Episodes
See also: List of 30 Rock episodes| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | U.S. viewers (million) |
Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 1 | "Do-Over" | Don Scardino | Tina Fey | 8.7 | October 30, 2008 (2008-10-30) | 301 |
| Liz tries to stop the TGS staff from ruining her chances at adoption when an adoption agency evaluator, named Bev (Megan Mullally), comes to 30 Rock to determine whether Liz would make a good mother. Jack returns from Washington D.C. and starts his job again at NBC, only to discover he has been demoted. Jack tries to get his old job and office back from Devon Banks (Will Arnett) and Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot). A feud between Tracy and Jenna wreaks havoc among the TGS staff. | |||||||
| 38 | 2 | "Believe in the Stars" | Don Scardino | Robert Carlock | 8.0 | November 6, 2008 (2008-11-06) | 302 |
| To get out of jury duty, Liz flies to Chicago only to be seated next to Oprah Winfrey on her return flight to New York. An argument between Tracy and Jenna leads to a "social experiment" to prove who is right. Kenneth challenges Jack's morality after it is found out that NBC faked some Olympic events during the summer as a ratings stunt. | |||||||
| 39 | 3 | "The One with the Cast of Night Court" | Gail Mancuso | Jack Burditt | 7.5 | November 13, 2008 (2008-11-13) | 303 |
| Liz's former roommate from Chicago, Claire Harper (Jennifer Aniston), comes to visit her and Jenna. She develops a stalker-like obsession with Jack. Kenneth is unhappy with the new NBC page uniform so Tracy decides to cheer him up with the help of Night Court cast members Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charlie Robinson. | |||||||
| 40 | 4 | "Gavin Volure" | Gail Mancuso | John Riggi | 7.3 | November 20, 2008 (2008-11-20) | 304 |
| Liz meets one of Jack's friends, the eccentric businessman Gavin Volure (Steve Martin), when the pair attend a dinner party with guests including John McEnroe. Gavin, after offering Jack a secret business opportunity, becomes enamored with Liz. Jack encourages the relationship until he discovers Gavin is not as successful as he claimed. Also, Kenneth invests his money in Gavin's business. Meanwhile, after learning about Lyle and Erik Menendez murdering their parents, Tracy fears that his children, Tracy Jr. and George Foreman Jordan, are trying to kill him. | |||||||
| 41 | 5 | "Reunion" | Beth McCarthy | Matt Hubbard | 7.1 | December 4, 2008 (2008-12-04) | 305 |
| Don Geiss (Rip Torn) finally wakes up from his coma and shocks Jack with his announcement that he will be remaining CEO of General Electric (GE). Jack offers to fly Liz to her high school reunion en route to his vacation, but is stuck with her following bad weather. Once there Liz finds that her high school classmates do not remember their school years the same way she does. | |||||||
| 42 | 6 | "Christmas Special" | Don Scardino | Kay Cannon & Tina Fey | 8.9 | December 11, 2008 (2008-12-11) | 306 |
| In the Christmas episode, Liz decides to help a charity for underprivileged children after her parents ditch their holiday plans. Jack's mother, Colleen (Elaine Stritch), stops Jack from going on a Christmas vacation so he ends up taking his frustration out on the TGS staff. The TGS crew have to ditch their own plans for a holiday-themed episode of the show. | |||||||
| 43 | 7 | "Señor Macho Solo" | Beth McCarthy | Ron Weiner | 5.4 | January 8, 2009 (2009-01-08) | 307 |
| Jenna is concerned when Liz becomes attracted to a new man (Peter Dinklage). Jack tries to help Tracy and Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd) organize a postnuptial agreement and Jenna auditions for a Janis Joplin biographical film. Jack finds a new love in the form of Elisa (Salma Hayek), his mother's nurse. | |||||||
| 44 | 8 | "Flu Shot" | Don Scardino | Jon Pollack | 6.6 | January 15, 2009 (2009-01-15) | 308 |
| Liz campaigns for her staff's right to get flu shots from Dr. Spaceman, but Jack will not allow it due to a limited supply. Jack tries to think of creative ways to spend time with Elisa as she works seven days a week. Meanwhile, Jenna and Tracy try to do something nice for the crew. | |||||||
| 45 | 9 | "Retreat to Move Forward" | Steve Buscemi | Tami Sagher | 6.4 | January 22, 2009 (2009-01-22) | 309 |
| Nervous about his performance at a corporate retreat following his Bush administration and CEO debacles, Jack invites Liz to the retreat for moral support. Jenna employs method acting for her Janis Joplin role, which Frank quickly takes advantage of. After Tracy is diagnosed with diabetes Kenneth attempts to find a way to dissuade Tracy from eating sugary food. | |||||||
| 46 | 10 | "Generalissimo" | Todd Holland | Robert Carlock | 6.4 | February 5, 2009 (2009-02-05) | 310 |
| Former Wall Street hotheads become interns at the TGS studios, much to Tracy's exhaustion. Jack deals with Elisa's grandmother's hatred due to a strange lookalike coincidence. Liz schemes to win over her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Jon Hamm) after accidentally receiving his mail. | |||||||
| 47 | 11 | "St. Valentine's Day" | Don Scardino | Jack Burditt & Tina Fey | 7.6 | February 12, 2009 (2009-02-12) | 311 |
| Liz invites Dr. Baird on their first date, accidentally scheduling it for Valentine's Day. While she tries to plan a date that will not be awkward, Jack's Valentine's dinner plans with Elisa must be postponed to attend church with her. Kenneth falls for a new staffer (Maria Thayer) and Tracy tries to help him with the romance. | |||||||
| 48 | 12 | "Larry King" | Constantine Makris | Matt Hubbard | 6.4 | February 26, 2009 (2009-02-26) | 312 |
| Jack considers taking the next step in his relationship with Elisa. Tracy appears on Larry King Live and inadvertently triggers mayhem in New York City in responding to questions about the economy. In addition, Tracy's interview sends the TGS crew on a search of the 30 Rock building for a treasure. Liz loses her phone and must go with Kenneth to Queens to recover her phone which is being held for ransom. | |||||||
| 49 | 13 | "Goodbye, My Friend" | John Riggi | Ron Weiner | 7.3 | March 5, 2009 (2009-03-05) | 313 |
| Liz tries to adopt the baby of a pregnant teen she meets in a donut shop. Kenneth learns that Tracy has never celebrated his birthday and ends up asking Jenna to share her birthday celebration with Tracy. Jack goes on a "guy's night out" with some of the TGS writers and Frank tells Jack about his daddy issues. | |||||||
| 50 | 14 | "The Funcooker" | Ken Whittingham | Donald Glover & Tom Ceraulo | 6.4 | March 12, 2009 (2009-03-12) | 314 |
| Liz leaves the TGS crew unmanaged as she must participate in jury duty for the trial of an oddly familiar woman. Kenneth tries to assert control over the crew in her stead and Jack uses the writers to develop a new name for a GE product. Meanwhile, Jenna seeks Dr. Spaceman's help so she can work on TGS and her movie. | |||||||
| 51 | 15 | "The Bubble" | Tricia Brock | Tina Fey | 7.1 | March 19, 2009 (2009-03-19) | 315 |
| Liz learns that Drew's attractiveness has led to society giving him special treatment and Liz tries to bring this to his attention. Meanwhile Jack attempts to renegotiate Tracy Jordan's contract but hits a snag when Tracy realizes he no longer needs money thanks to his video game success. Finally Jenna gets a new hairstyle to try to capture the public's attention. | |||||||
| 52 | 16 | "Apollo, Apollo" | Millicent Shelton | Robert Carlock | 7.2 | March 26, 2009 (2009-03-26) | 316 |
| While Jack plans the perfect 50th birthday party for himself he watches old home videos that inspire him to recreate one of the happiest moments he had as a young boy. Liz’s ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters) decides to come clean to Liz about an addiction, stirring up drama between Liz and Jenna. Kenneth and Pete team up to make Tracy’s childhood dream come true. | |||||||
| 53 | 17 | "Cutbacks" | Gail Mancuso | Matt Hubbard | 6.8 | April 9, 2009 (2009-04-09) | 317 |
| Joy about the 50th TGS episode turns to worry when word spreads about imminent budget cuts at 30 Rock. Before long, Jack must fire several employees to save money, Kenneth takes on new responsibilities, and Liz wheels and deals to spare her staffers from layoffs. Meanwhile, Jenna and Tracy suspect that Kenneth is masking a deep dark secret. | |||||||
| 54 | 18 | "Jackie Jormp-Jomp" | Don Scardino | Kay Cannon & Tracey Wigfield | 7.3 | April 16, 2009 (2009-04-16) | 318 |
| Liz meets a new group of friends while on suspension from work. Meanwhile Jack is worried that Jenna's Janis Joplin biographical film will not get released and tries to promote the movie at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. However, following a mix-up, the world believes Jenna is dead and Jack tries to use her death to further hype the film. | |||||||
| 55 | 19 | "The Ones" | Beth McCarthy | Jack Burditt | 6.3 | April 23, 2009 (2009-04-23) | 319 |
| Jack goes shopping with Liz for an engagement ring for Elisa. Jack grows worried about whether he and Elisa's potential marriage would survive in the real world, but Tracy counsels him on married life. Meanwhile, Elisa tells Liz that she is keeping a secret. A prank results in an injury back at TGS and Jenna falls in love with an attractive emergency medical technician who comes to help. | |||||||
| 56 | 20 | "The Natural Order" | Scott Ellis | John Riggi & Tina Fey | 6.0 | April 30, 2009 (2009-04-30) | 320 |
| Liz reprimands Tracy in front of the staff for not acting professionally. Liz worries, expecting Tracy to act out, but he surprises her by instead acting very professionally. Tracy says that because he no longer requests special treatment as an actor, Liz should give up any privileges she is given as a woman. Jack's mother, Colleen (Elaine Stritch), comes to visit revealing memories about Jack's father. Jenna adopts a pet gibbon and learns about motherhood. | |||||||
| 57 | 21 | "Mamma Mia" | Don Scardino | Ron Weiner | 6.2 | May 7, 2009 (2009-05-07) | 321 |
| Jack begins to search for his biological father with help from Liz. Meanwhile Tracy introduces his supposedly illegitimate son to the cast and crew of TGS, but some question his intentions. Meanwhile, Jenna and Liz fight for attention when Jenna gets public recognition for a comedic sketch Liz wrote. | |||||||
| 58 | 22 | "Kidney Now!" | Don Scardino | Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock | 5.7 | May 14, 2009 (2009-05-14) | 322 |
| Jack gets to know his newly discovered father, but soon discovers Milton (Alan Alda) has a serious medical condition to contend with. Liz gains notoriety as a relationship expert for a sketch she wrote. Meanwhile, Tracy is invited to speak at his former high school's graduation and Kenneth tries to help him overcome troubling memories from his high school experience. Guest stars included Elvis Costello, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Clay Aiken, Adam Levine, Adrock and Mike D of Beastie Boys, Michael McDonald, Rhett Miller, Wyclef Jean, Steve Earle, Moby, Cyndi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, Robert Randolph, Rachael Yamagata, Talib Kweli, Donald Glover and Norah Jones. |
Read more about this topic: 30 Rock (season 3)
Famous quotes containing the word episodes:
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—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924)
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