Feb. 17 - Thursday Night TV, Part 2

Okay, okay - so I didn't get around to posting yesterday or Saturday. After oversleeping on the latter, I had the delightful chance to go to The Fat Cat with my friend V. and his girlfriend. Since I'd never been, I was quite taken with the place - the thumping live jazz and heavily thronged ping pong and pool tables all made for a pretty raucous atmosphere. We played Scrabble for three very enjoyable hours - I came in second place - then we went to Five Guys (I just realized their vegetarian burger wouldn't have anything on it unless you asked for the toppings). And because we were in the neighborhood and couldn't resist, plus V. and I had had such a blast feasting there back in November, the three of us nipped over to Rocco's (above right), one of my favorite pastry shops in the city. Nothing like cake and steamed milk to end one of the most enjoyable evenings in recent memory.

[Side note: recommended dishes at Rocco's: cannoli, s'mores cheesecake, tiramisu cake, eclairs, steamed milk flavored with anything.]

But I digress. Today's subject is this past week's episode of '30 Rock,' titled "It's Never Too Late For Now."

I am a big fan of the theory that comedy is tragedy plus timing. That pain of any kind could form a desire for laughs seems reasonable, and rooted in an unconscious study of funny people over the course of history. You could argue, of course, that cynicism is just as much a source of humor because it provides edge, the zing you feel when a joke lands well. So when a veritable show like '30 Rock' allows its forlorn Liz Lemon to experience the softer side of humor, it's a welcome change of pace.

Shows like 'Community' and 'The Office' are adept at this sort of thing, because their casts function as ensembles, and as such tend to experience things together (e.g., the entire office commenting on, attending and participating in Jim and Pam's courtship/wedding, especially Michael's heartwarming smile at "I do"; the emotional beauty of "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas"). This allows them to bond faster than Liz et al, who while are influenced by and ask for advice from others, tend to go it alone.

So you'd understand why our recently single Liz (hey, if your ex is Matt Damon, I think you're on the right track) would attract the attention of her near and dear. Frightened by her fanny pack, off the cuff knowledge about 'NCIS,' and adoption of a cat depressingly named Emily Dickinson, the crew, Jack and Jenna go to work creating a hope-reviving night for Liz. Things line up perfectly - so perfectly, in fact, that Liz begins to smell a rat. That is, several rats, working in tandem to let her know that she shouldn't give up.

Turns out, everyone from Girl Writer to Kenneth to Pete collaborated to get Liz to a club with no ostensible annoyances, a nice guy who shares her fondness for white wine spritzers and - surprise! - with knowledge of Pete's motto du jour, "It's never too late for now."



The final scene has Liz proposing a complex (MOTOE-style) and a simple (lovely coincidence) explanation for her wonderful night. As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan who owns a well-thumbed copy of 'Murder on the Orient Express,' Liz's detection a la Monsieur Hercule Poirot now holds a special place in my heart. And just as the well-dressed Belgian, out of sympathy for the murderers' pain, opted for the simple, our awkward, Spanx-ed and visibly moved Elizabeth does the same. Because, she says, no one could be so lucky for the other to be possible.


This episode immediately reminded me of 'Anna Howard Shaw Day,' last season's amazing Valentine's Day episode. Liz can't find anyone to take her home from the dentist after anesthesia, and she decides to concoct a boyfriend to escape the litigious clutches of the hysterical Jamaican nurse. Of course, she doesn't get away with it, and monologues about how she longs for someone. While the episode dealt with Liz's loneliness in a very funny way (imagining Floyd, Drew and Dennis as Jamaican nurses is comic gold), the kicker's at the end, when Liz, in her drugged state, says to the camera, "Happy Valentine's Day, no one!" The message, I think, is that Liz has too many experiences that sour her opinion of a loving, sustained relationship. She doesn't believe in it because it's never worked out for her. This is why she calls it a day after the break-up with Carol.

It's tough being Liz, to be sure, especially regarding dating. But "It's Never Too Late For Now" reminds us that she - and hopefully, the rest of us - is dear to people who would never let her commit to misery. Sure, the guy in question might be a Swiss prostitute recommended to Jack by Martha Stewart, and Jenna may have drugged Liz with organ-slimming/meth pills, but hey, they care! '30 Rock' has always been a show which cartoon-ized its characters a bit, so their offbeat attempts are forgiven. And what would friendship be, if not a collection of bizarre, hilarious and loving moments which leave you revived, grateful and secure?