30 Rock Recap: Generalissimo

Let me start off by saying that I was ridiculously excited about the latest 30 Rock. Like, absurdly so. The last two episodes were some of the funniest in series history and, more importantly, the prospect of Jon Hamm's guest spot could only make things about 5,000 times better.

However, as much as it pains me to admit it, "Generalissimo" was a bit of a disappointment.

The episode began with the introduction of some new pages: ex-investment bankers who, it turns out, party even harder than Tracy Jordan. Though some of their exchanges with Tracy were priceless ("Is it racist if I quote your movies?" "No, I transcend race."), these middle-aged frat boy characters really served no purpose. In fact, they ultimately took away time from the hilarious new developments in Liz and Jack's love lives.

See, Liz has been getting her neighbor, Dr. Baird's, mail by mistake and, try as she might, can't resist finding out a little more about the dreamy mystery man. She discovers he's recently been divorced, loves Caddyshack and pie, supports countless charities and even trains seeing-eye dogs in his home. (Also,he has the best introduction ever: Hi, I'm Drew. Sorry I smell like frosting; I just love to bake!) It's time for Liz to make her move, but of course she advances disastrously after taking one too many cues from a certain telenovela villain.

Which brings me to Jack. He and Elisa are going strong, yet for some reason her grandmother just doesn't approve. It becomes apparent why when they watch an episode of the woman's favorite telenovela. Jack seems to bear an unfortunate resemblance to the show's villain, the despicable Generalissimo (read: it's Alec Baldwin in a comical moustache). And it's tough to love this guy. He seduces innocent women, straps dynamite to little kids' heads and just looks positively diabolical. Jack tries to fix the problem by gaining control of the show, but must butt heads with his actor twin in the process.

If all of this sounds great, it's because it is. Liz's desperate infatuation with Dr. Baird, who "looks like a cartoon pilot," is fantastic. The fictional telenovela is comedy gold. The subsequent parallels between Liz and the Generalissimo are even better. But it all just feels like a bit much. The Jack and Liz subplots are such good ideas that they deserve their own episodes, yet instead they were lumped into this already cluttered story that pushed MVP characters like Kenneth and Jenna to the sidelines. I also would've liked a little more screen time for Hamm, who proved his comedic chops last fall by delivering the season's funniest Saturday Night Live episode. Then again, I don't know if anyone can ever have enough Jon Hamm, so maybe it's just as well.

30 Rock, I appreciate you trying to give me the most bang for my buck, but please take it down a notch. Quirky comedies like yourself tend to work best when there's less action and more hilarious wordplay. So take a deep breath, reexamine your character priorities and maybe even peruse Steak Monthly. I mean, it got Liz a second date, didn't it?