Episode Report Card Lady Lola: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT But Where Was Dr. Spaceman?
By Lady Lola | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.26.2009
Uptown at Jack's birthday party, Adam West makes an introductory speech in Batman mode, then flubs and calls the man of the hour "Jake Dellahee." It does nothing to help Jack's waning joie de vivre. He dismisses the guests. Adam West exits, muttering about his contractually stipulated free meal. Commercials.
When we return, Lemon has arrived fashionably late to the party to find no one but Jake Dellahee mournfully viewing his childhood birthday party on a loop. He wonders what was in the box that made him so happy. He wants that feeling back -- literally. He vows to find out what was in the box and buy it again, no matter the cost. Alternately, he will "Benjamin Button" himself. "We're not meeting in the middle!" Lemon shoots back.
She returns to work to find Pete in the midst of space-ifying 30 Rock. He has devised a pitch-perfect ruse to make Tracy think he's at Cape Canaveral. Some of the particulars: a blindfold, NBC New York's traffic chopper, Dot Com brandishing a heat lamp, and Kenneth using a Bonzi Buddy-like computer program to order Tracy to do "space sit-ups." Tracy asks the computer when he'll "get some Tang," then adds, "Also, I'm thirsty." Word play!
Lemon walks into the studio to find Jenna in full Peter Pan regalia, already strapped into her harness. Jenna admits she was totally satisfied by the Dennis showdown. She fist bumps Lemon for sisterhood and heads up into the air. Lemon is less keyed-up on female bonding, though, and decides not to speak up when she notices Jenna's harness clasp isn't securely fastened. Down falls Jenna. Lemon belatedly warns Jenna to be careful, then runs off.
Back up at Jack's office, a video tech enters to find Mr. Dellahee desperately staring at a still frame from his childhood birthday party film. Jake thinks the tech can employ some techniques from 24 to figure out what 's in the box. [Zoom and enhance! - Zach] The tech advises him to ask "Jimmy," whose name clearly appears on the gift card in the film. Flash forward to a couple of hours later, Jack has found Jimmy and duped him into coming down for a "job interview." Jimmy has no idea what he gave Jack for his birthday nearly four decades ago, but does point out that Jack is saying something in the (silent) film. Light bulb! "Jonathan, get me a deaf person!" Some time later, same shtick, less hearing. The deaf girl tells Jack that his childhood self is shrieking, "Apollo! Apollo! Apollo!" Like everyone else, she was not warned about the projectile vomit. She takes particular umbrage, though, since she was brought in for the express purpose of staring at Jack's mouth. Jack runs out, ignorant of her horror.