Cougars (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"Cougars" is the seventh episode of the second season
of 30 Rock
, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi
and directed by Michael Engler
. Guest stars in this episode include Laura Berrios, Kevin Brown
, Grizz Chapman
, Val Emmich
, Alan H. Green, Ian Hyland, John Lutz
, Sean Moran, Maulik Pancholy
, Ralph Peavy, Greg Scarnici
, Blake Tyler Benitez and Mark Viera.
In this episode, Liz Lemon
(played by Tina Fey
) goes on a date with a young, twenty year-old coffee delivery man named Jamie (Val Emmich
). The date gets awkward due to the seventeen year age difference between Liz and Jamie. This feeling escalates when Liz meets Jamie's mother (Laura Berrios). Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) gets a younger boyfriend of her own. Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
) develops a crush on Jamie. Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) helps Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) to coach a Little League Baseball team.
.
Frank begins to question his sexuality when he realizes that he has a crush on Jamie. He even tries to, unsuccessfully, rival Liz to go on a date with Jamie. Later, Frank realizes that the only man he is attracted to is Jamie and decides that he is in fact not gay.
In order to become a cougar herself, Jenna starts to date Aidan, a teenage freshmen at New York University
. Jenna breaks up with Aidan when he starts to annoy her by wearing heelies and playing portable video games and acting like Jenna is his mother.
Tracy is ordered to do community service in the form of coaching the Knuckle Beach Little League Baseball Team. Knuckle Beach happens to be "the worst neighborhood in New York
". Hoping to inspire the team, Jack agrees to help Tracy and he donates uniforms to the team on behalf of the Sheinhardt Wig Company which is NBC
's fictitious parent company. Jack replaces Tracy with Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) because he realizes that even with the new found inspiration from both Jack and Tracy, the team is still failing. The team begins to revolt when they find out that Tracy has been fired. To counter this, Jack forms a coalition
with Tracy and they replace members of the team with Grizz and Dot Com (Grizz Chapman and Kevin Brown).
in Long Island City, Queens
, New York
. During the commercial breaks in this episode, commercials for American Express
were aired featuring 30 Rock cast members, who were in character. These commercials featured Kenneth giving out "Secret Rodney" Christmas gifts to various other 30 Rock characters. The commercials were aired in order to deter viewers, who were viewing the episode with Digital Video Recorders, from fast-forwarding through the commercial break.
The title of this episode, "Cougars", refers to a phrase from pop culture. The word cougar means an "older women who prey on younger men." In the episode, Jenna calls both herself and Liz "cougars" due to them both dating younger men. While speaking about his appearance on 30 Rock, Val Emmich, who played Jamie in this episode, said that he was initially "intimidated by [Tina Fey] more than anyone else [he'd] acted alongside." When asked if acting with Fey on 30 Rock taught him anything, he replied that he learnt "that normal people can be in this business." He described Fey as "witty, smart [and] sexy".
's Survivor: China
was watched by 13.8 million viewers, a repeat of ABC
's Ugly Betty
was viewed by 6.5 million viewers and Fox
's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
was watched by 9.0 million viewers.
Bob Sassone
of TV Squad felt that the best storyline was the one featuring Tracy and Jack because of the "Bush
/Iraq metaphors and the sight of Alec Baldwin dressed as General MacArthur, standing beneath a 'Fun Accomplished
' sign." Robert Canning of IGN
thought that the best storyline of the episode was centered around Liz and Jamie, and rated the episode 8 out of 10. Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
wrote that this episode "had so many fun lines", and found himself "giggling, chuckling and LOL
ing like a fool". He liked "the 'cougars' storyline", saying it "was a lot of fun, because Liz is best when Liz is feeling awkward." Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
wrote that "Jenna's Amber Alert affair with the soda-drinking, Heelys-gliding teenager" was "priceless". He also compared the interplay between Frank and Jamie to the relationship between Michael Scott
(Steve Carell
) and Ryan Howard
(B. J. Novak
) of The Office
.
30 Rock (season 2)
The second season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, originally aired between October 4, 2007 and May 8, 2008 on NBC in the United States. 30 Rock takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name refers to 30 Rockefeller...
of 30 Rock
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...
, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi
John Riggi
John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
and directed by Michael Engler
Michael Engler
Michael Engler is an American theatre director, and television director and producer. His Broadway credits include Eastern Standard and I Hate Hamlet...
. Guest stars in this episode include Laura Berrios, Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown (actor)
Kevin 'Dot Com' Brown is an American comedian, film and television actor, best known for his role on the series 30 Rock as "Dot Com".Brown also appeared as the lead in Marq Overton's one-man play Die Laughing in 2008 at the Diversity Players of Harlem and as an actor and executive producer of the...
, Grizz Chapman
Grizz Chapman
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman is an American television actor best known for his recurring role as Grizz on the NBC series 30 Rock. A June 2007 interview with rollingout.com lists Chapman's height as 6'10". In his commentary for the episode "Tracy Does Conan," Tracy Morgan revealed that they met when...
, Val Emmich
Val Emmich
Val Matthew Emmich is a pop rock singer-songwriter and actor from New Jersey. In 2001 he became the first unsigned artist to be featured on MTV's Total Request Live. As an actor he has appeared in such television shows as 30 Rock and Ugly Betty.-Early life:Emmich was born in Manalapan Township,...
, Alan H. Green, Ian Hyland, John Lutz
John Lutz (television writer)
John Lutz is an American actor, writer and comedian.-Biography:The son of a Lutheran minister, Lutz grew up in suburban Chicago and Detroit. He attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, majoring in psychology and minoring in...
, Sean Moran, Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Sanjay on Weeds from 2005 to present, and his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock, which he has played since the show began in 2006....
, Ralph Peavy, Greg Scarnici
Greg Scarnici
Greg Scarnici is an American writer/director/actor and producer. He was born in Jamaica, Queens, and continues to work in New York City, where he balances work in theatre, film, and television...
, Blake Tyler Benitez and Mark Viera.
In this 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:...
(played by 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...
) goes on a date with a young, twenty year-old coffee delivery man named Jamie (Val Emmich
Val Emmich
Val Matthew Emmich is a pop rock singer-songwriter and actor from New Jersey. In 2001 he became the first unsigned artist to be featured on MTV's Total Request Live. As an actor he has appeared in such television shows as 30 Rock and Ugly Betty.-Early life:Emmich was born in Manalapan Township,...
). The date gets awkward due to the seventeen year age difference between Liz and Jamie. This feeling escalates when Liz meets Jamie's mother (Laura Berrios). 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...
) gets a younger boyfriend of her own. Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.-Early life:...
) develops a crush on Jamie. Meanwhile, 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...
) helps 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:...
) to coach a Little League Baseball team.
Plot
Liz develops a crush on Jamie, the new twenty year-old coffee delivery man, and after some initial hesitation, she agrees to go on a date with him. Before the date, Liz gets cold feet, but she is encouraged to attend by Jenna, who declares Liz a cougar, a term describing "hot older ladies pouncing on their young prey". Liz agrees and goes on a successful date with Jamie; the pair agree to go on a second date. Prior to this second date, Liz goes to Jamie's apartment only to discover that Jamie still lives with his mother, who looks exactly like LizOedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
.
Frank begins to question his sexuality when he realizes that he has a crush on Jamie. He even tries to, unsuccessfully, rival Liz to go on a date with Jamie. Later, Frank realizes that the only man he is attracted to is Jamie and decides that he is in fact not gay.
In order to become a cougar herself, Jenna starts to date Aidan, a teenage freshmen at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Jenna breaks up with Aidan when he starts to annoy her by wearing heelies and playing portable video games and acting like Jenna is his mother.
Tracy is ordered to do community service in the form of coaching the Knuckle Beach Little League Baseball Team. Knuckle Beach happens to be "the worst neighborhood in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
". Hoping to inspire the team, Jack agrees to help Tracy and he donates uniforms to the team on behalf of the Sheinhardt Wig Company which is NBC
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...
's fictitious parent company. Jack replaces Tracy with 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"...
) because he realizes that even with the new found inspiration from both Jack and Tracy, the team is still failing. The team begins to revolt when they find out that Tracy has been fired. To counter this, Jack forms a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
with Tracy and they replace members of the team with Grizz and Dot Com (Grizz Chapman and Kevin Brown).
Production
Scenes for this episodes were primarily filmed on October 5, 2007 at Silvercup StudiosSilvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Located in the neighborhood of Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, the studio complex has been operating since 1983 in the former Silvercup Bakery building...
in Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. During the commercial breaks in this episode, commercials for American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
were aired featuring 30 Rock cast members, who were in character. These commercials featured Kenneth giving out "Secret Rodney" Christmas gifts to various other 30 Rock characters. The commercials were aired in order to deter viewers, who were viewing the episode with Digital Video Recorders, from fast-forwarding through the commercial break.
The title of this episode, "Cougars", refers to a phrase from pop culture. The word cougar means an "older women who prey on younger men." In the episode, Jenna calls both herself and Liz "cougars" due to them both dating younger men. While speaking about his appearance on 30 Rock, Val Emmich, who played Jamie in this episode, said that he was initially "intimidated by [Tina Fey] more than anyone else [he'd] acted alongside." When asked if acting with Fey on 30 Rock taught him anything, he replied that he learnt "that normal people can be in this business." He described Fey as "witty, smart [and] sexy".
Reception
"Cougars" was watched by 5.8 million viewers and it received a 2.5 rating and a 6 share in the 18–49 demographic. The 2.5 refers to 2.5% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S., and the 6 refers to 6% of all 18–49 year olds watching television in the U.S. at the time of the broadcast. The episode ranked in first place, among men aged between 18–34, against all television being broadcast in the same timeslot. By comparison, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Survivor: China
Survivor: China
Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...
was watched by 13.8 million viewers, a repeat of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
was viewed by 6.5 million viewers and Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a television game show format based on asking grade-school level questions to adults, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy...
was watched by 9.0 million viewers.
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of TV Squad felt that the best storyline was the one featuring Tracy and Jack because of the "Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
/Iraq metaphors and the sight of Alec Baldwin dressed as General MacArthur, standing beneath a 'Fun Accomplished
Mission Accomplished
"Mission Accomplished" refers to a banner titled "Mission Accomplished" that was displayed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during a televised address by United States President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003 and the controversy that followed.Bush stated at the time that this was the end...
' sign." Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
thought that the best storyline of the episode was centered around Liz and Jamie, and rated the episode 8 out of 10. Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
wrote that this episode "had so many fun lines", and found himself "giggling, chuckling and LOL
LOL
LOL is an acronym or abbreviation of "laughing out loud", "lots of luck", or "lots of love". In medical slang, it is used as an acronym for "little old lady", a reference to the novel House of God.LOL or Lol may also refer to:...
ing like a fool". He liked "the 'cougars' storyline", saying it "was a lot of fun, because Liz is best when Liz is feeling awkward." Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that "Jenna's Amber Alert affair with the soda-drinking, Heelys-gliding teenager" was "priceless". He also compared the interplay between Frank and Jamie to the relationship between Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
(Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
) and Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
(B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
) of The Office
The Office (US TV series)
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
.