“Hard Ball” spoilers below:

Things that happened

It’s negotiation time at TGS where Josh’s contract is up for renewal. This over-excites Jack, because apparently negotiating is Jack’s favorite thing ever. Liz wants to be nice to Josh because he is a good writer and- more importantly!- a good friend. However, after the first round of negotiations go poorly, and Josh brings in his skeezy, sex-addicted agent and Liz catches Josh faking sick to do an interview at The Daily Show, she’s ready for hardball. This makes Jack so happy!

While all this is going on, Jenna had a photo shoot at Maxim where she was named the fourth sexiest woman in comedy, after Jessica Simpson and who knows who else. She is terribly mis-quoted as saying she hates the American troops. In her interview with the show Hardball she mixes up Osama and Obama. This is not the best mistake to make. Liz writes her a make-up skit, where further hilarity and mishaps ensue. Let’s just put it this way: everyone at NBC is probably on someone’s death list by now.

In the final plot of the night, Tracy comes into some money and decides he needs to add to his entourage. He invites Kenneth, because Kenneth is a good harmonizer. Unfortunately, Kenneth is not good at entouraging and several entourage secrets emerge. They get fired, but Tracy brings them back in a touching musical moment that warmed my heart.

Things that were good

• Almost everything! This was the best episode of 30 Rock I’ve seen yet!
• Alec Baldwin is so fantastic. Each scene he has is golden. Tonight, the opening sequence with him and Pete negotiating meeting times was perfect.
• Since I’m on such an Alec Baldwin high, I’ll mention the scene where he was checking Liz’s email too. Alec and Tina Fey play really well off each other and their scenes are really good. I could go on and on.What can I say? I love this man.
• Pete is so underrated. I feel bad it took me over 10 episodes to learn his name.
• Kenneth and Tracy harmonizing was also fantastic. Kenneth is adorably awkward.
• The musical pseudo-montage for the entourage. They really love him. Really, they do.
• The worm! And the crab! That’s real hard ball!

Things that were not so good

• Nothing! Okay, almost nothing!
• Tracy and Jenna are hilarious in bits, but they have the potential to become too one-dimensional and gimmicky. It hasn’t been too bad yet, but I am becoming worried.
• The repetitive ‘blondes are dumb’ mantra. I get that Jenna and Suri are idiots, but why does Liz get to be the only intelligent woman on the show?

Worth Watching if…..

……You want to laugh! And love Alec Baldwin! Or pinwheels. Or entourages. Or old-school dance moves. Really, take your pick. This episode is the perfect introduction for those who haven’t watched 30 Rock yet: it’s smart, funny and not too over the top. And it’s great for those of us who have been there since the beginning: we are getting rewarded with quality television! This show is becoming what I wanted Studio 60 to be. Well, if Sorkin did sitcoms.

In Five Words

Uh-oh! The pinwheels aren’t moving!