The Best ‘30 Rock’ Episodes From Every Season

30 Rock, the funniest show of the last 20 years, is finally on Netflix Philippines. 

We’ve seen a sitcom renaissance recently, from Hacks to The Bear (if you even consider it a comedy) to the criminally underrated Kevin Can F*ck Himself, but there hasn’t been anything as laugh-out-loud funny as 30 Rock.

Created by and starring Tina Fey, it follows TV showrunner Liz Lemon and her struggling bizarro version of Saturday Night Live called The Girlie Show (TGS). Paired with actor Alec Baldwin, who plays network executive Jack Donaghy, alongside Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, and Jack McBrayer as the lovable Kenneth the Page among others, 30 Rock became a critical darling across its seven seasons and has amassed a cult following composed of comedy nerds and internet obsessives (myself included). Now that it’s finally on Netflix, there’s really no excuse not to watch it anymore. Now sit back, relax, and catch up on 30 Rock while you work on some night cheese.

‘BLACK TIE’ (Season 1)

It’s easy to pick the brilliant pilot episode for the first season’s best episode solely on Jack Donaghy’s instant classic line, “It’s after six. What am I? A farmer?” but it’s in “Black Tie” where the show realized how weird it can go, and it never turned back since. The episode centers on Jack inviting Liz to an exclusive dinner for Prince Gerhardt Habsburg (the incomparable and sorely missed Paul Reubens). Jenna, always the shameless opportunist, tries to flirt with Habsburg in comedic fashion as Liz reluctantly pretends to be Jack’s girlfriend in front of his ex, played by none other than Isabella Rossellini. The show is at its best when it’s unapologetically absurd, and from the main cast to its star-studded lineup of guests, this episode doesn’t relent for a second.

‘MILF ISLAND’ (Season 2)

It may seem unforgivable to not name “Sandwich Day” as the best episode of the season, but pound for pound, “MILF Island” doesn’t disappoint. As much as 30 Rock is mainly about Liz and Jack’s relationship, it shines brightest when it makes the most of its cast of characters. That is never more the case than in the 11th episode of the second season. The episode takes place on a momentous day for the network, the season finale of its hit show MILF Island, and all hands are on deck. Unfortunately for Liz, she also has to deal with a company scandal where someone on her team could be fired. The episode brilliantly balances building suspense and joke delivery. And it all culminates with Liz’s comedic comeuppance. While Liz is the show’s main character, she is far from the typical and honorable protagonist, and that’s what makes her great. “MILF Island” makes the most of Fey’s skill at portraying a self-righteous leader who, time and time again, is proven to be anything but a martyr.

‘The Bubble’ (Season 3)

One of the best subplots of 30 Rock is Liz Lemon’s quest for love. Every new relationship starts off charming enough until it dives headfirst into full-on comedy. Think classic Nora Ephron by way of a disaster movie. In “The Bubble,” Liz’s current beau, Doctor Drew (played by the comedically underrated Jon Hamm), isn’t all he and his good looks are cracked up to be. In fact, it’s precisely because of how handsome he is that he has not only gotten by but succeeded without any real discernible skill or talent. The episode builds on this tension of Liz trying to keep her frustrations in for the sake of being with someone desirable until it all falls apart in a cathartic moment that makes Liz both right and hilariously cruel at the same time. 

‘Verna’ (Season 4)

Out of all of 30 Rock’s supporting characters, no one is more chaotic than Jenna Maroney (thanks in no small part to Krakowski’s acting). This episode sheds light on her upbringing as we get to know her mother, Verna (comedy icon Jan Hooks). Beyond the laugh-out-loud moments between Jenna and Verna, it’s the emotional connection between a mother and daughter who are the worst for each other that’s at the heart of this story. Without spoiling too much, this episode shows that 30 Rock isn’t just a great sitcom, but it can also pull at your heartstrings too.

‘Double-Edged Sword’ (Season 5)

Between honorable mentions such as “TGS Hates Women” and “Queen of Jordan,” this was the hardest season to pick just one episode as its best. But “Double-Edged Sword” isn’t just the top episode of the fifth season; it may be 30 Rock’s best episode ever. The episode’s premise is simple enough: Should two people who are similar in almost every way be together? The theory is pushed to the extremes as Liz and her airplane pilot boyfriend Carol’s (Matt Damon in a career-defining role) relationship explodes in an airplane-shaped pressure cooker. Meanwhile, Jack and his baby mama, Avery, who’s about to give birth at any minute, are stuck in Canada as the two struggle to find a way out to make sure their baby is born in the United States. The episode is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to one-liners and meme-worthy clips, but it’s the intensity of Fey and Damon that takes “Double-Edged Sword” straight to the top. More than any other episode of 30 Rock, this showed just how talented an actress Fey truly is.

‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching’ (Season 6)

Sometimes being mean is the best. The opening salvo of season six gave us Jenna at her most (hilariously) vile, being the Simon Cowell-esque judge on the wish-it-were-real talent show America’s Kidz Got Singing and lambasting children to tears. “Congratulations, you’re a disgrace,” she tells a completely devastated eight-year-old. The plot centers on new dad Jack trying his best to make the show (and Jenna) just a tad bit nicer, but to little or no avail. Which is great for us fans because when it comes to its comedic currency, 30 Rock’s absurd cruelty is pure gold.

‘My Whole Life is Thunder’ (Season 7)

For the most part, a show’s final season is a long goodbye to all the characters of the show. And in the season’s eighth episode, we get a beautiful and fitting tribute to my favorite recurring guest character, Jack’s mom, Colleen Donaghy, played by the late Elaine Stritch. Jack and Colleen had one of the best and most toxic mother-son relationships in all of TV, and in “My Whole Life is Thunder,” their story ends in one of the craziest and funniest necrological services you’ll ever see. In a season of farewells, this is the one that hit hardest.

Jonty Cruz

Chief of Editorial Content

Jonty Cruz is the Chief of Editorial Content for Rolling Stone Philippines. He oversees all editorial work across print, digital, social media, and video.

Jonty has had over 15 years of editorial experience across various roles. He was first an editorial assistant and quickly rose to be managing editor within two years. He has become an editor in both magazines and broadsheets as well as publishing two independent online publications.

He specializes in cultural and political stories as seen in his Rolling Stone Philippine articles on Maria Ressa, Anne Curtis, Cheche Lazaro, Geloy Concepcion, and Paeng Nepomuceno just to name a few.

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• In This Article:
• 30 Rock
• Netflix Philippines
• Tina Fey