¡Qué Sorpresa!
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"¡Qué Sorpresa!" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, 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' ...
'', and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by
John Riggi John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows. He is from Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended high school at Elder High School, in Cincinnati, OH. He has worked as a writer o ...
, and written by
Matt Hubbard Matt Hubbard (born July 12, 1978) is an American television writer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows. He graduated from Beverly High School, in Beverly, Massachusetts in the class of 1996, where he excelled in the Englis ...
. The episode originally aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
in the United States on February 3, 2011. Guest stars include
Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...
,
Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American television host, model and actress. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and hosted ''Total Req ...
,
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He was a correspondent for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchorman, anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in ...
,
Richard Belzer Richard Jay Belzer (August 4, 1944 – February 19, 2023) was an American actor, comedian, and author. He was best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/sergeant and investigator John Munch, whom he portrayed for 23 years in the NBC ...
,
Ice-T Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop music, hip hop and heavy metal music, heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground r ...
, and
Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks (; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the ''Pitch Perfect'' ...
. In the episode,
Jack Donaghy John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of ...
(
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
) meets with Kabletown's boss, Hank Hooper. Jack doesn't like Hank's tactics of being a friendly boss, so he steals Kenneth Parcell's (
Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in ''30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'', McBraye ...
) idea in order to impress him.
Liz Lemon Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series '' 30 Rock''. She created and wrote for the fictional comedy-sketch show ''The Girlie Show'' and later ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''. She is ...
keeps Avery Jessup's pregnancy from relentless reporter Carmen Chao (
Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American television host, model and actress. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and hosted ''Total Req ...
). Meanwhile,
Tracy Jordan Tracy Jordan is a fictional character in the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by the actor Tracy Morgan. The character is a movie star whose personality traits and life events are taken from Morgan's own life. In 2010, ''Entertai ...
(
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
) and
Jenna Maroney Jenna Maroney (born Yustrepa Gronkowitz; February 24, 1969) is a fictional character on the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by Jane Krakowski. For her portrayal of Maroney, Krakowski was nominated four times for the Primetime E ...
(
Jane Krakowski Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She starred as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Out ...
) fight over a sweatshirt. According to
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, "¡Qué Sorpresa!" was watched by 4.784 million viewers during its original broadcast and received a 2.4 rating/6 share among adults aged 18–49.


Plot

Jack Donaghy John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of ...
(
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
) goes to the ''TGS'' set and tells them that Hank Hooper (
Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...
), the boss of NBC's Kabletown, is touring
30 Rockefeller Plaza 30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. Completed in 1933 ...
and orders all of them, especially
Tracy Jordan Tracy Jordan is a fictional character in the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by the actor Tracy Morgan. The character is a movie star whose personality traits and life events are taken from Morgan's own life. In 2010, ''Entertai ...
(
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
) and
Jenna Maroney Jenna Maroney (born Yustrepa Gronkowitz; February 24, 1969) is a fictional character on the American television series ''30 Rock'', played by Jane Krakowski. For her portrayal of Maroney, Krakowski was nominated four times for the Primetime E ...
(
Jane Krakowski Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She starred as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Out ...
), to act normal and expresses to them his desire to make a good first impression. Meanwhile, Tracy and Jenna receive a gift basket from Hank Hooper. The gift basket contains two
MacBook Air The MacBook Air is a line of Mac (computer), Mac laptop computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc., Apple since 2008. It features a thin, light structure in a machining, machined aluminum case and currently either a 13-inch or 15-inch ...
s, watches, and
cellphones A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...
. Both are very happy with the gift basket until they see only one Kabletown sweatshirt. Tracy begrudgingly lets Jenna have it. Later, Jack tells
Liz Lemon Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series '' 30 Rock''. She created and wrote for the fictional comedy-sketch show ''The Girlie Show'' and later ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''. She is ...
(
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
) to go shopping for baby supplies with Avery Jessup (
Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks (; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the ''Pitch Perfect'' ...
), who has cleverly hidden her third-trimester pregnancy from her co-workers by wearing "fashionable" wizard cloaks. Jack goes on to tell her that Avery's dream career as the Financial reporter for ''
NBC Nightly News ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas'' for its weeknight broadcasts ) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NBC television network ...
'' would not be possible if they find out about the pregnancy. Carmen Chao (
Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American television host, model and actress. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and hosted ''Total Req ...
), an
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
reporter with an unknown
ethnic background An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...
, is relentlessly trying to reveal Avery's secret pregnancy. Avery and Liz meet Carmen at the baby store, where Liz protects Avery's secret pregnancy by saying that she herself is pregnant. Knowing this to be false, Carmen schedules an "interview" with Liz about single mothers. Jenna and Tracy continue to fight over the sweatshirt, so they talk to Liz about it, where both are wearing one side of the sweatshirt. Pete Hornberger (
Scott Adsit Robert Scott Adsit (born November 26, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Adsit joined the mainstage cast of Chicago's The Second City in 1994 after attending Columbia College Chicago. He app ...
) tells them to lay off Liz because she is "pregnant". As a result, Liz goes on to get the sweatshirt and throws it in the trashcan. Jack meets Hank, who hugs him at first sight in the executive dining room (which Hank turned into an "Everyone Dining Room"), much to Jack's horror. While eating, Hank convinces Jack to do an employee pitch day, where every employee can pitch their ideas to upper management. "Employee Pitch Day" doesn't go well, so Jack pitches an idea of his own to Hank. His idea is the Voice-Activated remote (or "Vo-Act"). Jack's idea is also unsuccessful, as the characters on the TV can also control the television. With no apparent choice, he steals Kenneth's idea: the Blah-Bar, where there is a black bar on the bottom part of the screen that prevents people from seeing any dirty content. Jack tells Kenneth what he has done and asks him what he wants in return. However, Kenneth wants nothing. Meanwhile, Liz's plan backfires when the ''TGS'' staff hears that she is pregnant. Jack convinces Liz to keep it that way, but Carmen keeps questioning Liz intensely. To really get the truth out of Liz, Carmen makes her do sexy pregnancy photos. During the photo shoot, Carmen tells Liz that she knows she's not pregnant and tries to convince her to admit it, but Carmen and her cameraman run away quickly when they see Liz grab oil and rub it on her stomach. Eventually, Jack tells Hank about stealing Kenneth's idea while Kenneth is in the room. Jack apologizes and files for his resignation, but Hank says that they're "gonna be just fine." Since Kenneth wanted no reparations, Hank suggests they hug. Kenneth joyfully accepts this proposition. In the end, Avery is moved to ''
NBC Nightly News ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas'' for its weeknight broadcasts ) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NBC television network ...
'' (to Carmen's chagrin) and her pregnancy is finally revealed. To acknowledge their gratefulness for Liz's efforts to help Avery, Jack and Avery plan to give their daughter the middle name Elizabeth. Tracy and Jenna find out that Liz is not pregnant, so she gives them her "pregnancy" photos as her "punishment".


Reception

According to the
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, this episode of ''30 Rock'' was watched by 4.784 million households in its original American broadcast. It earned a 2.4 rating/6 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 2.4 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 6 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The figure was a decrease from the previous episode, Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning, which was seen by 4.922 million households.
Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...
of ''
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
'' described the episode as "uneven but funny-enough" and spoke positively about Ken Howard's performance, but opined that "the Liz/Avery/Vanessa Minillo story was underdeveloped and didn't have a good enough payoff ..and the only good thing about the Tracy/Jenna subplot was how quickly it got back-burnered."


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Que Sorpresa! 2011 American television episodes 30 Rock season 5 episodes