Falco matched Baldwin note for note, although I wish NBC hadn't teased their ''you made love like an ugly girl'' scene in commercials. It was hilarious just the same, but the anticipation cost the show's best line some of its zip. Fortunately, the Lifetime movie based on C.C.'s tragic accident was a total surprise: A Dog Took My Face and Gave Me a Better Face to Change the World: The Celeste Cunningham Story. Jack kept the door open for more C.C. when he threw caution to the wind. Outside Bill Clinton's Harlem office, Jack yelled up to her, while Tracy played a depraved Cyrano, offering such irresistible bon mots as ''tell her that you want your privates and her privates to do a high five.''
With Jenna taking the week off, noble Kenneth soaked up the rest of the plot, struggling to replace Jack's missing tuxedo pants. He sacrificed some of his vaunted Parcell pride to raise money by accepting a series of dares, like eating expired ketchup and provoking Lutz with an ill-advised ape attack. Jack McBrayer looked literally dazed after taking that golf club to the head.
Overall, another splendid show. My only beef was with the Verizon bit. 30 Rock normally does a splendid job of balancing the corporate elements of television, often utilizing it for comic fodder. But the winking cell-phone banter lacked subtlety, and it seemed to me like the show was trying to have its cake and eat it, too. ''Sure, we have corporate tie-ins and product placement,'' they seem to be saying. ''But we make fun of them, so we haven't surrendered our souls.'' Pssst, 30 Rock: You're not The Little Show That Could. You're NBC's potential flagship comedy, and there's no shame in that. Unless you repeat these clunky nonpromo promos.
Were you wondering where Jenna was, TV Watchers? (I hope Dr. Spaceman wasn't involved.) Can you see C.C. becoming a semiregular this season? And has this episode opened a Pandora's box of bigotry in sweet, little Liz Lemon?
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