Knowing that it's their last season of 30 Rock (preferable to abrupt cancellation that leaves everything unresolved), the makers of the show opt to give a farewell to Elaine Stritch's character, Jack's mother Colleen Donaghy. She spends most of her portion of the episode warning her death is near, something she apparently has always been saying, although there are jokes in the early seasons about her life being "endless." When she finally does die, Jack is left with the task of giving the eulogy for a woman who was often oppressive to him.
This episode has had positive reception, but a bit of it fell short for me. I found myself wishing it were funnier- it has its amusing moments, but it's not hilarious. Many of the jokes that do work are the traditional self-deprecatory jokes about Tina Fey. The mention of Pearl Harbor Day is also a quirky use of history. I thought much of the drama of the episode was also underdeveloped. Colleen is dealt with pretty lightly in this episode. When she falls down and her foot twitches, was that supposed to be funny? That said, Kermit is a welcome part of the funeral, as is the commentary on 30 Rock's ratings. My Whole Life Is Thunder is far from a bad episode, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's sort of a missed opportunity.
This episode has had positive reception, but a bit of it fell short for me. I found myself wishing it were funnier- it has its amusing moments, but it's not hilarious. Many of the jokes that do work are the traditional self-deprecatory jokes about Tina Fey. The mention of Pearl Harbor Day is also a quirky use of history. I thought much of the drama of the episode was also underdeveloped. Colleen is dealt with pretty lightly in this episode. When she falls down and her foot twitches, was that supposed to be funny? That said, Kermit is a welcome part of the funeral, as is the commentary on 30 Rock's ratings. My Whole Life Is Thunder is far from a bad episode, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's sort of a missed opportunity.
