Friday, November 23, 2012

30 Rock season 6

The balance of the show seems to have shifted in this latest season. You wouldn't say that 30 Rock is a show that particularly relies on character development, but Liz and Jack in particular have moved a bit - particularly their relationship with each other - over all five seasons, which continues in this sixth (most notably, Liz staying with the same boyfriend, James Marsden's Criss, for a whole season and the way their relationship develops), including a surprisingly touching season opener. Also, several of the regular supporting characters are less prominent (the writers, Cerie - not a great loss; Grizz and Dot-Com - which is a pity; Jonathan has gone altogether - neutral), their screen time taken up by a revolving cast of guest stars, including nearly every single guest or recurring character/actor of any significance from the previous five seasons. Kristen Schaal is a welcome addition; her character is a bit all over the place, but Schaal is delightful. Anyhow, it continues to be an excellent show - still smart, consistently funny, pleasingly meta, and showing the right amount of heart and snark.