Season Two is often considered one of 30 Rock's best. The series continues to follow Liz Lemon, the beleaguered head writer of TGS, a late-night, sketch comedy show. The show had settled firmly into the groove established in Season One and was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike.
It won the series' second consecutive Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as awards for writing and both Tina Fey's and Alec Baldwin's performances. Despite the overwhelming praise for the season, certain episodes were more acclaimed than others. Here are, according to IMDB, the ten best episodes of 30 Rock's second season.
Episode 210 (8.0)
This episode follows Liz's attempt to woo the board of an apartment building she wants to move into, as well Jack's attempt to make a long-distance relationship work with his congresswoman girlfriend, CeCe. The episode is probably most memorable, however, for Kenneth's caffeine addiction storyline, leading to a whole-cast production number of Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train To Georgia." This was the last episode produced before the 2007-08 Writers' Strike, and the cast and crew were unsure when or if they would return that season, so the episode feels a little bit like a finale.
Rosemary's Baby (8.1)
In this episode, Liz meets Rosemary Howard, played by guest star Carrie Fisher. Rosemary was one of the first female television writers and a childhood hero of Liz's, so Liz invites her to be a guest writer on TGS. The episode also features a storyline where Jack helps Tracy deal with his unresolved feelings towards his father. Alec Baldwin's performance was particularly acclaimed, and the episode was submitted for Emmy consideration on his behalf.
Sandwich Day (8.1)
The title of "Sandwich Day" refers to a holiday observed by the writers of TGS where the Teamsters bring in sandwiches from a secret deli in Brooklyn. The writers end up eating Liz's sandwich, so they enter into a drinking contest with the Teamsters to earn another for her.
The episode also follows Liz as she reunites with Floyd, her boyfriend who moved to Cleveland at the end of the first season, as well as Jack adjusting to a new position at GE and eventually takes a position with the Department of Homeland Security. This is the episode that earned Tina Fey her Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Ludachristmas (8.2)
This episode is particularly notable for the introduction of the Lemons, Liz's mother, father, and brother. Her brother, Mitch, suffered a brain injury while skiing in high school, so he's mentally trapped on the day before his accident in 1984. Her family's visit is complicated when Colleen, Jack's mother, visits New York for Christmas and tries to stoke fights between the Lemons. Separately, Kenneth tries to educate the TGS staff on the true meaning of Christmas, while they want to celebrate their own "Ludachristmas."
Somebody To Love (8.2)
In this episode, Jack meets Cece, played by Edie Falco, at a fundraiser. After spending the night with her, he finds out she is Celeste Cunningham, a Democratic Congresswoman from Vermont leading a charge against his company. Despite this, they begin a recurring romance. Meanwhile, Liz is worried that her new Middle Eastern neighbors are terrorists when in reality they are simply training for The Amazing Race. A third plot follows Kenneth as he attempts to find the pants of Jack's tuxedo that he lost on the way back from the dry cleaners.
Seinfeldvision (8.3)
In this season premiere, Jack concocts a scheme to use all the footage of Jerry Seinfeld owned by NBC and insert it into NBC's current programming. When Jerry hears of this scheme, he shows up at 30 Rock to confront Jack.
Jerry also counsels Liz, who impulsively bought a wedding dress after being asked to be one of Cerie's bridesmaids. Jenna, Cerie's other bridesmaid, stresses over the weight she gained from starring in Mystic Pizza: The Musical and having to eat four slices of pizza at every performance.
Greenzo (8.3)
There were many guest stars in the second season of 30 Rock, but David Schwimmer's performance as Greenzo ranks close to the top. NBC is promoting a new environmental initiative and hires Josh (Schwimmer) to be their new mascot Greenzo. Jared's ego gets the better of him, unfortunately, and he begins to demand more and more attention. The episode also features Kenneth's party, an event reluctantly attended by that cast and crew of TGS that ends up spiraling out of control. The party in question ends up being the root of Liz's "past" with Grizz, a running joke for the rest of the series.
MILF Island (8.4)
The first episode back from the Writers' Strike hiatus, "MILF Island" is 30 Rock's first foray into the world of reality television. The title refers to a new show on NBC, the events of which run parallel to the events in the TGS writers room.
After Jack Donaghy is referred to as a "Class A Moron," by someone at TGS, alliances are formed and friends are betrayed as everyone attempts to cover themselves from guilt. A B-plot centers on Pete getting his shirtsleeve stuck in a vending machine.
Succession (8.4)
The main plot of this episode finds Jack Donaghy finding out that he will finally be promoted to CEO of GE. With his position now vacant, he appoints Liz as the new Head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. The real highlight of the episode comes from Tracy Jordan's quest to create a pornographic video game, and Frank's doubt that he will be able to do it. The episode evolves into a parody of Amadeus, featuring the music of Mozart and Tracy and Frank taking the roles of Mozart and Salieri, respectively.
Cooter(8.5)
The second season finale is jam-packed with plot and with jokes. Jack begins his new job with the Department of Homeland Security, but is quickly disillusioned after the agency is revealed to be bankrupt and incompetent. Liz worries that she is pregnant with the child of Dennis Duffy, her on-again, off-again boyfriend. She begins to warm to the idea, but then realizes she is not actually pregnant. Tracy completes work on his video game, and it becomes a runaway success. Finally, Kenneth enlists Jenna to help him with his application to go with NBC to the Olympic Games in Beijing. This episode was the most acclaimed of the season, and ended up winning the season its Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.