THE HOYA
Steven Piccione

Revered as one of the best comedies ever created by critics, “30 Rock” remains my gold standard for primetime comedy. A show loosely based on Tina Fey’s experiences as head writer for “Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock” takes place behind the scenes of “TGS with Tracy Jordan,” a fictional sketch comedy show resembling “SNL.” And of course, the name “30 Rock” comes from the major NBC studio in New York City, where both “SNL” and the fictional “TGS” are filmed: 30 Rockefeller Plaza. With an average of 10 jokes per minute, a continuing increase in viewership and even a live episode, “30 Rock” remains my favorite comedy of all time. “30 Rock” is a huge success on primetime television, but numerous signs indicate that next season might be its last. All good things must come to an end and “30 Rock” is no exception.

“30 Rock” centers on Liz Lemon’s (Fey) attempt to “have it all,” including a stable relationship and a successful career. Being the head writer of a popular show, in addition to having a bizarre obsession with junk food (read: Cheesy Blasters), Liz seems unable to maintain any sort of healthy relationship. There’s been Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters, “Oz”), a man who acts like a teenage boy; Floyd, who left Liz for the great city of Cleveland; Drew, the very handsome and very stupid doctor; and Wesley Snipes, the Brit whom Liz loathes. It seems that there might need to be some end to the poor excuses of men that have been passing through this show. The closest Liz has come to actually finding a man to settle down with is with Matt Damon’s character, Carol. A pilot who constantly flies to different cities, Carol finally wants to take a more serious route with Liz, but unfortunately she chooses to continue to dedicate the majority of her time to her work —– ending their relationship.

Not all of “30 Rock” gravitates around Liz and her supposedly disgusting feet. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) also grabs the reins of the show with his constant interference of “TGS.”  With his expertise in business and constant insults to Liz, Jack plays the central father role of the show. Off screen, Baldwin is an executive producer, making him vital to the production and success of the show. As hinted at in recent interviews, Baldwin has stated that he plans to retire in March 2012, which means the sixth season of “30 Rock” will be the last to include Jack.

In addition to the loss of Jack at the end of the sixth season, the recent health problems of Tracy Morgan, who plays the hilarious Tracy Jordan, lead me to believe that Baldwin won’t be the only one to leave the spotlight in the next season. With a diabetes diagnosis, problems in the past with alcohol abuse and a very recent but successful kidney transplant, 18 months seems to be a suitable time for Morgan to stick it out before throwing in the towel as well. Although “30 Rock” is a diverse and well-established comedy, it would be hard to imagine an episode without Jack and Tracy.

Although I love “30 Rock” and wish it would never end, it seems to me that it is time for this three-time Emmy-winning show to finally let Lesbian Yellow Sour Fruit (“Liz Lemon” translated in the Chinese version of her hit book Dealbreakers) find a suitable partner and “have it all.” So much can happen within 33 episodes, but with the likely departure of Jack and Tracy by the end of the sixth season, it seems that the sixth season of “30 Rock” will be the last.

I predict that the second half of the fifth season, about 11 episodes, will focus on a new love interest for Liz, the development of new cast member Danny Baker (Cheyenne Jackson) and a plot line that will make Jack’s departure from the show seem genuine. Additionally, expect more plotlines regarding Kabletown’s takeover of NBC (a reference to the actual Comcast purchasing of NBC), which has been seen in the show as the end to Jack’s executive career.

The most we can hope for at this time is that the possible new love interest for Liz is anyone but Dennis Duffy. “Oz” was a creepy show.

Steven Piccione is a sophomore in the College. He can be reached at [email protected]. Hulu Saxa Appears every other Friday in the guide.