Generalissimo (30 Rock)
Encyclopedia
"Generalissimo" is the tenth episode of the third season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock
and directed by Todd Holland
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) in the United States on February 5, 2009. Guest stars in "Generalissimo" include Jon Hamm, Salma Hayek
, Patrick Heusinger
, Matt Lauer
, Doug Mand, Greg Tuculescu, and Teresa Yenque.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) begins receiving mail intended for her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Hamm), and after going through it she decides she would like to meet him. Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) resembles a Spanish-language soap opera villain, "The Generalissimo", which prompts the grandmother (Yenque) of Jack's girlfriend, Elisa (Hayek), to disapprove of their relationship. Back at 30 Rock, the new The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) interns (Heusinger, Tuculescu, and Mand) invite Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) out for a night of partying.
"Generalissimo" received generally positive reviews. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it was watched by 6.4 million households during its original broadcast. Todd Holland received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Generalissimo". This episode was submitted for consideration on the behalf of Baldwin for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
(Tina Fey
) receives the mail of her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Jon Hamm). After going through it, she believes he is the perfect man for her. To try and woo him, she follows the actions of an evil Spanish soap character called "The Generalissimo" from Los Amantes Clandestinos, despite the warnings of Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) and Elisa (Salma Hayek
). She invites Drew to a nonexistent party, and, when he arrives expecting a party, she informs him that the party is scheduled for the following evening, but nevertheless invites him in. While this plan initially appears to work, things go wrong when Liz accidentally gives Drew rohypnol and he finds some of his opened mail in her handbag. The next day Drew receives some of Liz's mail and reads it. He says that based on her mail he probably would have wanted to meet Liz, in the same vein as she had wanted to meet him. They decide to start with a clean slate and go on a real date.
Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) meets his girlfriend Elisa's grandmother (Teresa Yenque). The grandmother does not like Jack because he reminds her of the Generalissimo. Jack buys Los Amantes Clandestinos and tries to kill the Generalissimo off, but the actors on the show refuse to do so. Jack then meets Hector Moreda (also played by Baldwin), the actor who plays Generalissimo, and asks why he will not follow the script. According to Hector, his role as the Generalissimo allows him to cut in line at Disney World, among other perks. Jack shows him a picture of Elisa, explaining that he wants to kill off the character for her. Understanding Jack's feelings, Hector agrees to help Jack by making the character fall in love with an elderly Hispanic woman, thereby winning the affection of Elisa's grandmother. The grandmother subsequently accepts Jack as Elisa's boyfriend, but makes one more request of him, to make NBC News
less depressing. Jack responds by airing a montage of pictures of Puerto Rican babies to the music of Tito Puente
on The Today Show, much to the displeasure of Matt Lauer
.
Meanwhile, NBC has hired recently laid off brokers (Patrick Heusinger
, Greg Tuculescu, and Doug Mand) from Lehman Brothers
as interns on TGS with Tracy Jordan. Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) is invited to go out on the town with them, but finds that he is incapable of keeping up with their lifestyle. Tracy fears that if the public were to learn that he no longer lives a fast lifestyle, his image would be severely compromised and he would be forced to change from a comedic actor to a dramatic actor. Tracy refuses to allow this to happen, so he buys out Lehman Brothers and sends the interns back to their old jobs on Wall Street
.
and directed by Todd Holland
. This was the tenth episode written by Carlock and was Holland's first directed episode. Holland was hired to direct this episode on the recommendation of his agent, who also represents series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey
. "Generalissimo" originally aired in the United States on February 5, 2009, on NBC
.
In October 2008, when actor Jon Hamm hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live
(SNL), negotiations took place with the show's producers for him to guest star on 30 Rock. Two months later, it was confirmed Hamm would appear as a love interest for Fey's character, Liz Lemon
. It was also announced by NBC that Hamm would star in a three episode arc; he made his debut in this episode, made his second appearance in "St. Valentine's Day
", and made his final guest spot in the show's third season episode "The Bubble
". Hamm later appeared in the season four
episodes "Anna Howard Shaw Day
" and "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land
" and the season five
episode "Live Show
."
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
, Fey said when the writing staff is developing a script, "We'll have an actor in mind and we'll keep referring to them. Like for this we said, 'Then Hamm comes in, blah blah blah.'" She believed that there was no possibility of getting Hamm, though "we were lucky with the timing because Mad Men
was on hiatus and he was hosting SNL. So I called over there and asked them [whispering], 'Hey, is that guy funny? Tell me the truth.' And they were like, 'Yes, he's really funny.' By Saturday I knew they were right."
This episode was actress Salma Hayek
's third appearance on 30 Rock. She first appeared in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
" as a nurse for Jack Donaghy
's mother and love interest for Jack. Hayek's second appearance came in "Flu Shot
".
system, "Generalissimo" was watched by 6.4 million households, the same as the previous week's episode "Retreat to Move Forward
", in its original American broadcast. It earned a 3.1 rating/7 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.1% of all 18–49 years olds, and 7% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode was the eleventh highest-rated show on the NBC network that week. Todd Holland
, director of this episode, received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
. This episode was submitted for consideration on the behalf of Alec Baldwin
for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the same awards show.
Bob Sassone
of TV Squad admitted in his review that after seeing the promos for "Generalissimo" audibly groaned, and believed the story about a fictitious soap character resembling Baldwin's Jack would not work. He wrote that all of the "over-the-top surreal subplots" featured in the season would make this episode "the worst one of all." After watching the episode, however, Sassone said all the elements worked. Annie Barrett for Entertainment Weekly
reported that the two stories, involving Liz and Drew and Jack and Elisa, respectively, were sublime. Barrett said that Baldwin's performance "alone" would have made the episode great. Jeremy Medina of Paste
praised this episode, along with "St. Valentine's Day
", concluding, "There's no possible way to mention every funny joke or one-liner in the past two episodes. The show is just too lightning-quick for that." Writing for The Monterey County Herald
Marc Cabrera noted Jack's interactions with Elisa's grandmother amongst his favorite moments of season 3
. The Guardian
' s Will Dean wrote that "Generalissimo" was the "best episode" of the series. Staci Gold of North by Northwestern
wrote that this episode was majorly improved by Baldwin's "hilarious imitation of a Spanish accent." IGN
writer Robert Canning said that Baldwin stole the show in this episode, and rated it a 9.4 out of 10.
Time
contributor James Poniewozik
was complimentary towards the casting of Jon Hamm as Tina Fey
's love interest, but hoped that Hamm get "fleshed out beyond the central-casting dreamboat" in the series. Further in his review, Poniewozik said that he most enjoyed episodes in which Liz shows her "evil side" because the show "does an excellent job of showing how much work it is for her to be assertive and slightly evil, how she's excited yet made nervous by the idea at the same time." As with Poniewozik, Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
complimented 30 Rock as they "pulled it off with aplomb" in regards to Liz's actions in this episode. He said that Liz and Drew "are so damned delightful that it's hard not to root for them even if Liz's antics increasingly border on deranged and criminal." Rabin said that the Rohypnol incident was funny "but also sweet and more than a little romantic." Sassone enjoyed Liz and Drew's scenes, writing that when Fey and Hamm work together they are quite good. Gold said that Liz's unsuccessful attempts of seduction were "hilarious effects". Canning wrote that Liz's "scam" started weakly but that her storyline "grew at a great pace."
Not all reviews were positive. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
said that past 30 Rock episodes took "old sitcom cliches" and were able to find a "demented" new take on them. In his review, Sepinwall wrote that "Generalissimo" felt like the staff "came up with the cliches they wanted to mock – goofy/evil twins, a character spinning a ridiculous web of lies to land a new crush – and never moved to the next step."
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...
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 written by 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:...
and directed by Todd Holland
Todd Holland
Todd Holland is an American television and film director and producer.-Personal life:Holland was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania and raised in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was an honor student, graduating from Meadville Area Sr. High School. While there, he got his feet wet...
. 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) in the United States on February 5, 2009. Guest stars in "Generalissimo" include Jon Hamm, Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
, Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger is an American actor who made his debut in the 2006 film Sweet Land as Young Lars and then appeared in Tie a Yellow Ribbon, The Nanny Diaries, and Black Swan". Heusinger is best-known for his roles as "Lord Marcus" on the CW's hit drama Gossip Girl and "Adam" on USA Network's...
, Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
, Doug Mand, Greg Tuculescu, and Teresa Yenque.
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...
) begins receiving mail intended for her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Hamm), and after going through it she decides she would like to meet him. Meanwhile, 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...
) resembles a Spanish-language soap opera villain, "The Generalissimo", which prompts the grandmother (Yenque) of Jack's girlfriend, Elisa (Hayek), to disapprove of their relationship. Back at 30 Rock, the new The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) interns (Heusinger, Tuculescu, and Mand) invite 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:...
) out for a night of partying.
"Generalissimo" received generally positive reviews. 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...
system, it was watched by 6.4 million households during its original broadcast. Todd Holland received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Generalissimo". This episode was submitted for consideration on the behalf of Baldwin for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
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...
) receives the mail of her new neighbor, Dr. Drew Baird (Jon Hamm). After going through it, she believes he is the perfect man for her. To try and woo him, she follows the actions of an evil Spanish soap character called "The Generalissimo" from Los Amantes Clandestinos, despite the warnings of 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...
) and Elisa (Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
). She invites Drew to a nonexistent party, and, when he arrives expecting a party, she informs him that the party is scheduled for the following evening, but nevertheless invites him in. While this plan initially appears to work, things go wrong when Liz accidentally gives Drew rohypnol and he finds some of his opened mail in her handbag. The next day Drew receives some of Liz's mail and reads it. He says that based on her mail he probably would have wanted to meet Liz, in the same vein as she had wanted to meet him. They decide to start with a clean slate and go on a real date.
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...
) meets his girlfriend Elisa's grandmother (Teresa Yenque). The grandmother does not like Jack because he reminds her of the Generalissimo. Jack buys Los Amantes Clandestinos and tries to kill the Generalissimo off, but the actors on the show refuse to do so. Jack then meets Hector Moreda (also played by Baldwin), the actor who plays Generalissimo, and asks why he will not follow the script. According to Hector, his role as the Generalissimo allows him to cut in line at Disney World, among other perks. Jack shows him a picture of Elisa, explaining that he wants to kill off the character for her. Understanding Jack's feelings, Hector agrees to help Jack by making the character fall in love with an elderly Hispanic woman, thereby winning the affection of Elisa's grandmother. The grandmother subsequently accepts Jack as Elisa's boyfriend, but makes one more request of him, to make NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. 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...
less depressing. Jack responds by airing a montage of pictures of Puerto Rican babies to the music of Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
on The Today Show, much to the displeasure of Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
.
Meanwhile, NBC has hired recently laid off brokers (Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger is an American actor who made his debut in the 2006 film Sweet Land as Young Lars and then appeared in Tie a Yellow Ribbon, The Nanny Diaries, and Black Swan". Heusinger is best-known for his roles as "Lord Marcus" on the CW's hit drama Gossip Girl and "Adam" on USA Network's...
, Greg Tuculescu, and Doug Mand) from Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
as interns on TGS with Tracy Jordan. 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:...
) is invited to go out on the town with them, but finds that he is incapable of keeping up with their lifestyle. Tracy fears that if the public were to learn that he no longer lives a fast lifestyle, his image would be severely compromised and he would be forced to change from a comedic actor to a dramatic actor. Tracy refuses to allow this to happen, so he buys out Lehman Brothers and sends the interns back to their old jobs on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
.
Production
"Generalissimo" was written by executive producer Robert CarlockRobert 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:...
and directed by Todd Holland
Todd Holland
Todd Holland is an American television and film director and producer.-Personal life:Holland was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania and raised in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was an honor student, graduating from Meadville Area Sr. High School. While there, he got his feet wet...
. This was the tenth episode written by Carlock and was Holland's first directed episode. Holland was hired to direct this episode on the recommendation of his agent, who also represents series creator, executive producer and lead actress 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...
. "Generalissimo" originally aired in the United States on February 5, 2009, on NBC
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...
.
In October 2008, when actor Jon Hamm hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(SNL), negotiations took place with the show's producers for him to guest star on 30 Rock. Two months later, it was confirmed Hamm would appear as a love interest for Fey's character, 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:...
. It was also announced by NBC that Hamm would star in a three episode arc; he made his debut in this episode, made his second appearance in "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
", and made his final guest spot in the show's third season episode "The Bubble
The Bubble (30 Rock)
"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on March 19, 2009. Jon Hamm and...
". Hamm later appeared in the season four
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...
episodes "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...
" and "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 the season five
30 Rock (season 5)
The fifth season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series on the NBC network in the United States, began airing on September 23, 2010. NBC announced on March 5, 2010 that 30 Rock would be returning for a fifth season in the 2010–2011 television season...
episode "Live Show
Live Show
"Live Show" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 84th overall episode of the series. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and co-written by series creator Tina Fey and co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock...
."
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...
, Fey said when the writing staff is developing a script, "We'll have an actor in mind and we'll keep referring to them. Like for this we said, 'Then Hamm comes in, blah blah blah.'" She believed that there was no possibility of getting Hamm, though "we were lucky with the timing because Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
was on hiatus and he was hosting SNL. So I called over there and asked them [whispering], 'Hey, is that guy funny? Tell me the truth.' And they were like, 'Yes, he's really funny.' By Saturday I knew they were right."
This episode was actress Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
's third appearance on 30 Rock. She first appeared in the episode "Señor Macho Solo
Señor Macho Solo
"Señor Macho Solo" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
" as a nurse for 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 mother and love interest for Jack. Hayek's second appearance came in "Flu Shot
Flu Shot (30 Rock)
"Flu Shot" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Jon Pollack, and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 15, 2009...
".
Critical reception
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen 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, "Generalissimo" was watched by 6.4 million households, the same as the previous week's episode "Retreat to Move Forward
Retreat to Move Forward
"Retreat to Move Forward" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive story editor Tami Sagher and directed by Steve Buscemi. The episode originally aired on the National...
", in its original American broadcast. It earned a 3.1 rating/7 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 3.1% of all 18–49 years olds, and 7% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode was the eleventh highest-rated show on the NBC network that week. Todd Holland
Todd Holland
Todd Holland is an American television and film director and producer.-Personal life:Holland was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania and raised in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was an honor student, graduating from Meadville Area Sr. High School. While there, he got his feet wet...
, director of this episode, received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
. This episode was submitted for consideration on the behalf of 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...
for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the same awards show.
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 admitted in his review that after seeing the promos for "Generalissimo" audibly groaned, and believed the story about a fictitious soap character resembling Baldwin's Jack would not work. He wrote that all of the "over-the-top surreal subplots" featured in the season would make this episode "the worst one of all." After watching the episode, however, Sassone said all the elements worked. Annie Barrett for 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...
reported that the two stories, involving Liz and Drew and Jack and Elisa, respectively, were sublime. Barrett said that Baldwin's performance "alone" would have made the episode great. Jeremy Medina of 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:...
praised this episode, along with "St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day (30 Rock)
"St. Valentine's Day" is the eleventh episode of the third season, and forty-seventh episode overall, of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this...
", concluding, "There's no possible way to mention every funny joke or one-liner in the past two episodes. The show is just too lightning-quick for that." Writing for The Monterey County Herald
The Monterey County Herald
The Monterey County Herald, sometimes referred to as the Monterey Herald, is the major daily newspaper published in Monterey, California, and serving Monterey County. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
Marc Cabrera noted Jack's interactions with Elisa's grandmother amongst his favorite moments of season 3
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...
. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
North by Northwestern
North by Northwestern is a daily online newsmagazine at Northwestern University, started in September 2006 by students at the Medill School of Journalism. It is noted for its multimedia coverage of campus events. In 2008 the site was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists with eight...
wrote that this episode was majorly improved by Baldwin's "hilarious imitation of a Spanish accent." 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...
writer Robert Canning said that Baldwin stole the show in this episode, and rated it a 9.4 out of 10.
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...
contributor 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...
was complimentary towards the casting of Jon Hamm as 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...
's love interest, but hoped that Hamm get "fleshed out beyond the central-casting dreamboat" in the series. Further in his review, Poniewozik said that he most enjoyed episodes in which Liz shows her "evil side" because the show "does an excellent job of showing how much work it is for her to be assertive and slightly evil, how she's excited yet made nervous by the idea at the same time." As with Poniewozik, Nathan Rabin 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...
complimented 30 Rock as they "pulled it off with aplomb" in regards to Liz's actions in this episode. He said that Liz and Drew "are so damned delightful that it's hard not to root for them even if Liz's antics increasingly border on deranged and criminal." Rabin said that the Rohypnol incident was funny "but also sweet and more than a little romantic." Sassone enjoyed Liz and Drew's scenes, writing that when Fey and Hamm work together they are quite good. Gold said that Liz's unsuccessful attempts of seduction were "hilarious effects". Canning wrote that Liz's "scam" started weakly but that her storyline "grew at a great pace."
Not all reviews were positive. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall of 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...
said that past 30 Rock episodes took "old sitcom cliches" and were able to find a "demented" new take on them. In his review, Sepinwall wrote that "Generalissimo" felt like the staff "came up with the cliches they wanted to mock – goofy/evil twins, a character spinning a ridiculous web of lies to land a new crush – and never moved to the next step."
External links
- "Generalissimo," 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...