS. Jack tells Hank that Tracy is back and that he should give TGS one more episode, their hundredth
, and then reconsider. Hank approves of this decision and leaves. Jack asks Liz if Tracy really is back and Liz confirms this and says that she has prepared to help Tracy ruin his goodwill so that no one will take him seriously anymore. Jack then goes on to say that he is tired of covering for Liz before she leaves.
Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) is reminiscing with Danny Baker (Cheyenne Jackson
) about their time on the show for the past five years, completely forgetting former cast member Josh Girard and not realizing that Danny had just come in the previous year (in "Audition Day
"). The idea of her becoming a mother comes up, which she initially dismisses. However, when Kenneth (Jack McBrayer
) suggests she would make a great mother, she reconsiders, and begins plotting to have a baby to augment her career.
It is Tom the janitor's (Michael Keaton
) last day at work when he discovers a gas leak that is seeping into the ventilation system of the sixth floor which causes strange behavior among the personnel. Liz hallucinates seeing the Blue Man
(Rachel Dratch
) and talks to it about how her life was better off before. Meanwhile, Tom and TGS producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
) tell Jack that the TGS personnel will be evacuated. The entire floor is evacuated, and the crew is forced to temporarily work on their episode outside, delaying production of the episode.
While repairing the gas leak, Tom inadvertently breaks the ventilation system of the 52nd floor causing Jack to hallucinate that he is visited by several versions of himself, first by an alternate reality
version of himself - who fired Liz, and claims that she was holding him back, and made his way to the top of the GE
management structure. Jack heads out of the building, where he approaches Liz and severs their relationship. Liz is then approached by her ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters
), whom she had called while under the influence of the gas in an attempt to rekindle their relationship an hour earlier. Liz rejects Dennis, who realizes that she will accept him if she is affected by the gas leak, and undoes the repairs to the ventilation system.
Meanwhile, Tracy is attempting to sabotage the respect he has earned, but his attempts fail, as not only do the hosts of the talk shows he appears on interpret his crude behavior as artistic expression, but he also manages to save a man from drowning, and his attempts to cover up the rescue make him appear selfless and heroic. He discusses the problem with Jenna, and the two realize his only choice to ruin his public image is to commit a murder. Tracy convinces Kenneth to let him shoot Kenneth on the roof of the building.
With the gas spreading in the ventilation, Jack is then visited by a past version of himself (from the 80's), who encourages him to take the advice of their alternate-reality self (who is also present). When they arrive at the elevator Jack meets a third version of himself, from the future, who claims that he needs Liz to distract him from his blind ambition as much as Liz needs him, and he will be much happier in the future if he doesn't fire her. He warns Jack that Liz is about to sign a lease with Dennis, which will lead to them getting married and living in Jacksonville, Florida
.
Jack finds Liz on the TGS set and prevents her from signing the lease. Tom reports the sabotaged gas line and Dennis is caught and escorted from the set. Liz then tells Jack that she saw Kenneth and Tracy heading for the roof with a gun. Jenna joins them, and the group runs into Hank Hooper on the way, who pitches Jenna a daytime talk show
. When she ditches her plans for motherhood in favor of the offer, her hysterical pregnancy suddenly vanishes. They reach the roof just in time to prevent Tracy from shooting Kenneth. Jack advises Tracy that the best way to lose respect as an actor is to return to television, giving a speech alluding to events from Baldwin's own career. Jack takes the gun from Tracy before they leave. On the way out, they run into Tom, who tells them the elevators are out. As they head down the stairs, a gunshot is heard, and Tom realizes he has been shot, dying before he can finish his last day of work.
Jack, Liz, Tracy, Jenna, and Kenneth make it back to the TGS set, where Liz discovers that the entire show was written under the influence of the gas and is essentially worthless. Liz again breaks the gas line, and with Hooper and the entire studio audience affected by the gas, the show is a hit, and Hooper renews it for "a billion more episodes". Liz and Jack apologize to each other and toast to imaginary champagne. Tom Hanks
, at seeing Tracy back on TV while watching the episode at home, calls George Clooney
(who does not appear in the episode) on a red phone and tells George to have Tracy removed from the "official A-list".
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, covering the 20th and 21st episodes of the fifth season
30 Rock (season 5)
The fifth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series on the NBC network in the United States, began airing on September 23, 2010. NBC announced on March 5, 2010 that 30 Rock would be returning for a fifth season in the 2010–2011 television season...
, and the 100th and 101st episodes overall of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt and the show's executive producers Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
and Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
, who is also the series' creator, head writer, and star. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(NBC) network in the United States on April 21, 2011. Commemorating the 100th episode
100 episodes
In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold at which point a television series becomes viable for syndication. 100 episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because such shows can be sold for higher per-episode pricing; it also allows for 20 weeks of...
of the series, this episode was one hour long and included a multitude of guest stars including Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch
Rachel Susan Dratch is an American comic actress best known for her roles as a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
, Will Forte
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV, better known as Will Forte , is an American actor, voice actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2002–2010 and for starring in the SNL spin-off film MacGruber.-Early life:Forte was born in Alameda County, California, the son of...
, Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
, among others.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) faces news of cancellation for TGS from Hank Hooper after the departure of Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) brought in terrible ratings. Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) promises Hank the return of Tracy and asks for one more chance for TGS to prove itself with its 100th episode. Meanwhile, a gas leak in the building leads to hallucinations among the characters, such as Jack's imaginings of alternate versions of himself visitng him. In another plot, Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) considers becoming a mother after a joke Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
(Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) made five years ago.
"100" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, it was watched by a total of 4.60 million viewers - with 4.80 million watching the first half-hour and 4.44 million watching the last half hour.
Plot
Jack DonaghyJack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) calls Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) up to his office and informs her that Hank Hooper (Ken Howard
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow...
), CEO of the fictional NBC parent Kabletown, wants to meet them. It turns out that Hooper was already in the room, sitting in Jack's chair, and he goes on to tell Liz that without Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
), he has decided to cancel TGS. Jack tells Hank that Tracy is back and that he should give TGS one more episode, their hundredth
100 episodes
In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold at which point a television series becomes viable for syndication. 100 episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because such shows can be sold for higher per-episode pricing; it also allows for 20 weeks of...
, and then reconsider. Hank approves of this decision and leaves. Jack asks Liz if Tracy really is back and Liz confirms this and says that she has prepared to help Tracy ruin his goodwill so that no one will take him seriously anymore. Jack then goes on to say that he is tired of covering for Liz before she leaves.
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) is reminiscing with Danny Baker (Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
) about their time on the show for the past five years, completely forgetting former cast member Josh Girard and not realizing that Danny had just come in the previous year (in "Audition Day
Audition Day
"Audition Day" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 62nd overall episode of the series. The episode was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
"). The idea of her becoming a mother comes up, which she initially dismisses. However, when Kenneth (Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) suggests she would make a great mother, she reconsiders, and begins plotting to have a baby to augment her career.
It is Tom the janitor's (Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
) last day at work when he discovers a gas leak that is seeping into the ventilation system of the sixth floor which causes strange behavior among the personnel. Liz hallucinates seeing the Blue Man
Tracy Does Conan
"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006 in the United States and November...
(Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch
Rachel Susan Dratch is an American comic actress best known for her roles as a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
) and talks to it about how her life was better off before. Meanwhile, Tom and TGS producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...
) tell Jack that the TGS personnel will be evacuated. The entire floor is evacuated, and the crew is forced to temporarily work on their episode outside, delaying production of the episode.
While repairing the gas leak, Tom inadvertently breaks the ventilation system of the 52nd floor causing Jack to hallucinate that he is visited by several versions of himself, first by an alternate reality
Alternate reality
Alternate reality is usually a synonym for a Parallel universe.It may also refer to:*Alternative universe , fiction by fan authors that deliberately alters facts of the canonical universe they're writing about....
version of himself - who fired Liz, and claims that she was holding him back, and made his way to the top of the GE
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
management structure. Jack heads out of the building, where he approaches Liz and severs their relationship. Liz is then approached by her ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters
Dean Winters
Dean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily on HBO's Oz, Johnny Gavin on FX Network's Rescue Me, and Dennis Duffy on NBC's 30 Rock...
), whom she had called while under the influence of the gas in an attempt to rekindle their relationship an hour earlier. Liz rejects Dennis, who realizes that she will accept him if she is affected by the gas leak, and undoes the repairs to the ventilation system.
Meanwhile, Tracy is attempting to sabotage the respect he has earned, but his attempts fail, as not only do the hosts of the talk shows he appears on interpret his crude behavior as artistic expression, but he also manages to save a man from drowning, and his attempts to cover up the rescue make him appear selfless and heroic. He discusses the problem with Jenna, and the two realize his only choice to ruin his public image is to commit a murder. Tracy convinces Kenneth to let him shoot Kenneth on the roof of the building.
With the gas spreading in the ventilation, Jack is then visited by a past version of himself (from the 80's), who encourages him to take the advice of their alternate-reality self (who is also present). When they arrive at the elevator Jack meets a third version of himself, from the future, who claims that he needs Liz to distract him from his blind ambition as much as Liz needs him, and he will be much happier in the future if he doesn't fire her. He warns Jack that Liz is about to sign a lease with Dennis, which will lead to them getting married and living in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Jack finds Liz on the TGS set and prevents her from signing the lease. Tom reports the sabotaged gas line and Dennis is caught and escorted from the set. Liz then tells Jack that she saw Kenneth and Tracy heading for the roof with a gun. Jenna joins them, and the group runs into Hank Hooper on the way, who pitches Jenna a daytime talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
. When she ditches her plans for motherhood in favor of the offer, her hysterical pregnancy suddenly vanishes. They reach the roof just in time to prevent Tracy from shooting Kenneth. Jack advises Tracy that the best way to lose respect as an actor is to return to television, giving a speech alluding to events from Baldwin's own career. Jack takes the gun from Tracy before they leave. On the way out, they run into Tom, who tells them the elevators are out. As they head down the stairs, a gunshot is heard, and Tom realizes he has been shot, dying before he can finish his last day of work.
Jack, Liz, Tracy, Jenna, and Kenneth make it back to the TGS set, where Liz discovers that the entire show was written under the influence of the gas and is essentially worthless. Liz again breaks the gas line, and with Hooper and the entire studio audience affected by the gas, the show is a hit, and Hooper renews it for "a billion more episodes". Liz and Jack apologize to each other and toast to imaginary champagne. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, at seeing Tracy back on TV while watching the episode at home, calls George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
(who does not appear in the episode) on a red phone and tells George to have Tracy removed from the "official A-list".