The Ones (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"The Ones" is the nineteenth episode of the third season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
, and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode aired in the United States on April 23, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC). Guest stars in this episode include Josh Casaubon
, Salma Hayek
, and Brian Williams
. "The Ones" was Hayek's final appearance as Elisa.
In the episode, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) goes shopping with Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) for an engagement ring
for Elisa (Hayek). Jack grows worried about whether he and Elisa's potential marriage could survive in the real world, but Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) councils him on married life. Meanwhile, Elisa tells Liz that she is keeping a secret from Jack. A prank results in an injury back at TGS and Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) falls in love with an attractive emergency medical technician (Casaubon) who comes to help.
"The Ones" received generally mixed reception. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it was watched by 6.3 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.9 rating/6 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For her performance in this episode, Krakowski received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination in the category for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
(Alec Baldwin
) is planning to marry his girlfriend Elisa (Salma Hayek
) as he believes she is "the one", but Elisa tells Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) she has a secret. She confesses to Jack and Liz that she killed her first husband in a crime of passion
after he cheated on her, and did not go to prison because she could not get an impartial jury due to her consequent notoriety. Jack considers marrying her anyway, saying that love requires one to overlook another's flaws, but worries about what would happen if he would ever be unfaithful. Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) tells Jack that he has never cheated on his wife, Angie (Sherri Shepherd
), which makes Jack think that he too can be faithful. However, when Elisa grows too suspicious of Jack's relationship with Liz, he calls off the engagement.
Meanwhile, at the 30 Rock studios, Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander
) and James "Toofer" Spurlock (Keith Powell
) decide to play a prank on J. D. Lutz (John Lutz
), which results in Lutz getting hurt, after a flat-screen monitor falls on top of him. Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) becomes romantically interested in one of the paramedics (Josh Casaubon
), but unsure of how to contact him, tries to bring him to the studio by giving the show's page, Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
), strawberries, which triggers his allergies. Kenneth willingly consumes some, after Jenna tells him that the paramedic might be "the one", only for Jenna to decide against having a relationship with the paramedic because he has a son.
, and directed by Beth McCarthy, a long-time television director who worked with series creator Tina Fey on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live
. This was Burditt's tenth writing credit, and was McCarthy's sixth directed episode. "The Ones" originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 23, 2009.
At the beginning of the episode, Jack and Liz are at a jewelry store, as Jack is searching for an engagement ring for Elisa. They shot that scene in a Cartier
store in New York's Fifth Avenue, which was filmed on February 22, 2009. A scene featuring Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout (Sue Galloway) as the Grim Reaper, in which Jenna is led to believe Kenneth has gone into shock because of the strawberries, was cut from the airing. According to Jane Krakowski, in the DVD commentary for this episode, there were alternate scenes with Jenna letting Kenneth know about the tampering she did to Kenneth's items, his chickpea, water bottle, and harmonica.
"The Ones" was actress Salma Hayek's final guest appearance on 30 Rock. Her first appearance on the show was in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
", as a nurse for Jack's mother and love interest for him. She next guest starred in the episodes "Flu Shot
", "Generalissimo
", "St. Valentine's Day
", and "Larry King
".
News anchor Brian Williams
, of NBC Nightly News
, guest starred as himself in this episode. In a scene with Tracy and Jack at a club, Tracy reveals to Jack that he has been giving out his phone number to different women, though it is not his real number, which results in Williams receiving the calls.
of Mad Men
(played by Jon Hamm, who had a recurring role on 30 Rock earlier in the season). "Earn this", spoken by Kenneth as Jenna has poisoned him again, references the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan
when actor Tom Hanks
says the same words to actor Matt Damon
's title character. When she is told that Kenneth has gone into a severe allergic shock and needs to have his hands cut off, Jenna apologizes to him for what she has done, telling him "I'm just a girl sitting in front of a boy she poisoned so this other guy would go to town on her", which Jenna misquotes from actress Julia Roberts
' character from the romantic comedy Notting Hill
(1999). After Kenneth drinks his strawberry water, as he risked his life so that Jenna can meet the paramedic again, Jenna says to Kenneth "You magnificent sonofabitch!", a line quoted by actor George C. Scott
in the American biographical war film Patton
(1970). Kenneth blows white smoke out while referencing bringing back something from "the other side" (death) echoes the same look when actor Haley Joel Osment
remarked "I See Dead People" in the movie The Sixth Sense
(1999).
The final three clips in the montage of Tracy taking off his shirt are real clips from Tracy Morgan
interviews. Also, Elisa wears a "What the Frak?!" Battlestar Galactica
t-shirt, as she admits her secret to Jack and Liz. "It's not product placement—I just like it!", says Liz to Jack, after he storms into her office and she is wearing a Slanket
, a sleeved blanket with sleeves usually made of fleece material.
In its original American broadcast, "The Ones" was watched by 6.3 million households, according to the Nielsen ratings
system. It earned a 3.9 rating/6 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.9% of all 18–49 years olds, and 6% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was the eighth highest-rated show on the NBC network that week, while it finished in 19th place—tied with episodes of Brothers & Sisters, The Celebrity Apprentice
, and Heroes
—in the weekly ratings for the week of April 20–26, 2009. Jane Krakowski
received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
for her work in this episode, but lost it to actress Kristin Chenoweth
.
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. IGN
contributor Robert Canning rated the episode an 8 out of 10, saying it "gave all the main characters an opportunity to shine" and that the episode "delivered some great laughs and elevated some standard sit-com plots to a much funnier level." He argued that Liz helped make the episode good. Though, Canning found Elisa's secret disappointing and felt that Salma Hayek's exit from the show too much like a conventional sitcom. Entertainment Weekly
' s Aly Semigran wrote that the episode gave good character revelations about Tracy, Jenna, and Kenneth, but that episode did not exceed expectations from the previous week's episode, "Jackie Jormp-Jomp
". Writing for The Star-Ledger
Alan Sepinwall reported that despite the episode not being a 30 Rock classic it "had more than enough funny things in it to keep me satisfied." The A.V. Club
' s Nathan Rabin wrote that "The Ones" felt "a little stock" but that it was "just pretty good." He further added that "the one" gag featured in this episode "was mildly amusing but a little obvious." He felt that Elisa's secret felt more like a Soap opera
secret than a 30 Rock one. Nonetheless, Rabin gave "The Ones" a B-. David Bauder of the Guelph Mercury
, however, was complimentary towards Hayek's guest appearances throughout season 3, noting, that they are "the best this absurdist comedy has to offer. Hayek throws herself into her role with gusto, matching Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin step for silly step".
Jenna's storyline in the episode received mixed reception. Canning enjoyed her subplot but found it predictable and stereotypical, while Sepinwall reported it did not work, and wrote that Jenna's stories need to have Liz or Jack featured prominently or that she be put with Scott Adsit
's 30 Rock character, Pete Hornberger, as in this episode, "as her insanity's only amusing when contrasted against a relatively normal character. As with Sepinwall, Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad believed Jenna's subplot was fair, observing it was great in parts but "it just went on too long and got tedious and silly." He believed it would be a good idea to have Jenna dating or perhaps marrying a recurring character, but opined "The Ones" did not choose that path. Tom O'Neil from the Los Angeles Times
, in an August 2009 article, was thrilled for Krakowski receiving an Emmy nomination for her work on 30 Rock, but felt that "The Ones" would not be the episode she win the Outstanding Supporting Actress award.
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
of the American television comedy series 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...
. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
, and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode aired in the United States on April 23, 2009, 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). Guest stars in this episode include Josh Casaubon
Josh Casaubon
Joshua Thomas Casaubon is an American actor. He was raised in Nashua, New Hampshire and Southbridge, Massachusetts, and after serving four years in the U.S. Army, moved to New York City in 2001 to pursue his career...
, Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
, and 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...
. "The Ones" was Hayek's final appearance as Elisa.
In the episode, 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...
) goes shopping with 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...
) for an engagement ring
Engagement ring
An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...
for Elisa (Hayek). Jack grows worried about whether he and Elisa's potential marriage could survive in the real world, but 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:...
) councils him on married life. Meanwhile, Elisa tells Liz that she is keeping a secret from Jack. A prank results in an injury back at TGS and 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...
) falls in love with an attractive emergency medical technician (Casaubon) who comes to help.
"The Ones" received generally mixed reception. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen 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, it was watched by 6.3 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.9 rating/6 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For her performance in this episode, Krakowski received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination in the category for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
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...
) is planning to marry his girlfriend Elisa (Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
) as he believes she is "the one", but Elisa tells 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...
) she has a secret. She confesses to Jack and Liz that she killed her first husband in a crime of passion
Crime of passion
A crime of passion, or crime passionnel, in popular usage, refers to a crime in which the perpetrator commits a crime, especially assault or murder, against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as sudden rage or heartbreak rather than as a premeditated crime...
after he cheated on her, and did not go to prison because she could not get an impartial jury due to her consequent notoriety. Jack considers marrying her anyway, saying that love requires one to overlook another's flaws, but worries about what would happen if he would ever be unfaithful. 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:...
) tells Jack that he has never cheated on his wife, Angie (Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock...
), which makes Jack think that he too can be faithful. However, when Elisa grows too suspicious of Jack's relationship with Liz, he calls off the engagement.
Meanwhile, at the 30 Rock studios, 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:...
) and James "Toofer" Spurlock (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...
) decide to play a prank on J. D. Lutz (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...
), which results in Lutz getting hurt, after a flat-screen monitor falls on top of him. 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...
) becomes romantically interested in one of the paramedics (Josh Casaubon
Josh Casaubon
Joshua Thomas Casaubon is an American actor. He was raised in Nashua, New Hampshire and Southbridge, Massachusetts, and after serving four years in the U.S. Army, moved to New York City in 2001 to pursue his career...
), but unsure of how to contact him, tries to bring him to the studio by giving the show's page, 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"...
), strawberries, which triggers his allergies. Kenneth willingly consumes some, after Jenna tells him that the paramedic might be "the one", only for Jenna to decide against having a relationship with the paramedic because he has a son.
Production
"The Ones" was written by co-executive producer Jack BurdittJack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
, and directed by Beth McCarthy, a long-time television director who worked with series creator Tina Fey on the sketch comedy show 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...
. This was Burditt's tenth writing credit, and was McCarthy's sixth directed episode. "The Ones" originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 23, 2009.
At the beginning of the episode, Jack and Liz are at a jewelry store, as Jack is searching for an engagement ring for Elisa. They shot that scene in a Cartier
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
store in New York's Fifth Avenue, which was filmed on February 22, 2009. A scene featuring Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout (Sue Galloway) as the Grim Reaper, in which Jenna is led to believe Kenneth has gone into shock because of the strawberries, was cut from the airing. According to Jane Krakowski, in the DVD commentary for this episode, there were alternate scenes with Jenna letting Kenneth know about the tampering she did to Kenneth's items, his chickpea, water bottle, and harmonica.
"The Ones" was actress Salma Hayek's final guest appearance on 30 Rock. Her first appearance on the show was in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
Señor Macho Solo
"Señor Macho Solo" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
", as a nurse for Jack's mother and love interest for him. She next guest starred in the episodes "Flu Shot
Flu Shot (30 Rock)
"Flu Shot" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Jon Pollack, and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 15, 2009...
", "Generalissimo
Generalissimo (30 Rock)
"Generalissimo" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Todd Holland. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on February 5, 2009...
", "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
", and "Larry King
Larry King (30 Rock)
"Larry King" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Constantine Makris. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
".
News anchor 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...
, of NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, guest starred as himself in this episode. In a scene with Tracy and Jack at a club, Tracy reveals to Jack that he has been giving out his phone number to different women, though it is not his real number, which results in Williams receiving the calls.
Cultural references
Kenneth revealing that his real name is "Dick Whitman" is a reference to the main character Don DraperDon Draper
Donald "Don" Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper...
of Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
(played by Jon Hamm, who had a recurring role on 30 Rock earlier in the season). "Earn this", spoken by Kenneth as Jenna has poisoned him again, references the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
when actor 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...
says the same words to actor Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
's title character. When she is told that Kenneth has gone into a severe allergic shock and needs to have his hands cut off, Jenna apologizes to him for what she has done, telling him "I'm just a girl sitting in front of a boy she poisoned so this other guy would go to town on her", which Jenna misquotes from actress Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
' character from the romantic comedy Notting Hill
Notting Hill (film)
Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell...
(1999). After Kenneth drinks his strawberry water, as he risked his life so that Jenna can meet the paramedic again, Jenna says to Kenneth "You magnificent sonofabitch!", a line quoted by actor George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
in the American biographical war film Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
(1970). Kenneth blows white smoke out while referencing bringing back something from "the other side" (death) echoes the same look when actor Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
remarked "I See Dead People" in the movie The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
(1999).
The final three clips in the montage of Tracy taking off his shirt are real clips from 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:...
interviews. Also, Elisa wears a "What the Frak?!" Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
t-shirt, as she admits her secret to Jack and Liz. "It's not product placement—I just like it!", says Liz to Jack, after he storms into her office and she is wearing a Slanket
Sleeved blanket
A sleeved blanket is a unisex body-length blanket with sleeves usually made of fleece or Velux material. It is similar in design to a bathrobe that is meant to be worn backwards...
, a sleeved blanket with sleeves usually made of fleece material.
Reception
Nielsen 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. It earned a 3.9 rating/6 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.9% of all 18–49 years olds, and 6% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was the eighth highest-rated show on the NBC network that week, while it finished in 19th place—tied with episodes of Brothers & Sisters, The Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. Season 8)
The Celebrity Apprentice 2 is the eighth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. It premiered on March 1, 2009. The Celebrity Apprentice 2 aired for two hours on Sundays at 9:00 Eastern time...
, and Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
—in the weekly ratings for the week of April 20–26, 2009. 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...
received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
for her work in this episode, but lost it to actress Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
.
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. 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...
contributor Robert Canning rated the episode an 8 out of 10, saying it "gave all the main characters an opportunity to shine" and that the episode "delivered some great laughs and elevated some standard sit-com plots to a much funnier level." He argued that Liz helped make the episode good. Though, Canning found Elisa's secret disappointing and felt that Salma Hayek's exit from the show too much like a conventional sitcom. 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...
Jackie Jormp-Jomp
"Jackie Jormp-Jomp" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by executive story editor Kay Cannon and script co-coordinator Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National...
". Writing for The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
Alan Sepinwall reported that despite the episode not being a 30 Rock classic it "had more than enough funny things in it to keep me satisfied." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
secret than a 30 Rock one. Nonetheless, Rabin gave "The Ones" a B-. David Bauder of the Guelph Mercury
Guelph Mercury
The Guelph Mercury is an English language newspaper published in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It publishes a mix of community, national and international news and is owned by the Torstar Corporation. The newspaper, in many incarnations, has been a part of the community since 1854...
, however, was complimentary towards Hayek's guest appearances throughout season 3, noting, that they are "the best this absurdist comedy has to offer. Hayek throws herself into her role with gusto, matching Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin step for silly step".
Jenna's storyline in the episode received mixed reception. Canning enjoyed her subplot but found it predictable and stereotypical, while Sepinwall reported it did not work, and wrote that Jenna's stories need to have Liz or Jack featured prominently or that she be put with 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,...
's 30 Rock character, Pete Hornberger, as in this episode, "as her insanity's only amusing when contrasted against a relatively normal character. As with Sepinwall, 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 AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad believed Jenna's subplot was fair, observing it was great in parts but "it just went on too long and got tedious and silly." He believed it would be a good idea to have Jenna dating or perhaps marrying a recurring character, but opined "The Ones" did not choose that path. Tom O'Neil from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, in an August 2009 article, was thrilled for Krakowski receiving an Emmy nomination for her work on 30 Rock, but felt that "The Ones" would not be the episode she win the Outstanding Supporting Actress award.
External links
- "The Ones," at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "The Ones," at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...