30 Rock Review: "Khonani"

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Weak, amazingly, is the first word that springs to mind when describing 30 Rock's riff on the recent NBC late night debacle. You knew it was coming. Unfortunately, "Khonani" came about a month too late and simply wasn't that funny.

The show might want to work on its scheduling.

First of all, back-to-back episodes featuring plots where Jack tries to choose between Avery and Nancy (beginning in "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter") simply wasn't necessary. Why not air one of these last week instead of take a month off?

Second, 30 Rock flat out blew its shot at the Jay-Conan debacle.

We Love Liz

Liz's wedding plot line was this episode's best.

Unlike the Tracy story, which could be perceived as a play on the Tiger Woods scandal but is still funny regardless because it's Tracy, the janitor spat as O'Brien/Leno parody felt mailed in, as if they were required to spoof it contractually, but had nothing.

The whole thing not only felt dated, it lacked the trademark, off-the-wall genius of the recent "Don Geiss, America and Hope," which spun two current events - Comcast acquiring NBC and Rip Torn going insane - into independently hilarious nonsense.

That's 30 Rock at its best. Last night was far from it.

If "Khonani" had a bright side, it was Liz's story line with Cerie. Upset that she wasn't invited to the weekly Thursday night Thunder, when the staff gets together to drink and give each other windmill high fives and stuff, Liz tries to prove she's the funnest.

By throwing a party for Cerie’s upcoming wedding, of course. The cardboard cutout Cerie was an awesome touch, as were some of Liz's lines throughout.

Follow the jump for 30 Rock quotes from "Khonani" ...

Cerie: Well it was off for awhile because my fiance was on his dad's yacht and got captured by pirates, but now, thanks to the A-Team, he's back. | permalink
Khonani: And don't worry, I have a job for me at Fox ... woods. | permalink
Tracy: First of all, the secret service never gave me back my t-shirt cannon. | permalink
Jack: Honestly, these immigrants have a tough life, no health care, and I kind of just thought he'd die before it became a thing. | permalink
Liz: Tonight's going to be different! There's going to be booze, and a karaoke machine, and that Black Eyed Peas song they wrote for bar mitzvahs! | permalink
Jenna: You don't want to mess with that stuff, Liz. Ice has caused a lot of ODs in the porn community. | permalink
Jonathan: Does that mean you're coming to my cabaret? | permalink
Liz: There ain't no party like a Liz Lemon party 'cause a Liz Lemon party is mandatory! | permalink
Tracy: Just because he'd run away and cause traffic accidents and impregnate neighbors' horses. He's trapped here just like me! | permalink
Cerie: The bridesmaids are you guys, Andy Roddick's wife, my Dutch cousins, and Penelope Cruz's hotter sister Monica. | permalink

Khonani Review

Editor Rating: 2.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0 (9 Votes)

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.

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30 Rock Season 4 Episode 18 Quotes

There ain't no party like a Liz Lemon party 'cause a Liz Lemon party is mandatory!

Liz

The bridesmaids are you guys, Andy Roddick's wife, my Dutch cousins, and Penelope Cruz's hotter sister Monica.

Cerie