Special 9 30 Rock: A One-Time Special

I wavered on giving this a heart higher than the Parks and Rec special, but this had an extended bit about a man in a dress, so. And while that least hearkens back to 30 Rock's too frequent stereotyping and punching down, the rest of the special feels distinctly antithetical to the show. This is just a giant ad, the exact kind of soulless cooperate cash grab glibly stuck up its own ass the show would've loved to parody, here presented with nothing more than a cheeky wink. The Parks and Rec special was saccharine fluff devoid of conflict or stakes, yes, but one could argue so was much of the show in its latter half. If someone missed that show, they could watch that and have an inoffensive return to the world. Absolutely nothing was added, but nothing was taken either.

This? While this one, unlike the P&R special, has actual jokes, none of them are that funny. The writing and cast alike are on cruise control. And if that and the cooperate shilling wasn't enough, the special even revokes Jack's ending if looking beyond the world of business and television for happiness to... wanting a job again. Liz Lemon unambiguously has it all. Television is not a circus of egos and weirdos, but a wonderful artform Liz and Jack long for. All in the name of selling another streaming service. Who is this for?

And there's an extended man in a dress joke. In 2020. Hopefully, this special will stay one-time.