"The Shower Principle" is the
fifteenth episode of the
sixth season of the American television comedy series ''
30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...
'', and the 117th overall episode of the series. It was directed by Stephen Lee Davis, and written by Tom Ceraulo. The episode originally aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
in the United States on March 29, 2012.
In the episode, Liz (
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
) realizes that every year in her life is exactly like the last and uses this knowledge to her advantage; Jack (
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nic ...
) searches for a business pitch that will transform Kabletown; Jenna (
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress, comedienne, and singer. She is best known for her starring role as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four ...
) deals with a theatrical curse; and Tracy (
Tracy Morgan) has trouble with the IRS.
Plot
In a meeting with her accountant about her taxes, Liz realizes that every year is exactly like the last. By consulting her journal entries from last year, she is able to anticipate and solve several workplace problems. After her new hobby of meditation fails to bring her peace, she realizes that her coworkers are what has left her in a rut.
Jack, appalled that boss Hank Hooper is planning to use profits to pay a dividend, seeks the business pitch that will convince Hank to invest the money in the company instead. He tries to distract himself with showers and golf, operating under the theory that putting his mind elsewhere will bring inspiration. He realizes that Liz is the only distraction that allows him to function, and in desperation turns to her suggestion of meditation. He immediately comes up with a plan to manufacture couches and control the entire TV viewing experience, a plan that Hank loves.
Jenna refuses to perform in a sketch based on ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' due to her belief in
The Scottish Play curse. Liz casts Cerie to make Jenna jealous, which is met with immediate success. Jenna then suffers multiple serious accidents. New page Hazel admits these were her attempts to scare away Jenna so that Hazel can be Liz's best friend.
Tracy, realizing that it is almost tax day, starts to remember multiple income sources and needs to generate some cash by starring in a movie. This storyline is not resolved in the episode.
Reception
The episode's first showing attracted 3.14 million viewers. ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode a C+.
References
External links
*
30 Rock (season 6) episodes
{{comedy-tv-episode-stub
pt:Kidnapped by Danger