When it comes to sitcoms, there are certain tropes that viewers have been conditioned to expect. A big one is the main male and female characters developing feelings for each other. The concept is so common that people watching find it odd when it doesn’t happen. But in the case of 30 Rock, having Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy not end up in a relationship together was key to the series’ success.
Liz Lemon worked for NBC on The Girly Show, a sketch comedy series she created with her best friend and the show’s star, Jenna Maroney. Jack Donaghy was put in charge of NBC by GE, which also put him in charge of TGS. It was his emphatic suggestion that sent Liz on a mission to recruit Tracy Jordan to her show in Season 1, Episode 1 of 30 Rock, changing the trajectory of everyone’s careers involved.
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From there, the relationship between Liz and Jack became the core of the series. Jack took a liking to Liz and decided to mentor her to greater success, and he achieved his goal to an extent. Without his guidance, it’s unlikely that TGS with Tracy Jordan would have lasted as long as it did. Similarly, Jack also played a role in Liz actually developing a personal life, which led to her getting married and adopting two children.
Similarly, Liz supported Jack in a myriad of ways. She helped humanize him, which certainly came in handy when he had a daughter. Beyond that, Liz also turned out to be Jack’s biggest ally in the business world. Time and time again, she proved that she had his back, even in circumstances that she wasn’t completely sure about. Liz did not really approve of how the game was played in the business world, but that didn’t stop Jack from teaching her.
Had they actually become a couple, the series would have inevitably revolved around the minutia of a relationship that fans would have gotten bored with incredibly quickly. The comedy mined from the impractical and unexpected relationship between Liz and Jack was far more entertaining in the long run. Doing something more typical would have likely resulted in an earlier end for 30 Rock.
Realistically, Liz and Jack were so wrapped up in each other’s lives that their friends were surprised they didn’t end up together. Avery Jessop, Jack’s second wife, even tried to force them to end their weird relationship at one point. It didn’t go particularly well, though the episode was quite funny when Jack failed to find a new mentee over and over again. Liz’s life also quickly spiraled out of control without Jack’s guidance.
In virtually any other sitcom, Liz and Jack would have become a couple. At the very least, they would have hooked up. Even Liz questioned why they never did in Season 7, Episode 10. But that’s a big part of what made the show work. A sexual relationship between Liz and Jack would have gone against the grain of a series mired in offbeat comedic scenarios. 30 Rock‘s foundations were built on resisting sitcom tropes, not buying into them.
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