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The Aftermath (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"The Aftermath" is the second episode of the first season
of the American
situation comedy
30 Rock
, which first aired on October 17, 2006 on CTV
in Canada
. It aired on October 18, 2006 on the NBC
network in the United States
, its country of origin, and October 18, 2007 in the United Kingdom
. The episode was written by Tina Fey
and was directed by Adam Bernstein
. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden
, Tom Broecker
, Teddy Coluca
, Rachel Dratch
, Adrienne Frost
, Maulik Pancholy
, Keith Powell
, Lonny Ross
, Kevin Scanlon and Sorab Wadia.
The episode focuses on the reaction of the crew to the casting of Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
), and the subsequent changes made to The Girlie Show. This becomes evident when Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) changes the title of the show to TGS with Tracy Jordan, much to Jenna Maroney
's (Jane Krakowski
) dismay. Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey) struggles to keep the cast and crew happy, so together with Tracy, she throws a party on a yacht.
Liz attempts to make amends by talking to Tracy during a rehearsal, during which she makes negative remarks about Jenna and the other members of her staff. Liz is notified by Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) that her chat with Tracy was aired over the studio's monitors, which meant that everyone heard and saw her making the comments. Liz's staff show their displeasure by throwing food and other objects at her. Liz and Tracy discuss an idea to get everyone together to try to smooth things over, and Tracy decides to invite Liz and the staff to a party aboard a yacht. Tracy gets along well with everyone at the party, including Jenna, and things appear to be going very well. Liz soon discovers that the yacht does not belong to Tracy, and the yacht's real owner shows up with the NYPD. The following day Liz learns that Jack paid the newspapers to keep Tracy out of the press but left a photo of Jenna passing out on the yacht in their pages, which Jenna sees as exciting and flattering.
with the focus group.
Jenna Maroney
: "Frank likes his movies."
Liz Lemon
: "Frank also likes the video of that monkey smelling his own butt."
) always appears wearing a trucker hat with a humorous phrase written on it, which is Friedlander's routine trademark in real life, in this episode it reads, "Done Deal"
, longtime comedy partner and fellow Saturday Night Live
alumna of Fey, was originally cast to portray Jenna. Dratch played the role in the show's original pilot, but in August 2006, Jane Krakowski was announced as Dratch's replacement. Executive producer Lorne Michaels
announced that while Dratch would not be playing a series regular, she would appear in various episodes in a different role. In the previous episode, Dratch played Greta Johansen, the The Girlie Show's cat wrangler, while in this episode, she played Maria the maid, who was found by Liz in a closet on the yacht.
system, "The Aftermath" was viewed by 5.71 million viewers upon its original broadcast in the United States. It also achieved a 2.3/7 in the key 18–49 demographic, meaning that it was watched by 2.4% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S., and 5% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This was 2.42 million viewers less than the pilot
. In the United Kingdom, the episode attracted 500,000 viewers and a 4% share of the viewing audience at the time of the broadcast, which was deemed "disappointing" by Media Guardian. This was 200,000 viewers down from the pilot, which attracted 700,000 viewers and a 6% share of the viewing audience at the time of the broadcast.
Robert Canning of IGN
felt that the episode was more cohesive than the pilot, but still suffered from "two generic main characters and predictable storytelling". He praised characters Liz and Jack, saying they "continued to provide laughs", but said Jenna and Tracy "only continued to frustrate". Canning called Baldwin the best part of 30 Rock, and found that the series had "laid essential groundwork for a successful situation comedy". Robert Abele of LA Weekly
felt that the characters of Morgan and Krakowski were undeveloped, describing them as "self-obsessed, newly thrown-together co-leads".
Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
felt that "The Aftermath" was only "minorly more funny" than the pilot. He praised Baldwin and Morgan, but said that the rest of the episode was "weak". Goodman felt that Fey could "fix" 30 Rock by showing more of Baldwin, and less of Krakowski. Phil Horst of The Pitt News
praised the individual scenes between Fey and either Baldwin or Morgan, but criticized Fey for not writing an effective scene in which she did not appear. Horst saw Jenna's screentime as a waste of time, and thought that Krakowski did not "have the comedic skills to keep up with the rest of the cast". He went on to say that Dratch would have taken the character in "a completely different direction", giving 30 Rock the variety it lacked.
30 Rock (season 1)
The first season of the television comedy series 30 Rock originally aired between October 11, 2006 and April 26, 2007 on NBC in the United States...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
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...
, which first aired on October 17, 2006 on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It aired on October 18, 2006 on the 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...
network in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, its country of origin, and October 18, 2007 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The episode was written 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...
and was directed by Adam Bernstein
Adam Bernstein
Adam Bernstein is an American film, music video and television director and screenwriter. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey...
. Guest stars in this episode include Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden is an American actress. She is known for her short role as Britney Jennings on One Life to Live and for her role as Cerie in 30 Rock .- Education :...
, Tom Broecker
Tom Broecker
Tom Broecker is an American television actor and costume designer. Currently, he is the costume designer for Saturday Night Live , the costume designer for NBC's 30 Rock, where he also plays the recurring role of Lee the costume designer on the show-within-a-show, and The Big C on Showtime...
, Teddy Coluca
Teddy Coluca
Teddy Coluca is an American actor who is currently playing the recurring role of the stage manager on NBC's new series 30 Rock. Recent films include We Own the Night with Mark Wahlberg & Joaquin Phoenix and The Girl In The Park with Sigourney Weaver.-External links:...
, 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:...
, Adrienne Frost
Adrienne Frost
Adrienne Frost is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe, the older sister of Emma Frost and Cordelia Frost. Not much is known about her. She first appeared in Generation X #48 . The issue was scripted by Jay Faerber and drawn by Terry Dodson.-Early years:Adrienne was the first child born to...
, 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....
, Keith Powell
Keith Powell
Keith Powell is an American television actor who is best known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.-Career:Powell was the Producing Artistic Director of Contemporary Stage Company, a summer theater in Wilmington, Delaware...
, Lonny Ross
Lonny Ross
Lonny Ross is a comedy actor and writer. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work as Josh Girard on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock...
, Kevin Scanlon and Sorab Wadia.
The episode focuses on the reaction of the crew to the casting 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:...
), and the subsequent changes made to The Girlie Show. This becomes evident when 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...
) changes the title of the show to TGS with Tracy Jordan, much to 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...
's (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...
) dismay. 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) struggles to keep the cast and crew happy, so together with Tracy, she throws a party on a yacht.
Plot
Liz becomes furious when Jack decides that Tracy should be the number one priority on The Girlie Show. Jenna fears that Tracy will begin to overshadow her, but Tracy is quite pleased with his new job on the show. Liz and Jenna become more aggravated when Jack decides to change the name of The Girlie Show to TGS with Tracy Jordan, without consulting either of them. Jack has Tracy and Jenna appear in a promotion for the show, in which Tracy angers Jenna by forgetting her name and by not letting her speak. After the promotion, Liz tries to re-assure Jenna by telling her that nobody on the show likes Tracy and that the only reason that he is on the show is because of Jack. Liz finds out that Jenna's microphone was still on, and everyone in the studio heard her say terrible things about Jack and Tracy.Liz attempts to make amends by talking to Tracy during a rehearsal, during which she makes negative remarks about Jenna and the other members of her staff. Liz is notified by 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"...
) that her chat with Tracy was aired over the studio's monitors, which meant that everyone heard and saw her making the comments. Liz's staff show their displeasure by throwing food and other objects at her. Liz and Tracy discuss an idea to get everyone together to try to smooth things over, and Tracy decides to invite Liz and the staff to a party aboard a yacht. Tracy gets along well with everyone at the party, including Jenna, and things appear to be going very well. Liz soon discovers that the yacht does not belong to Tracy, and the yacht's real owner shows up with the NYPD. The following day Liz learns that Jack paid the newspapers to keep Tracy out of the press but left a photo of Jenna passing out on the yacht in their pages, which Jenna sees as exciting and flattering.
Memorable Quotes
"If you say you like it, you can have pizza. Do you people like pizza?" - 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....
with the focus group.
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...
: "Frank likes his movies."
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:...
: "Frank also likes the video of that monkey smelling his own butt."
Trivia
Frank Rossitano (Judah FriedlanderJudah 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:...
) always appears wearing a trucker hat with a humorous phrase written on it, which is Friedlander's routine trademark in real life, in this episode it reads, "Done Deal"
Production
Rachel DratchRachel 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:...
, longtime comedy partner and fellow Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
alumna of Fey, was originally cast to portray Jenna. Dratch played the role in the show's original pilot, but in August 2006, Jane Krakowski was announced as Dratch's replacement. Executive producer Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels, CM is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it.-Early life:...
announced that while Dratch would not be playing a series regular, she would appear in various episodes in a different role. In the previous episode, Dratch played Greta Johansen, the The Girlie Show
Reception
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, "The Aftermath" was viewed by 5.71 million viewers upon its original broadcast in the United States. It also achieved a 2.3/7 in the key 18–49 demographic, meaning that it was watched by 2.4% of all 18–49 years olds in the U.S., and 5% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This was 2.42 million viewers less than the pilot
Pilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
. In the United Kingdom, the episode attracted 500,000 viewers and a 4% share of the viewing audience at the time of the broadcast, which was deemed "disappointing" by Media Guardian. This was 200,000 viewers down from the pilot, which attracted 700,000 viewers and a 6% share of the viewing audience at the time of the broadcast.
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...
felt that the episode was more cohesive than the pilot, but still suffered from "two generic main characters and predictable storytelling". He praised characters Liz and Jack, saying they "continued to provide laughs", but said Jenna and Tracy "only continued to frustrate". Canning called Baldwin the best part of 30 Rock, and found that the series had "laid essential groundwork for a successful situation comedy". Robert Abele of LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
felt that the characters of Morgan and Krakowski were undeveloped, describing them as "self-obsessed, newly thrown-together co-leads".
Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
felt that "The Aftermath" was only "minorly more funny" than the pilot. He praised Baldwin and Morgan, but said that the rest of the episode was "weak". Goodman felt that Fey could "fix" 30 Rock by showing more of Baldwin, and less of Krakowski. Phil Horst of The Pitt News
The Pitt News
The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and student-managed newspaper for the main campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland which has been active in some form since 1910. It is published Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer...
praised the individual scenes between Fey and either Baldwin or Morgan, but criticized Fey for not writing an effective scene in which she did not appear. Horst saw Jenna's screentime as a waste of time, and thought that Krakowski did not "have the comedic skills to keep up with the rest of the cast". He went on to say that Dratch would have taken the character in "a completely different direction", giving 30 Rock the variety it lacked.