When It Rains, It Pours (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"When It Rains, It Pours" is the second episode of the fifth season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
, and the 82nd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-show runner
and executive producer Robert Carlock
and directed by series producer Don Scardino
. "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on September 30, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Joanna Adler, Ben Bailey
, Elizabeth Banks
, Craig Castaldo
, Paul Giamatti
, Andrea Mitchell
, Chris Parnell
, Sherri Shepherd
, and Brian Williams
.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) uses her newfound confidence of men noticing her to solve Pete Hornberger's (Scott Adsit
) problem with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti
). Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) decides to teach his unborn child with his girlfriend Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
) how to live. Elsewhere, Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) is determined to be with his wife Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd
) when she gives birth, and a mysterious individual is making sure Kenneth Parcell
's (Jack McBrayer
) page duties
at the fictitious show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) at NBC are still getting done.
"When It Rains, It Pours" received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
, the episode was watched by 5.688 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.6 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For his work in the episode, Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
for Episodic Comedy.
(Tina Fey
) is surprised that men have been noticing her, instead of resenting or ignoring her as they usually do. Her friend Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) tells Liz that she is coming off as more confident since starting her relationship with her boyfriend Carol (Matt Damon
). Liz decides to use her new-found confidence to help TGS with Tracy Jordan producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
) with a problem he has had with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti
). Liz visits him in the editing room and hopes to convince him to get TGSs show's opener footage finished as soon as possible in which she is successful after flirting with Ritchie. Later, Liz learns that Ritchie is spreading a rumor that the two are sleeping together. She confronts Ritchie about it, he admits to starting the rumor in order to get the attention of his assistant editor Donna (Joanna Adler). Later, Liz and Ritchie have a pretend break-up in front of Donna, and Donna becomes interested in Ritchie.
Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) and his girlfriend CNBC
host Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
) tell Liz that they are expecting a son. Liz congratulates them, and tells the two that their son will have an old dad as Jack is in his early 50s. As a result of what Liz said, Jack fears that he will not be around so he decides to teach his unborn son how to live by recording a video containing advice for him. Later, Jack learns that he and Avery are in fact expecting a daughter and not a son. Jack realizes that he needs to make new tapes and in the tape he says to his unborn daughter "If you have the blondeness and self-esteem of your mother, you will need no advice."
At the same time, Tracy Jordan
's (Tracy Morgan
) wife, Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd
), is going into labor. Tracy, who after missing the birth of his sons does not want to miss the birth of his daughter, has Grizz Griswold (Grizz Chapman
) and "Dot Com" Slattery (Kevin Brown
) guard him in his dressing room in the 30 Rock building so that he would not wander off. A fire drill occurs so everyone must exit the building. Outside, however, the two lose track of Tracy, who wanders around the city. He hails a cab to get to the hospital Angie is at, but realizes that he does not have money on him, however, the driver does not mind. Once inside the cab, the driver, Ben Bailey
—the host of the game show Cash Cab
—informs Tracy that he is a contestant. As part of the game, Tracy must answer questions to win money and reach his destination. As a result, Tracy answers all the questions correctly and arrives at the hospital in time to witness the birth of his daughter.
In addition, Liz and Jenna are surprised how smoothly everything is running in the TGS set without Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
), a former NBC page
. Unbeknownst to everyone, there is a "mystery man" going around TGS in a black cape completing all of the tasks that Kenneth would do. While Jack is recording a video, he catches Kenneth in his office, revealing that Kenneth has been the one completing all of his old tasks. Kenneth says that he is there because he knows how much he is needed, but Jack tells him that they do not need him and he must move on with his life. Hurt and bewildered, Kenneth leaves, and Jack says in the video for his unborn child that the exchange between him and Kenneth was really "tough love" and he had just sent Kenneth on a journey. Later, Jack tells Kenneth that he is truly needed back at TGS and offers to talk to human resources to get his job back, but Kenneth refuses and says he will re-apply to the page program, following the proper procedures.
and executive producer Robert Carlock
and directed by series producer Don Scardino
. This was Carlock's sixteenth writing credit, and Scardino's twenty-eighth directed episode. "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired in the United States on September 30, 2010, on NBC as the second episode of the show's fifth season
and the 82nd overall episode of the series. This episode of 30 Rock was filmed on August 30, August 31, September 2, September 5, and September 8, 2010.
In August 2010, series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey revealed to Entertainment Weekly
correspondent Michael Ausiello
that actor Paul Giamatti would guest star in the upcoming season playing a "grouchy" television editor named Ritchie. Giamatti is due to appear in a future episode of 30 Rock. Actress Elizabeth Banks returned as her 30 Rock character Avery Jessup, a CNBC television host and Jack Donaghy's girlfriend, in this episode, and reprised the Avery role for the eighth time. Comedienne actress Sherri Shepherd reprised her role as Angie Jordan, the wife of Tracy Jordan, for the seventh time. Comedian actor Chris Parnell
, who played Dr. Leo Spaceman, the doctor who assisted in the birth of Angie and Tracy's daughter in the episode, has appeared in the main cast of Saturday Night Live
(SNL), a weekly sketch comedy
series which airs on NBC in the United States. Tina Fey was the head writer
on SNL from 1999 until 2006.
News anchors Brian Williams
and Andrea Mitchell
played themselves in the episode in which the two tease the Liz Lemon character of her supposed relationship with Giamatti's Ritchie. This was Williams' fourth appearance on the show, having appeared in the episodes "The Ones
", "Audition Day
", and "Future Husband
", and Mitchell's first appearance on 30 Rock. Ben Bailey, the game show host of the Discovery Channel
program Cash Cab
played himself. In the beginning of the episode, several men hit
on Liz, which surprises her, and one of those men who hits on her was credited as "Moonvest" and was played by Craig Castaldo, or known as Radio Man
. Castaldo has made numerous appearances on the program.
. The show claimed a 2.6 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 2.6 percent of all 18–49 years olds, and 8 percent of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The rating/share was the same number as the previous week's season premiere episode, "The Fabian Strategy
"; in the week that "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired, 30 Rock was the only Thursday program whose ratings did not fall from its season premiere. In February 2011, Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
for Episodic Comedy for his work in this episode of 30 Rock.
Television columnist Alan Sepiwall for HitFix called this the best overall episode since season four
's December 2009 episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001
". He wrote that the episode had "some incredibly funny jokes", but noted that the "most hilarious moments" from "When It Rains, It Pours" came from the main characters themselves. Sepinwall enjoyed Jack's videos to his unborn son, noting it was "...the [Jack] I know and love best: supremely confident and ... oblivious to his own insanity." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
liked that the series had moved on from making the Liz character "asexual and vaguely repellent" for men. In his recap, Rabin much enjoyed the episode and said "If the rest of the season is as good as the first two episodes, we could have a big-time comeback on our hands." Juli Weiner of Vanity Fair
wrote that Paul Giamatti was a delight as his 30 Rock character. Entertainment Weekly
contributor Annie Barrett was thrilled that the Tracy character was a contestant on Cash Cab, noting once the game began "everything felt so right". Samantha Urban of The Dallas Morning News
preferred "When It Rains, It Pours" to the episodes of Community
and The Office, which aired on NBC the same night. Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
wrote that Giamatti played his part brilliantly, and that his involvement in the main plot was "well-written, well-organized, and by far the best thing about the episode".
Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad commented that Giamatti "seems like he could be an editor at NBC, so the guest role didn't irritate or grate". Sassone enjoyed Kenneth and Tracy's stories here, and was glad that Jack and Avery have remained a couple. Verne Gay of Newsday
noted that this episode of 30 Rock was a "spectacular piece of television, and comedy writing, and acting". Scott Eidler of The Cornell Daily Sun
called Tracy's plot "very believable", and opined that "any reservations I have had about this show being less than completely real are gone" after watching this episode. Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times
deemed this a stellar episode, explaining that the Tracy, Liz, and Jack characters had storylines that allowed them "to strut their comedic stuff". Time
contributor James Poniewozik
reported that "When It Rains, It Pours" was a very good episode. He noted that Jack's storyline was the "simplest recipe for comedy: just turn on a camera and let Alec Baldwin be hilarious. But it came within the story of his accepting having a [child] assessing his mortality, and trying to distill what matters in his life". Poniewozik was positive towards Liz's plot with Giamatti, reporting that the her plot "involved one of the best guest roles in a sometimes too guest-heavy role" and enjoyed the traits from Giamatti's Ritchie.
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...
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...
, and the 82nd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
and executive producer 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 directed by series producer Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. "When It Rains, It Pours" 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 September 30, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Joanna Adler, Ben Bailey
Ben Bailey
Benjamin Ray "Ben" Bailey is an American comedian, licensed taxi cab driver, and game show host and executive producer for Discovery Channel's Cash Cab in New York City.-Early life:...
, Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
, Craig Castaldo
Radio Man
Radioman is the nickname of a former homeless man in New York City who has gained notoriety from making cameo appearances in a number of films and TV shows....
, Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
, Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell is an American television journalist, anchor, reporter, and commentator for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.. She is the NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, and has recently reported on the 2008 Race for the White House for NBC News broadcasts, including NBC Nightly...
, Chris Parnell
Chris Parnell
Thomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell is an American comic actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2006 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock. Parnell also voices Cyril Figgis on the FX animated comedy...
, 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...
, 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...
.
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...
) uses her newfound confidence of men noticing her to solve Pete Hornberger's (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,...
) problem with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
). 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...
) decides to teach his unborn child with his girlfriend Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
) how to live. Elsewhere, 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:...
) is determined to be with his wife Angie Jordan (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...
) when she gives birth, and a mysterious individual is making sure 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...
's (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"...
) page duties
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
at the fictitious show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) at NBC are still getting done.
"When It Rains, It Pours" received generally positive reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the episode was watched by 5.688 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.6 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For his work in the episode, Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Episodic Comedy.
Plot
Liz LemonLiz 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...
) is surprised that men have been noticing her, instead of resenting or ignoring her as they usually do. Her friend 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...
) tells Liz that she is coming off as more confident since starting her relationship with her boyfriend Carol (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...
). Liz decides to use her new-found confidence to help TGS with Tracy Jordan 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,...
) with a problem he has had with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
). Liz visits him in the editing room and hopes to convince him to get TGSs show's opener footage finished as soon as possible in which she is successful after flirting with Ritchie. Later, Liz learns that Ritchie is spreading a rumor that the two are sleeping together. She confronts Ritchie about it, he admits to starting the rumor in order to get the attention of his assistant editor Donna (Joanna Adler). Later, Liz and Ritchie have a pretend break-up in front of Donna, and Donna becomes interested in Ritchie.
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...
) and his girlfriend CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
host Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
) tell Liz that they are expecting a son. Liz congratulates them, and tells the two that their son will have an old dad as Jack is in his early 50s. As a result of what Liz said, Jack fears that he will not be around so he decides to teach his unborn son how to live by recording a video containing advice for him. Later, Jack learns that he and Avery are in fact expecting a daughter and not a son. Jack realizes that he needs to make new tapes and in the tape he says to his unborn daughter "If you have the blondeness and self-esteem of your mother, you will need no advice."
At the same time, 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:...
's (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:...
) wife, Angie Jordan (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...
), is going into labor. Tracy, who after missing the birth of his sons does not want to miss the birth of his daughter, has Grizz Griswold (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...
) and "Dot Com" Slattery (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...
) guard him in his dressing room in the 30 Rock building so that he would not wander off. A fire drill occurs so everyone must exit the building. Outside, however, the two lose track of Tracy, who wanders around the city. He hails a cab to get to the hospital Angie is at, but realizes that he does not have money on him, however, the driver does not mind. Once inside the cab, the driver, Ben Bailey
Ben Bailey
Benjamin Ray "Ben" Bailey is an American comedian, licensed taxi cab driver, and game show host and executive producer for Discovery Channel's Cash Cab in New York City.-Early life:...
—the host of the game show Cash Cab
Cash Cab (U.S. game show)
Cash Cab is an American game show that began airing on the Discovery Channel on December 5, 2005. The program is hosted by stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. While Bailey's show takes place in New York City, some episodes of Season 6 take place in Las Vegas...
—informs Tracy that he is a contestant. As part of the game, Tracy must answer questions to win money and reach his destination. As a result, Tracy answers all the questions correctly and arrives at the hospital in time to witness the birth of his daughter.
In addition, Liz and Jenna are surprised how smoothly everything is running in the TGS set without 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"...
), a former NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
. Unbeknownst to everyone, there is a "mystery man" going around TGS in a black cape completing all of the tasks that Kenneth would do. While Jack is recording a video, he catches Kenneth in his office, revealing that Kenneth has been the one completing all of his old tasks. Kenneth says that he is there because he knows how much he is needed, but Jack tells him that they do not need him and he must move on with his life. Hurt and bewildered, Kenneth leaves, and Jack says in the video for his unborn child that the exchange between him and Kenneth was really "tough love" and he had just sent Kenneth on a journey. Later, Jack tells Kenneth that he is truly needed back at TGS and offers to talk to human resources to get his job back, but Kenneth refuses and says he will re-apply to the page program, following the proper procedures.
Production
This episode of 30 Rock was written by co-show runnerShow runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
and executive producer 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 directed by series producer Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. This was Carlock's sixteenth writing credit, and Scardino's twenty-eighth directed episode. "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired in the United States on September 30, 2010, on NBC as the second episode of the show's 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 82nd overall episode of the series. This episode of 30 Rock was filmed on August 30, August 31, September 2, September 5, and September 8, 2010.
In August 2010, series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey revealed to 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...
correspondent Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
that actor Paul Giamatti would guest star in the upcoming season playing a "grouchy" television editor named Ritchie. Giamatti is due to appear in a future episode of 30 Rock. Actress Elizabeth Banks returned as her 30 Rock character Avery Jessup, a CNBC television host and Jack Donaghy's girlfriend, in this episode, and reprised the Avery role for the eighth time. Comedienne actress Sherri Shepherd reprised her role as Angie Jordan, the wife of Tracy Jordan, for the seventh time. Comedian actor Chris Parnell
Chris Parnell
Thomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell is an American comic actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2006 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock. Parnell also voices Cyril Figgis on the FX animated comedy...
, who played Dr. Leo Spaceman, the doctor who assisted in the birth of Angie and Tracy's daughter in the episode, has appeared in the main cast of 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...
(SNL), a weekly sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series which airs on NBC in the United States. Tina Fey was the head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
on SNL from 1999 until 2006.
News anchors 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...
and Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell is an American television journalist, anchor, reporter, and commentator for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.. She is the NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, and has recently reported on the 2008 Race for the White House for NBC News broadcasts, including NBC Nightly...
played themselves in the episode in which the two tease the Liz Lemon character of her supposed relationship with Giamatti's Ritchie. This was Williams' fourth appearance on the show, having appeared in the episodes "The Ones
The Ones (30 Rock)
"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 . Guest...
", "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...
", and "Future Husband
Future Husband
"Future Husband" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United...
", and Mitchell's first appearance on 30 Rock. Ben Bailey, the game show host of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
program Cash Cab
Cash Cab (U.S. game show)
Cash Cab is an American game show that began airing on the Discovery Channel on December 5, 2005. The program is hosted by stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. While Bailey's show takes place in New York City, some episodes of Season 6 take place in Las Vegas...
played himself. In the beginning of the episode, several men hit
Flirting
Flirting is a playful, romantic, or sexual overture by one person to another subtly indicating an interest in a deeper relationship with the other person, and can involve verbal communication as well as body language...
on Liz, which surprises her, and one of those men who hits on her was credited as "Moonvest" and was played by Craig Castaldo, or known as Radio Man
Radio Man
Radioman is the nickname of a former homeless man in New York City who has gained notoriety from making cameo appearances in a number of films and TV shows....
. Castaldo has made numerous appearances on the program.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "When It Rains, It Pours" drew in 5.688 million households, according to the Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
. The show claimed a 2.6 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 2.6 percent of all 18–49 years olds, and 8 percent of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The rating/share was the same number as the previous week's season premiere episode, "The Fabian Strategy
The Fabian Strategy
"The Fabian Strategy" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 81st overall episode of the series. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and written by series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey...
"; in the week that "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired, 30 Rock was the only Thursday program whose ratings did not fall from its season premiere. In February 2011, Robert Carlock won the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Episodic Comedy for his work in this episode of 30 Rock.
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
's December 2009 episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001
Dealbreakers Talk Show
"Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 65th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National...
". He wrote that the episode had "some incredibly funny jokes", but noted that the "most hilarious moments" from "When It Rains, It Pours" came from the main characters themselves. Sepinwall enjoyed Jack's videos to his unborn son, noting it was "...the [Jack] I know and love best: supremely confident and ... oblivious to his own insanity." Nathan Rabin of 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...
liked that the series had moved on from making the Liz character "asexual and vaguely repellent" for men. In his recap, Rabin much enjoyed the episode and said "If the rest of the season is as good as the first two episodes, we could have a big-time comeback on our hands." Juli Weiner of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
wrote that Paul Giamatti was a delight as his 30 Rock character. 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...
contributor Annie Barrett was thrilled that the Tracy character was a contestant on Cash Cab, noting once the game began "everything felt so right". Samantha Urban of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
preferred "When It Rains, It Pours" to the episodes of Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
and The Office, which aired on NBC the same night. Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student
Indiana Daily Student
The Indiana Daily Student is an independent, student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana since 1867. The IDS is free and distributed throughout the campus and city.- Circulation :...
wrote that Giamatti played his part brilliantly, and that his involvement in the main plot was "well-written, well-organized, and by far the best thing about the episode".
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 commented that Giamatti "seems like he could be an editor at NBC, so the guest role didn't irritate or grate". Sassone enjoyed Kenneth and Tracy's stories here, and was glad that Jack and Avery have remained a couple. Verne Gay of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
noted that this episode of 30 Rock was a "spectacular piece of television, and comedy writing, and acting". Scott Eidler of The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. It is the oldest independent college daily in the United States....
called Tracy's plot "very believable", and opined that "any reservations I have had about this show being less than completely real are gone" after watching this episode. Meredith Blake of 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....
deemed this a stellar episode, explaining that the Tracy, Liz, and Jack characters had storylines that allowed them "to strut their comedic stuff". Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
contributor James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
reported that "When It Rains, It Pours" was a very good episode. He noted that Jack's storyline was the "simplest recipe for comedy: just turn on a camera and let Alec Baldwin be hilarious. But it came within the story of his accepting having a [child] assessing his mortality, and trying to distill what matters in his life". Poniewozik was positive towards Liz's plot with Giamatti, reporting that the her plot "involved one of the best guest roles in a sometimes too guest-heavy role" and enjoyed the traits from Giamatti's Ritchie.