The Fighting Irish

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Fighting Irish
Series = 30 Rock


Caption = Jack and his brother, Eddie.
Season = 1
Episode = 17
Airdate = Start date|2007|03|08
Production =
Writer = Jack Burditt
Director = Dennie Gordon
Music =
Photographer = Vanja Černjul
Guests = Dan Bakkedahl
Katrina Bowden
Henry Boyle
Anna Chlumsky
Siobhan Fallon Hogan
Chris Hoch
Alice Kremelberg
Nathan Lane
Boris McGiver
John F Mooney
Brian Murray
Maulik Pancholy
Lonny Ross
Molly Shannon
Jason Sudeikis
Kristen Sudeikis
Episode list = "30 Rock" (season 1)
List of "30 Rock" episodes
Prev = The Source Awards
Next = Fireworks

"The Fighting Irish" is the seventeenth episode of NBC's first season of "30 Rock". It was written by one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt and it was directed by Dennie Gordon.cite web |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/171713/63422/The%20Fighting%20Irish.html?dataSet=1 |title="30 Rock" — "The Fighting Irish" — Synopsis, Credits, Companies |accessdate=2008-08-08 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher="Variety"] It aired on March 8, 2007 in the United States.cite press release |title="30 Rock" "The Fighting Irish" 03-08-2007 9:31PM |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village" |date= |url=http://nbcumv.com/listing_detail.nbc/nbc-20070308213100.html |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-08-08 |quote= ] Guest stars who appeared in this episode were Dan Bakkedahl, Katrina Bowden, Henry Boyle, Anna Chlumsky, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Chris Hoch, Alice Kremelberg, Nathan Lane, Boris McGiver, John F Mooney, Brian Murray, Maulik Pancholy, Lonny Ross, Molly Shannon, Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Sudeikis.

The episode features the appearance of Jack Donaghy's (played by Alec Baldwin) brother, Eddie Donaghy (Nathan Lane), who visits Jack claiming that their father (Brian Murray) is dead. Jack also tells Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) that she has to fire ten percent of her staff. Liz struggles with this task until she meets Floyd's (Jason Sudeikis) girlfriend, Liz Lemler (Anna Chlumsky), who works in the accounting department at "TGS with Tracy Jordan", a fictional sketch comedy series for which Liz is the head writer.

Plot

Jack's down-and-out brother, Eddie, pays him a visit claiming that their father is dead. Jack and Eddie, after feuding, later bond and they even decide to invite their sisters (Molly Shannon and Siobhan Fallon Hogan) and brother-in-law (Boris McGiver) to 30 Rock for an impromptu family reunion. As his family are about to watch a taping of "TGS", Jack's supposedly dead father visits Jack in his office, claiming that Eddie is dead. This eventually leads to an argument on the "TGS" stage and Liz getting beaten up by one of Jack's sisters, Katherine Catherine.

Meanwhile, Liz has been told by Jack that she has to fire ten percent of her staff. While the staff try their best to keep their jobs, Liz stuggles with making a decision of who to fire. Liz's problem is solved when Floyd, for whom Liz has romantic feelings for, tells her that his girlfriend works in accounting at "TGS". After Liz fires Floyd's girlfriend, she goes on a rampage around 30 Rock firing people, including her producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit), who disagree with her desicion to fire Floyd's girlfriend for her own personal gain. Jack later tells her that he hired all the fired people back, but he is transferring Floyd's girlfriend to General Electric headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) has been told by his lawyer that he should join a religion. He asks advice of people including Liz and Jack, going as far as attending church with Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer).

Production

Jason Sudeikis, Molly Shannon and Siobhan Fallon Hogan, who played Floyd, Katherine Catherine and Patrica in this episode, have all appeared in the main cast of "Saturday Night Live",cite news |first=Whitney |last=Matheson |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A chat with ... "30 Rock" and "SNL" star Jason Sudeikis |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2007/04/a_chat_with_30_.html |work= |publisher="USA Today" |date=2007-04-19 |accessdate=2008-07-20 ] cite news |first=Jeremy |last=Brosowsky |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=TriDelt sisters in snit over "SNL" skit |url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/1992/01/14/Archive/Tridelt.Sisters.In.Snit.Over.Snl.Skit-2187443.shtml |work= |publisher="The Daily Pennsylvanian" |date=1992-01-14 |accessdate=2008-08-08 ] a weekly sketch comedy series which airs on NBC in the United States.cite web |url=http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/program_detail.nbc/saturdaynightlive.html |title="Saturday Night Live" Saturdays on NBC (11:30 p.m.endash1 a.m. ET) |accessdate=2008-07-20 |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village"] Tina Fey was the head writer on "Saturday Night Live" from 1999 until 2006.cite web |url=http://tv.yahoo.com/tina-fey/contributor/37979/bio;_ylt=Ah959xCzyoM_PeagipGdFJlaz9EF |title=Tina Fey Biography |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher="Yahoo!"] Various other cast members of "Saturday Night Live" have appeared on "30 Rock". These cast members include: Rachel Dratch,cite news |first=Michael |last=Schneider |title=Inside Move: Dratch latched to multiple "Rock" roles |url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleID=VR1117948462&cs=1 |publisher="Variety" |date=2006-08-14 |accessdate=2008-03-02] Will Forte,cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/30-Rock/February-1-2007/700017220 |title=February 1, 2007: "It Feels Good to Laugh" |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Webb Mitovich |first=Matt |coauthors= |date=2007-02-02 |work= |publisher="TV Guide"] Kristen Wiig,cite news |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/03/kristen_wiig_does_all_the_work.html |title=Kristen Wiig Does All the Work on a Historic "SNL" |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-03-17 |work= |publisher="New York Magazine"] Fred Armisencite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/23/fauxbama-finally-fred-a_n_88146.html |title=Fauxbama, Finally! Fred Armisen Is "SNL"'s New Barack Obama |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Sklar |first=Rachel |coauthors= |date=2008-02-23 |work= |publisher="The Huffington Post"] and Chris Parnell.cite news |first=Annie |last=Barrett |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=What "SNL" alums besides Chris Parnell should guest on "30 Rock"? |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/12/what_snl_alums_.html |work= |publisher="Entertainment Weekly" |date=2006-12-07 |accessdate=2008-07-20 ] Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan have both been part of the main cast of "Saturday Night Live".cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/736/736916p1.html |title=IGN Interview: "30 Rock"'s Tracy Morgan |accessdate=2008-07-20 |last=Fickett |first=Travis |coauthors= |date=2006-10-17 |work= |publisher=IGN] Alec Baldwin has also hosted "Saturday Night Live" thirteen times, the second highest amount of episodes of any host of the series.cite episode |title=Alec Baldwin/Christina Aguilera |episodelink= |series=Saturday Night Live |serieslink=Saturday Night Live |credits= |network=NBC Universal |station=NBC |airdate=2006-11-11 |season=32 |seriesno= |number=5 |minutes= ]

Kristen Sudeikis, the sister of Jason Sudeikis, appeared in this episode as an "advanced hip-hop groove" gym class instructor. Kristen Sudeikis is a professional choreographer. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Jason Sudeikis' Real Top Tunes |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20219231,00.html |work= |publisher="Entertainment Weekly" |date=2008-08-15 |accessdate=2008-08-27 ] Jason Sudeikis' wife, Kay Cannon a staff writer on "30 Rock", [cite news |title=Jason Sudeikis: Biography |url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jason-sudeikis/bio/196550 |work= |publisher="TV Guide" |date= |accessdate=2008-08-27 ] cite press release |title=2007 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced |publisher="Writers Guild of America, West" |date=2006-12-13 |url=http://www.wga.org/subpage_newsevents.aspx?id=2267 |accessdate=2008-03-07] has also appeared in two episodes of the series: in "Fireworks" she appeared in a spoof webisode; [cite news |title="30 Rock" — "Fireworks" — Season 1 — Episode 4 — Synopsis, Credits, Companies — "Variety" Profiles |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/171713/41770/1/64178/4/Fireworks.html?dataSet=1 |publisher="Variety" |accessdate=2008-08-16 ] and in "Episode 209" she appeared as a human table. [cite web |url=http://tv.yahoo.com/episode/155258/castcrew;_ylt=As06.AsMpOeY2u4mmYi_aPyvo9EF |title="30 Rock": "Episode 209" |accessdate=2008-08-18 |work= |publisher=Yahoo |date= ]

Judah Friedlander, who portrays Frank Rossitano in "30 Rock", is known for his trademark trucker hats which he wears in and out of the Frank character. The hats normally have short words or phrases glued onto them. Friedlander has stated that he makes the hats himself. He has also said that "some are in-jokes, and some are just flat out jokes."cite web |url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/cc_insider/2008/05/judah-friedland.html |title=Judah Friedlander: World Champion - The CC Insider Interview |accessdate=2008-09-01 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-05-12 |work= |publisher=Comedy Central] The idea came from Friedlander's stand-up persona in which his hats are all printed with "world champion" in different languages in different appearances.cite web |url=http://www.observer.com/2008/five-questions-judah-friedlander |title=Five Questions for Judah Friedlander |accessdate=2008-09-01 |last=Aleksander |first=Irina |coauthors= |date=2008-04-24 |work= |publisher="The New York Observer"] In this episode, Frank wears an "extra-flashy 'Liz Rocks' hat" to try and persuade Liz not to fire him.

This episode is the third episode written by Jack Burditt after "Jack Meets Dennis" and "The Baby Show". [cite news |title="30 Rock" — "Jack Meets Dennis" — Season 1 — Episode 6 — Synopsis, Credits, Companies — "Variety" Profiles |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/171713/41770/1/60727/16/Jack%20Meets%20Dennis.html?dataSet=1 |work= |publisher="Variety" |date= |accessdate=2008-09-01 ] [cite news |title="30 Rock" — "The Baby Show" — Season 1 — Episode 9 — Synopsis, Credits, Companies — "Variety" Profiles |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/171713/41770/1/61630/13/The%20Baby%20Show.html?dataSet=1 |work= |publisher="Variety" |date= |accessdate=2008-09-01 ] Also, this is the first episode directed by Dennie Gordon.

Reception

In the U.S., this episode was viewed by 5.2 million viewers and received a rating of 2.5/6 in the key adults 18–49 demographic according to the Nielsen Ratings system. [cite press release |title=NBC Ratings Results For The Week Of March 5–11 |publisher="NBC Universal Media Village" |date=2007-03-13 |url=http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070313000000-nbcratingsresults.html |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-08-08 |quote=From 9:31-10:01 p.m., "30 Rock" (2.5/6 in 18–49, 5.2 million viewers overall)] The 2.5 refers to 2.5% of all 18–49 years olds, and the 6 refers to 6% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast.

Robert Canning of IGN wrote that "while the episode was fun, there just weren't as many of the laugh-out-loud moments that have made recent episode so memorable."cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/771/771784p1.html |title="30 Rock": "The Fighting Irish" Review |accessdate=2008-08-08 |last=Canning |first=Robert |coauthors= |date=2007-03-09 |work= |publisher=IGN] Matt Webb Mitovich of "TV Guide" wrote that "something about this week's episode, in which Liz claimed power, Jack found family and Tracy sought religion (a subplot deserving of far greater screen time), just wasn't clicking for [him] ."cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/30-Rock/March-8-2007/800010502 |title=March 8, 2007: "Things Are Lining Up for Ol' Liz Lemon" |accessdate=2008-08-08 |last=Webb Mitovich |first=Matt |coauthors= |date=2007-03-09 |work= |publisher="TV Guide"] Julia Ward of AOL's "TV Squad" thought that "this episode didn't reach the farcical highs of 'Black Tie'. It was more standard sitcom fare than goofy bliss, but it wasn't bad." [cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/03/09/30-rock-the-fighting-irish/ |title="30 Rock": "The Fighting Irish" |accessdate=2008-08-08 |last=Ward |first=Julia |coauthors= |date=2007-03-09 |work= |publisher="TV Squad"]

References