Cooter (30 Rock)
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"Cooter" is the fifteenth and final
episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a serial (radio and television), series intended for radio, television or Streaming media, streaming consumption. Etymology The noun ''episode'' is ...
of the second season of ''
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 thirty-sixth episode of the series. It was written by series' creator
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 ...
and was directed by one of the season's producers,
Don Scardino Donald Joseph Scardino (born February 17, 1949) is an American television director, producer, and retired actor. Career Acting Scardino was born in New York City, to jazz musician parents, Dorothy Denny Scardino and Charles Scardino. His first ...
. The episode first aired on May 8, 2008, on the
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 ...
network in the United States. "Cooter" follows
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 ...
's (
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 ...
) attempt to get fired from his new job in politics;
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 ...
's (Fey) pregnancy scare and decision to adopt a baby;
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 ...
's (
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 ...
) creation of a pornographic video game; and
Kenneth Parcell Andromakennethamblesorton "Kenneth" Ellen Parcell is a fictional character on the NBC comedy television series, ''30 Rock'', portrayed by Jack McBrayer. Originally a supporting character in the first two episodes of the series, the show's produ ...
'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 ...
) aspiration to be an NBC page at the Beijing Olympics. The episode is an unofficial season finale, due to the season being shortened by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. "Cooter" received positive reviews from critics, and several considered it to be among the series' best episodes. Several critics noted that Liz had a pregnancy scare the same week that Fey's film ''
Baby Mama A baby mama (or baby momma, also baby mother) is a slang term for a mother who is not marriage, married to her child's father, although the term often carries other connotations as well. This term is associated with African American slang, African ...
'' was released, possibly used as cross promotion. The episode was watched by 5.61 million American viewers on its original broadcast, and was nominated for two awards, winning one.


Plot

Jack gets a job in politics as the "
Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
Director for Crisis and Weather Management"; however, it is not what he expected. When he learns that Don Geiss (
Rip Torn Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned roughly 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Marsh Turner in '' Cross Creek'' (1983). Tor ...
), the CEO of
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...
, said "Jackie Boy" while in his coma, he schemes with another government employee, Cooter Burger (
Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''WarGames'' (1983) as a teen government hacker, and ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), a medieval fantasy alongside Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. He play ...
), to get fired after his letter of resignation is rejected. Jack also enlists the help of Celeste "C. C." Cunningham (
Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. A prominent figure in American television, she is known for her roles both on stage and screen and has received numerous accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe A ...
), his
Congresswoman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...
( D- VT) ex-girlfriend, to approve research into a "
gay bomb "Gay bomb" is an informal term referring to a proposed non-lethal psychochemical weapon that was speculated by the United States Air Force in the 1990s. The concept involved dispersing sex pheromones to induce mutual sexual attraction among ene ...
". Jack hopes that the bomb, an old Pentagon project that is expensive, inefficient and offensive to "both the red states and the gayer blue states", will ultimately result in their dismissal. Meanwhile, Liz thinks she may be pregnant and is horrified when she discovers it is most likely the baby of her ex-boyfriend, Dennis Duffy (
Dean Winters Dean Gerard Winters (born July 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ryan O'Reily on the HBO prison drama '' Oz'' and his roles in the TV series ''Millennium'','' Rescue Me'', ''30 Rock'', ''Sex and the City'', and '' Law & ...
). After several pregnancy tests, she tells a visiting Jack that the positive tests are a result of her eating "" ('Taste of Loneliness' in Spanish) cheese puffs, which contain bull semen. Nevertheless, she tells Jack that she is ready to have a child and wants to adopt. Kenneth learns of an opportunity to be an NBC page at the Beijing Olympics, however, head page Donny Lawson (
Paul Scheer Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. Scheer is best known for his roles in FX/ FXX's ''The League'' and Showtime's comedy series '' Black Monday''. Scheer also co-created and s ...
) tries to make sure that he does not submit his essay on time.
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 ...
) helps him complete his essay, but Donny stalls Kenneth by forcing him to deliver paper. This begins a sequence which references several Summer Olympic events. Pete shoots Donny in the leg with an arrow (archery), dressed in his gear from when he was an Olympic archer. Kenneth then goes through a series of obstacles themed to different Summer Olympic events. He begins by running and jumping over a "Wet Floor" sign (low hurdles) and then an airplane chair prop carried by two men (high hurdles). Kenneth next grabs a bamboo pole and runs with it, using it to push the button on the elevator before throwing it to another page (likely pole vault, but possibly javelin throw). He then does a forward flip into the elevator, ending with him standing and saluting to the back and front of the elevator (gymnastics/floor routine). Finally, Kenneth makes it to the 27th floor only to see his way blocked by workmen painting. As an executive opens the door to the NBC Olympic Headquarters, Kenneth spins and throws his application pack through the closing door (discus). He finally runs forward a few feet to break the blue painter's tape and collapse victorious, then throws up (sprint). Tracy's invention, the world's first pornographic video game, is nearly complete. He gives Frank, who has helped him, the prototype copy of the game. The episode shows what happens three months later, in August 2008. Jack and Cooter present their "gay bomb" to the Pentagon, which works only in enclosed areas, making it useless in combat. However, Cooter accidentally breaks the vial, causing everybody in the room, including Vice President
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...
, to "feel weird". Frank emerges from his office after playing Tracy's game non-stop for three months, not realizing the amount of time that has passed. While in Beijing, Kenneth gets involved with a Chinese woman who wants his kidneys. The last part was said in Mandarin without subtitles, leaving the English-speaking audience unaware of Kenneth's trouble. The conversation roughly translates as:
Lady: "Kenneth, I like you, because I am attracted to your two healthy kidneys."
Kenneth: "What?"
(Man breaks down the door with gun drawn)
Kenneth: "I had no idea!" The conversation in Mandarin: Lady: Kenneth, 我喜歡你,因為我看上了你那兩個健壯的腎。
Kenneth: 什麼?
(Man breaks down the door with gun drawn)
Kenneth: 真沒想到!


Production

The title of the episode is one of Fey's favorite words, which she used multiple times when she appeared as an anchor on the ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' sketch ''
Weekend Update ''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast and been featu ...
''. Fey explains that she likes the word because "it's one of the least graphic ways to describe the female genitals". This episode marks the final appearance of Edie Falco, who was hired for a three-episode arc. Falco made her debut in the episode " Somebody to Love" as Celeste Cunningham, a Congresswoman and romantic interest of Jack's. She appeared in " Secrets and Lies", where James Carville helps the fledgling relationship. The pair breaks up in Episode 210, when they realize their careers prevent them from staying together. Falco said that she was "thrilled for the opportunity to work with such great comic actors", and expressed her enjoyment of watching the series. Fey was "thrilled to have such an amazing actress come join us", and joked that "a lot of guys on our crew want ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...
'' ending explained to them", in which Falco was a series star.


Reception

"Cooter" was watched by 5.6 million viewers, and received a 2.6 rating and 7 share in the 18–49 demographic. The 2.6 refers to 2.6% of all 18- to 49-year-olds in the U.S., and the 7 refers to 7% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television in the U.S. at the time of the broadcast. By comparison
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
's '' CSI'' was viewed by 17.82 million viewers,
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
's ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'' received 15.60 million viewers,
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
's ''
Don't Forget the Lyrics! ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' is an international music game show. The original American show aired on Fox from July 11, 2007, to June 19, 2009, and after a year off the air, a third overall season, and first as a syndicated show, began on June ...
'' received 6.22 million viewers, and
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's ''
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'' received 2.53 million viewers. The finale was watched by 206,000 more viewers than the previous episode. Terry Morrow of the ''
Knoxville News Sentinel The ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', also known as ''Knox News'', is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: '' ...
'' said that, although ''30 Rock'' is struggling to find viewers, this "tiny show ..shines with absolute brilliance", and judged "Cooter" as one of its best episodes. He speculated that the lack of viewers might have been because the show had failed to create an emotional bond with its audience, despite its being "happy to be a very witty sitcom". He felt the entire cast was "spot on", but singled out Jane Krakowski for her "scene-stealing" moments when she revealed the art of backhanded compliments. Verne Gay of ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' praised Jenna's and Kenneth's storylines, and liked the cameo by Broderick, stating his "comic chops
ere Ere or ERE may refer to: * ''Environmental and Resource Economics'', a peer-reviewed academic journal * ERE Informatique, one of the first French video game companies * Ere language, an Austronesian language * Ebi Ere (born 1981), American-Nigeria ...
on full display". Robert Canning of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
praised Kenneth's and Tracy's storylines, and described Tracy's voice-recording session for his porn video game as "thank-goodness-this-is-airing-later-than-8:30". Alan Sepinwall of ''
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'' felt that the "nearly-perfect" episode was marred by Kenneth's page-rivalry, which "didn't work". ''Time'' called "Cooter" the eighth-best episode of 2008. Mark A. Perigard of the ''
Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...
'' felt that "Cooter" was one of the best episodes of ''30 Rock'' shortened season, with something for everyone in the ensemble cast to do. He noted that Fey's character, Liz, has a pregnancy scare the same week that Fey's film, ''Baby Mama'', was in theaters, asking "How much mama drama does Tina Fey think viewers want?" Bob Sassone of
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originally thought the episode might have been secretly cross promoting ''Baby Mama'', but ultimately decided against this judgment. Jeff Labrecque of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' was disappointed that Liz was not actually pregnant, and hoped that her former boyfriend, Dennis, would continue to reappear in the next season. Oscar Dahl of
BuddyTV BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profile ...
speculated that the episode may have been hinting at Alec Baldwin's real-life political plans. (He was considering running for office.) The episode was nominated for
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s, winning one.
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 ...
won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Ken Eluto was nominated for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series.


References


External links

* {{good article 2008 American television episodes 30 Rock season 2 episodes Television episodes written by Tina Fey Emmy Award–winning episodes Works about the 2008 Summer Olympics