Future Husband
Encyclopedia
"Future Husband" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino
, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) network in the United States on March 11, 2010. Elizabeth Banks
, James Rebhorn
, and Michael Sheen
guest star in the episode, and there are cameo appearances by Jack Welch
and Brian Williams
.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) finds a mysterious number in her phone under the name "Future Husband." At the same time, Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric
(GE), Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) is informed that a cable company is rumored to buy out NBC. Elsewhere, Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan) stages a one-man show in an attempt to win a Tony Award
, as part of his EGOT quest. The episode makes reference to the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
by the cable company network Comcast
.
"Future Husband" received generally mixed reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
, the episode was watched by 5.894 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
(Tina Fey
) comes across an unrecognized contact in her cellphone listed as "future husband", and realizes that it must be a man she met at her dental appointment with Dr. Kaplan (James Rebhorn
), while awakening from anesthesia in the recovery room after root canal
surgery (seen in the previous episode
). She calls the number, pretends to be the Jamaica
n dental receptionist, and asks the man to come back to see Dr. Kaplan. At the appointed time, she returns to the dentist's office, but does not recognize anyone there; so she calls the number again. When the man (Michael Sheen
) answers, she sees him and hangs up. Unbeknownst to Liz, her number is already listed in his cellphone under "future wife". He calls her back upon seeing she called, and they arrange a date; she learns that his name is Wesley. On their date, the two fail to hit it off, as they annoy each other. Later, at the 30 Rock studios, Liz discovers that Wesley was the person who retrieved NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
's (Jack McBrayer
) wallet, after Kenneth threw it out of a window earlier. Because of this coincidence, Liz and Wesley decide to go on another date.
At the same time, Jack Donaghy
's (Alec Baldwin
) aspirations of becoming CEO of General Electric
(GE) comes to a halt when his girlfriend and CNBC
host, Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
) informs him that the Philadelphia-based cable company
Kabletown is rumored to be buying NBC. Jack—who serves as Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for GE—tells her that no sale is pending as he believes that his mentor and GE CEO Don Geiss (Rip Torn
) would not agree to such deal. As rumors persist, Jack panics, but things get worse when he learns from former GE chairman Jack Welch
that Don Geiss has been dead for weeks and that the company negotiated a takeover with Kabletown. Welch kept Geiss's death a secret while negotiations took place. The next day, Jack watches Avery's program, The Hot Box, and it is confirmed that the buyout has gone forward.
Elsewhere, Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) does a one-man show so that he get a Tony Award
as part of his EGOT quest. His show receives positive reviews, and is convinced that he will win a Tony, but Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) tells him that in order for him to qualify for the award he must do his one-man show eight times, which does not sit well with Tracy as he is unable to do anything twice. He asks for Jenna's help, which she at first refuses. She eventually agrees to help him, however, and tries to teach Tracy the principles of acting. This leads nowhere, resulting in the two arguing and Jenna telling him he can go on his show and read the phone book
for all she cares. At the end of the episode, Tracy reads the phone book at his show, making Jenna very proud of him.
"Future Husband" was directed by series producer Don Scardino
, and was written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. This was Haller's first penned script, and was Wigfield's second writing credit, having co-written "Jackie Jormp-Jomp
" for the show's third season
. "Future Husband" originally aired in the United States on March 11, 2010, on NBC as the fourteenth episode of the fourth season
. This episode of 30 Rock was filmed on December 17, 2009.
In December 2009, it was confirmed that actress Elizabeth Banks would guest star on the show, and in this episode, she played right-wing CNBC anchor Avery Jessup, and love interest to the Jack Donaghy character, played by Alec Baldwin. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
, Banks revealed that she approached the 30 Rock staff about making an appearance as she is a fan of the show. "I definitely put feelers out, like, 'I would love to be on your show.' And they did it. They made it happen! I'm a huge fan, so this is a dream come true." She also revealed that she had no intention on becoming a series regular, explaining that she has been having "too much fun" making movies to commit to a television show full-time. Banks made her debut as Avery Jessup in the previous episode "Anna Howard Shaw Day
". In January 2010, it was announced that actor Michael Sheen would guest star as a love interest for Liz Lemon, played by series creator Tina Fey. In this episode, he made his debut as the character Wesley. Liz and Wesley's story arc continued in the episodes "Don Geiss, America and Hope
", "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land
", and "I Do Do
".
In "Future Husband", Jack learns from former GE chairman Jack Welch that current GE CEO Don Geiss, played by Rip Torn
, has died. Torn did not make any appearances in this season, marking his last role as Don Geiss in the episode "Larry King
" that aired on February 26, 2009, during the third season. Television writer Bob Sassone
of TV Squad wondered if Torn was written out of the series due to an alcohol-related incident that occurred to Torn in January 2010. Welch appeared as himself here and was chairman and CEO of GE from 1981 until 2001. Actor James Rebhorn, best known for his current role as a special agent in the USA Network
crime comedy-drama White Collar
, made his debut as the character Dr. Kaplan, Liz and Wesley's dentist. This was news anchor Brian Williams
' third guest appearance as himself. In one scene, Williams tells Avery and the CNBC staff that his news program NBC Nightly News
"rules".
The storyline in "Future Husband" involving the fictitious company network Kabletown purchasing NBC was inspired by the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
by cable company Comcast
in November 2009. After winning her fourth Screen Actors Guild Award
as her television character at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
in January 2010, Fey was asked whether or not 30 Rock would make reference to the Comcast acquisition to which she said that it would be dealt with. "The sale of NBC to another company is integral to our show and it will be hard for Jack." In April 2010, the NBC network created a website for Kabletown. When asked by a contributor from The Philadelphia Inquirer
why the characters on 30 Rock refer to the network's new owner as "Kabletown, with a K", co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock
revealed that the reason for this was that the staff writers came up with the name "Cabletown", however, they later learned that there was a real company with a similar name, so NBC's legal team department "wanted to emphasize the difference, and after a while, everyone just liked the sound of it."
This was the second time the series referenced the Tracy Jordan character trying to get his EGOT. This plot first began in the December 3, 2009, episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show
" in which Tracy finds a diamond encrusted "EGOT" necklace and sets a new life goal to achieve EGOT status by winning four major awards: an Emmy
, a Grammy
, an Oscar, and a Tony
. In the episode, Tracy performs a one-man show so that he can get a Tony Award.
) is, as he is one of her staff writers and she wants him to write some Winter Olympics
sketches. This results in Liz breaking the fourth wall
—a term used when a character in a television show, film or on stage directly addresses the audience—where she mouths speech that is unintelligible, while her voice is heard saying "Lindsey Vonn!" who won the "gold medal for skiing
!" Later, Kenneth references the 1987 thriller film Fatal Attraction
, after encouraging Liz to meet with her "future husband" and deeming it a romantic situation, saying "Just like that movie I only saw the first 10 minutes of, Fatal Attraction!". The movie is about a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to end the affair as she becomes obsessed with him. In addition, Jane Krakowski
appeared in Fatal Attraction.
Wondering why he has not seen any of his GE colleagues, Jack's office assistant Jonathan (Maulik Pancholy
) suggests that maybe they are the last people on Earth, as he references the 2007 film I Am Legend
, "You're Will Smith
and I'm the dog!" In I Am Legend, Will Smith's character is the last healthy human in New York City and lives with his dog. In order to figure out what is going on, Jonathan does investigative work and downloads Don Geiss's schedule while self-narrating to the theme music of Mission Impossible
(1996). After Kenneth convinces her to call her "future husband", Liz, who speaks in a Jamaican accent
as Dr. Kaplan's dental assistants are Jamaican women, tells the man he needs to come into Dr. Kaplan's office for some work, and Liz ends the call with "Cool Runnings, man! Bobsled!" This is a reference to the comedy movie Cool Runnings
(1993) in which the Jamaica national bobsled team
's made their debut the 1988 Winter Olympics
. In another scene, Liz's ringtone is the song "Fuck the Pain Away
" by Canadian electronic musician Peaches
.
In its original American broadcast, "Future Husband" was watched by 5.894 million households, according to the Nielsen ratings
system. It received a 2.9 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, meaning that 2.9 percent of all people in that group, and 8 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. During its original broadcast, "Future Husband" ranked fourth in its 9:30 p.m. slot, behind CBS
's crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, ABC
's medical series Grey's Anatomy
, and Fox
's reality show Kitchen Nightmares
.
Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club
was not positive in his review, describing "Future Husband" as the "laziest" episode of the fourth season. Nonetheless, Pierce responded favorably to Tracy's one-man show, calling it the "shortest and best of the plots" and "even manages to get a laugh out of that old 'I'd watch him reading the phone book' chestnut." Sean Gandert for Paste
magazine said in his recap that part of this episode was disappointing, writing that the main plot was not "too awful, [it was] just comparatively dull." Though, he was positive towards the show's interpretation of the NBC and Kabletown storyline, saying it was a nice "little riff" on the actual merger between NBC and Comcast. Gandert was appreciative to Elizabeth Banks' small part, and hoped to see her in future episodes. Entertainment Weekly
contributor Margaret Lyons opined it was a "strange" episode of 30 Rock, and concluded "It's not that 'Future Husband' was radically terrible or anything, but wow, that episode just did not click into place." Bob Sassone
of TV Squad did not enjoy Jenna's involvement in Tracy's story, and that overall he did not find their antics "too funny". Nonetheless, Sassone enjoyed Brian Williams' cameo.
IGN
contributor Robert Canning wrote that the NBC/Comcast reference here "wasn't exactly a well of laughs, but Baldwin's Donaghy kept the story entertaining enough to want to follow it." He enjoyed Banks' appearance, noting that her standout moment came when Avery and Jack argued over the direction of NBC "and for that brief moment Banks stole the show from Baldwin." In conclusion, Canning gave it an 8 out of 10 rating. James Poniewozik
of Time
magazine said that the main story "played more like a subplot even though it gave the episode its title". He added that there were some fine moments, and that overall Liz and Jack's plots "have the potential to give the show some interesting forward movement". Los Angeles Times
contributor Meredith Blake felt that Michael Sheen was "underused" in his role, and observed that Jack and Avery's relationship showcased here seemed "remarkably convincing." Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
wrote that the episode's storytelling was "better than it's been in recent weeks", however, was not complimentary towards Liz meeting Sheen's Wesley, as he felt that their plot fell flat.
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(NBC) network in the United States on March 11, 2010. Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
, James Rebhorn
James Rebhorn
James Robert Rebhorn is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows, feature films and plays.-Personal life:...
, and Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
guest star in the episode, and there are cameo appearances by Jack Welch
Jack Welch
John Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
and Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) finds a mysterious number in her phone under the name "Future Husband." At the same time, Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE), Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) is informed that a cable company is rumored to buy out NBC. Elsewhere, Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan) stages a one-man show in an attempt to win a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
, as part of his EGOT quest. The episode makes reference to the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
by the cable company network Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
.
"Future Husband" received generally mixed reviews from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the episode was watched by 5.894 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
Plot
Liz LemonLiz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) comes across an unrecognized contact in her cellphone listed as "future husband", and realizes that it must be a man she met at her dental appointment with Dr. Kaplan (James Rebhorn
James Rebhorn
James Robert Rebhorn is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows, feature films and plays.-Personal life:...
), while awakening from anesthesia in the recovery room after root canal
Root canal
A root canal is the space within the root of a tooth. It is part of a naturally occurring space within a tooth that consists of the pulp chamber , the main canal, and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the surface of the root.-Root canal anatomy:...
surgery (seen in the previous episode
Anna Howard Shaw Day
"Anna Howard Shaw Day" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 71st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National...
). She calls the number, pretends to be the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n dental receptionist, and asks the man to come back to see Dr. Kaplan. At the appointed time, she returns to the dentist's office, but does not recognize anyone there; so she calls the number again. When the man (Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
) answers, she sees him and hangs up. Unbeknownst to Liz, her number is already listed in his cellphone under "future wife". He calls her back upon seeing she called, and they arrange a date; she learns that his name is Wesley. On their date, the two fail to hit it off, as they annoy each other. Later, at the 30 Rock studios, Liz discovers that Wesley was the person who retrieved NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
's (Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) wallet, after Kenneth threw it out of a window earlier. Because of this coincidence, Liz and Wesley decide to go on another date.
At the same time, Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
's (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) aspirations of becoming CEO of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE) comes to a halt when his girlfriend and CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
host, Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
) informs him that the Philadelphia-based cable company
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Kabletown is rumored to be buying NBC. Jack—who serves as Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for GE—tells her that no sale is pending as he believes that his mentor and GE CEO Don Geiss (Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
) would not agree to such deal. As rumors persist, Jack panics, but things get worse when he learns from former GE chairman Jack Welch
Jack Welch
John Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
that Don Geiss has been dead for weeks and that the company negotiated a takeover with Kabletown. Welch kept Geiss's death a secret while negotiations took place. The next day, Jack watches Avery's program, The Hot Box, and it is confirmed that the buyout has gone forward.
Elsewhere, Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) does a one-man show so that he get a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
as part of his EGOT quest. His show receives positive reviews, and is convinced that he will win a Tony, but Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) tells him that in order for him to qualify for the award he must do his one-man show eight times, which does not sit well with Tracy as he is unable to do anything twice. He asks for Jenna's help, which she at first refuses. She eventually agrees to help him, however, and tries to teach Tracy the principles of acting. This leads nowhere, resulting in the two arguing and Jenna telling him he can go on his show and read the phone book
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
for all she cares. At the end of the episode, Tracy reads the phone book at his show, making Jenna very proud of him.
Production
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
, and was written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. This was Haller's first penned script, and was Wigfield's second writing credit, having co-written "Jackie Jormp-Jomp
Jackie Jormp-Jomp
"Jackie Jormp-Jomp" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by executive story editor Kay Cannon and script co-coordinator Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National...
" for the show's third season
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
. "Future Husband" originally aired in the United States on March 11, 2010, on NBC as the fourteenth episode of the fourth season
30 Rock (season 4)
The fourth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 23 episodes and began airing on October 15, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United States...
. This episode of 30 Rock was filmed on December 17, 2009.
In December 2009, it was confirmed that actress Elizabeth Banks would guest star on the show, and in this episode, she played right-wing CNBC anchor Avery Jessup, and love interest to the Jack Donaghy character, played by Alec Baldwin. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Banks revealed that she approached the 30 Rock staff about making an appearance as she is a fan of the show. "I definitely put feelers out, like, 'I would love to be on your show.' And they did it. They made it happen! I'm a huge fan, so this is a dream come true." She also revealed that she had no intention on becoming a series regular, explaining that she has been having "too much fun" making movies to commit to a television show full-time. Banks made her debut as Avery Jessup in the previous episode "Anna Howard Shaw Day
Anna Howard Shaw Day
"Anna Howard Shaw Day" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 71st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National...
". In January 2010, it was announced that actor Michael Sheen would guest star as a love interest for Liz Lemon, played by series creator Tina Fey. In this episode, he made his debut as the character Wesley. Liz and Wesley's story arc continued in the episodes "Don Geiss, America and Hope
Don Geiss, America and Hope
"Don Geiss, America and Hope" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 73rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Stephen Lee Davis, and written by Jack Burditt and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the...
", "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land
Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land
"Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 79th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on...
", and "I Do Do
I Do Do
"I Do Do" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 80th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey...
".
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
, has died. Torn did not make any appearances in this season, marking his last role as Don Geiss in the episode "Larry King
Larry King (30 Rock)
"Larry King" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Constantine Makris. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
" that aired on February 26, 2009, during the third season. Television writer Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of TV Squad wondered if Torn was written out of the series due to an alcohol-related incident that occurred to Torn in January 2010. Welch appeared as himself here and was chairman and CEO of GE from 1981 until 2001. Actor James Rebhorn, best known for his current role as a special agent in the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
crime comedy-drama White Collar
White Collar (TV series)
White Collar is a USA Network television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010...
, made his debut as the character Dr. Kaplan, Liz and Wesley's dentist. This was news anchor Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
' third guest appearance as himself. In one scene, Williams tells Avery and the CNBC staff that his news program NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
"rules".
The storyline in "Future Husband" involving the fictitious company network Kabletown purchasing NBC was inspired by the real-life acquisition of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
by cable company Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
in November 2009. After winning her fourth Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
as her television character at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Inglourious Basterds----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: Glee ...
in January 2010, Fey was asked whether or not 30 Rock would make reference to the Comcast acquisition to which she said that it would be dealt with. "The sale of NBC to another company is integral to our show and it will be hard for Jack." In April 2010, the NBC network created a website for Kabletown. When asked by a contributor from The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
why the characters on 30 Rock refer to the network's new owner as "Kabletown, with a K", co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
revealed that the reason for this was that the staff writers came up with the name "Cabletown", however, they later learned that there was a real company with a similar name, so NBC's legal team department "wanted to emphasize the difference, and after a while, everyone just liked the sound of it."
This was the second time the series referenced the Tracy Jordan character trying to get his EGOT. This plot first began in the December 3, 2009, episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show
Dealbreakers Talk Show
"Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 65th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National...
" in which Tracy finds a diamond encrusted "EGOT" necklace and sets a new life goal to achieve EGOT status by winning four major awards: an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, an Oscar, and a Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
. In the episode, Tracy performs a one-man show so that he can get a Tony Award.
Cultural references
In the beginning of this episode, Liz asks where Frank Rossitano (Judah FriedlanderJudah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.-Early life:...
) is, as he is one of her staff writers and she wants him to write some Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
sketches. This results in Liz breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
—a term used when a character in a television show, film or on stage directly addresses the audience—where she mouths speech that is unintelligible, while her voice is heard saying "Lindsey Vonn!" who won the "gold medal for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
!" Later, Kenneth references the 1987 thriller film Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
, after encouraging Liz to meet with her "future husband" and deeming it a romantic situation, saying "Just like that movie I only saw the first 10 minutes of, Fatal Attraction!". The movie is about a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to end the affair as she becomes obsessed with him. In addition, Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
appeared in Fatal Attraction.
Wondering why he has not seen any of his GE colleagues, Jack's office assistant Jonathan (Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Sanjay on Weeds from 2005 to present, and his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock, which he has played since the show began in 2006....
) suggests that maybe they are the last people on Earth, as he references the 2007 film I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
, "You're Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and I'm the dog!" In I Am Legend, Will Smith's character is the last healthy human in New York City and lives with his dog. In order to figure out what is going on, Jonathan does investigative work and downloads Don Geiss's schedule while self-narrating to the theme music of Mission Impossible
Mission: Impossible (film)
Mission: Impossible is a 1996 action thriller directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise. Following on from the television series of the same name, the plot follows a new agent, Ethan Hunt and his mission to uncover the mole within the CIA who has framed him for the murders of his entire...
(1996). After Kenneth convinces her to call her "future husband", Liz, who speaks in a Jamaican accent
Jamaican English
Jamaican English or Jamaican Standard English is a dialect of English spoken in Jamaica. It melds parts of both American English and British English dialects, along with many aspects of Irish intonation...
as Dr. Kaplan's dental assistants are Jamaican women, tells the man he needs to come into Dr. Kaplan's office for some work, and Liz ends the call with "Cool Runnings, man! Bobsled!" This is a reference to the comedy movie Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings is a 1993 comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D...
(1993) in which the Jamaica national bobsled team
Jamaica national bobsled team
The Jamaican national bobsleigh team represents Jamaica in international bobsledding competitions. The team first gained fame during their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where they gained international fame as the ultimate underdogs, representing a tropical...
's made their debut the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. In another scene, Liz's ringtone is the song "Fuck the Pain Away
Fuck the Pain Away
"Fuck the Pain Away" is an electroclash song by Peaches. It is considered her breakthrough song, and because of its widespread licensing in films as well as numerous official and unofficial cover versions is held by many of her fans to be responsible for her increasing popularity...
" by Canadian electronic musician Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
.
Reception
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system. It received a 2.9 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, meaning that 2.9 percent of all people in that group, and 8 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. During its original broadcast, "Future Husband" ranked fourth in its 9:30 p.m. slot, behind CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's medical series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, and Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's reality show Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares is an American reality television series broadcast on the Fox network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The show is produced by ITV Studios...
.
Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
was not positive in his review, describing "Future Husband" as the "laziest" episode of the fourth season. Nonetheless, Pierce responded favorably to Tracy's one-man show, calling it the "shortest and best of the plots" and "even manages to get a laugh out of that old 'I'd watch him reading the phone book' chestnut." Sean Gandert for Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine said in his recap that part of this episode was disappointing, writing that the main plot was not "too awful, [it was] just comparatively dull." Though, he was positive towards the show's interpretation of the NBC and Kabletown storyline, saying it was a nice "little riff" on the actual merger between NBC and Comcast. Gandert was appreciative to Elizabeth Banks' small part, and hoped to see her in future episodes. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
contributor Margaret Lyons opined it was a "strange" episode of 30 Rock, and concluded "It's not that 'Future Husband' was radically terrible or anything, but wow, that episode just did not click into place." Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of TV Squad did not enjoy Jenna's involvement in Tracy's story, and that overall he did not find their antics "too funny". Nonetheless, Sassone enjoyed Brian Williams' cameo.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Robert Canning wrote that the NBC/Comcast reference here "wasn't exactly a well of laughs, but Baldwin's Donaghy kept the story entertaining enough to want to follow it." He enjoyed Banks' appearance, noting that her standout moment came when Avery and Jack argued over the direction of NBC "and for that brief moment Banks stole the show from Baldwin." In conclusion, Canning gave it an 8 out of 10 rating. James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine said that the main story "played more like a subplot even though it gave the episode its title". He added that there were some fine moments, and that overall Liz and Jack's plots "have the potential to give the show some interesting forward movement". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
contributor Meredith Blake felt that Michael Sheen was "underused" in his role, and observed that Jack and Avery's relationship showcased here seemed "remarkably convincing." Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
wrote that the episode's storytelling was "better than it's been in recent weeks", however, was not complimentary towards Liz meeting Sheen's Wesley, as he felt that their plot fell flat.
External links
- "Future Husband," at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...