Succession (30 Rock)

Last updated
"Succession"
30 Rock episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 13
Directed by Gail Mancuso
Written by Andrew Guest
John Riggi
Featured music"Requiem" (Specifically Sequentia - Confutatis & Sequentia - Lacrimosa) composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Cinematography byVanja Černjul
Production code213
Original air dateApril 24, 2008 (2008-04-24)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Subway Hero"		Next →
"Sandwich Day"
30 Rock season 2
List of episodes

"Succession" is the thirteenth episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fourth episode overall. [1] It was written by Andrew Guest and one of the seasons' co-executive producers, John Riggi; it was directed by Gail Mancuso. [2] It first aired on April 24, 2008 in the United States. [1] Guest stars in this episode include Will Arnett, Marceline Hugot, Chris Parnell, Brian Stack, and Rip Torn. [2]

Contents

In this episode Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and Devon Banks' (Will Arnett) race to be the new CEO of General Electric comes to an end; in a parody of Amadeus, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) gets the idea to make a pornographic video game with Frank (Judah Friedlander) playing Salieri to his Mozart, and Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) prepares to become the new Head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. In keeping with the Amadeus parody, the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (a favorite of Jeff Richmond, the show's regular composer) is used to score much of the episode.

Plot

Jack meets with retiring corporate head Don Geiss (Rip Torn), who discloses that he has chosen Jack over his soon-to-be son-in-law Devon to run the company. Devon returns with intent to sabotage Jack, but Liz attempts to make Devon look bad by forcibly making out with him in front of a security camera. Jack chooses Liz to replace himself as Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. Liz accepts when she learns of the higher salary and tells her staff "Suck it monkeys, I'm going corporate."

Tracy begins to feel he is an embarrassment to his son when he is excluded from a "Bring your father to school" day. Hoping to make his family proud, Tracy searches for a legacy and decides to produce the world's first pornographic video game. Despite Frank's skepticism, Tracy has some success in designing the game by conquering the uncanny valley, a scale on which the strangeness of special effects are measured.

A depressed Devon becomes resigned to the fact that Jack will receive the promotion. Don Geiss, however, goes into a diabetic coma, despite the efforts of Dr. Spaceman (Chris Parnell), before he can announce his decision. Devon denies knowing that Geiss had chosen Jack as his successor. The next day, Devon appears in Jack's office, revealing he has convinced the board to put Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot), his fiancée, in charge, with Devon acting as the power behind the throne. He then kicks Jack out of his office.

Reception

Alan Sepinwell of The Star-Ledger said that this episode "showcased" Tina Fey as an actress. Tina Fey by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Alan Sepinwell of The Star-Ledger said that this episode "showcased" Tina Fey as an actress.

"Succession" was viewed by an average of 5.5 million American viewers upon its original broadcast. The episode also achieved a 2.8/7 in the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic. The 2.8 refers to 2.8% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and the 7 refers to 7% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode also ranked first place among males aged 18–34 against episodes of CSI and Grey's Anatomy . [4]

The episode received some positive feedback from critics. Bob Sassone of AOL's TV Squad described "Succession" as "a great episode" with "a lot of great lines". Sassone compared the episode to a soap opera, and hoped that the pornographic video game storyline would be continued. [5] Robert Canning of IGN complimented Devon's appearances on 30 Rock, and felt that "Succession" would be the first episode in a new story arc, which was a good thing. He rated the episode an 8 out of 10. [6] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger praised the episode as "fabulous". Sepinwall noted that "Succession" included an "inspired riff on Amadeus", and compared Tracy and Frank when they were working on a pornographic video game to Mozart and Salieri. Less positively, he commented on the "one-note-ness of Will Arnett as Devon Banks", and did not like the Baby Mama ad that was displayed on screen during the "Mozart montage". [3]

Related Research Articles

"Jack Gets in the Game" is the second episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and twenty-third episode overall. It was written by Jon Pollack and directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. It first aired on October 11, 2007 in the United States. Guest stars in this episode include Fajer Al-Kaisi, Will Arnett, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Marceline Hugot, Matt Lauria, Chris Parnell, Sherri Shepherd and Rip Torn.

"SeinfeldVision" is the first episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the twenty-second episode of the series. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey and directed by producer Don Scardino. The episode first aired on October 4, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States.

<i>30 Rock</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, originally aired between October 4, 2007, and May 8, 2008, on NBC in the United States.

"Cooter" is the fifteenth and final episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-sixth episode of the series. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and was directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 8, 2008, on the NBC network in the United States. "Cooter" follows Jack Donaghy's attempt to get fired from his new job in politics; Liz Lemon's (Fey) pregnancy scare and decision to adopt a baby; Tracy Jordan's creation of a pornographic video game; and Kenneth Parcell's aspiration to be an NBC page at the Beijing Olympics. The episode is an unofficial season finale, due to the season being shortened by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

"Sandwich Day" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It was written by one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock, and one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt. The episode was directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 1, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States. Guest stars in this episode included Brian Dennehy, Marceline Hugot, Jason Sudeikis, and Rip Torn. The episode earned Tina Fey the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. The 38th overall episode of the series was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 6, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Remy Auberjonois, Todd Buonopane, Raven Goodwin, and Oprah Winfrey.

"Retreat to Move Forward" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive story editor Tami Sagher and directed by Steve Buscemi. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 22, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Shalin Agarwal, Cheryl Lynn Bowers, Mark La Mura, Chris Parnell, Lola Pashalinski, and Elizabeth Rouse.

"Do-Over" is the first episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the thirty-seventh episode overall. It was written by the series' creator, executive producer and lead actress, Tina Fey and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 30, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Will Arnett, Marceline Hugot, and Megan Mullally.

"Into the Crevasse" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 60th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 22, 2009. Guest stars in "Into the Crevasse" include Will Arnett, Caitlin Fowler, Shawn Gianella, Jon Glaser, and Savanna Samson.

"Audition Day" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 62nd overall episode of the series. The episode was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 5, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Craig Castaldo, Nick Fondulis, Daniel Genalo, Marceline Hugot, Angela Grovey, Michael Mulheren, David Perlman, and Brian Williams. There are cameos by Gilbert Gottfried, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Walken, though, the three did not appear as themselves, but provided their voices in the episode.

"Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 65th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Kay Cannon and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 3, 2009. Guest stars in the episode include Kristian Alfonso, John Anderson, Will Arnett, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Parnell, Peter Reckell, and Sherri Shepherd.

"Reunion" is the fifth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 41st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 4, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Susan Barrett, Marceline Hugot, Robyn Lively, Janel Moloney, Diane Neal, Rip Torn, and Steve Witting.

"Sun Tea" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by show co-producers Dylan Morgan and Josh Siegal, and directed by Gail Mancuso. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 19, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Nate Corddry, Al Gore, Marceline Hugot, Chris Parnell, Bobb'e J. Thompson, and Tony Torn.

"Larry King" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Constantine Makris. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 26, 2009. Salma Hayek, Ajay Naidu, Brian Stack, and Rip Torn guest star in "Larry King", and there are cameo appearances by Larry King and Meredith Vieira.

"Flu Shot" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Jon Pollack, and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 15, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include George Bartenieff, Scott Bryce, Salma Hayek, and Chris Parnell.

"Gavin Volure" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 40th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 20, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include John McEnroe, Steve Martin, and Bobb'e J. Thompson.

"Future Husband" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 11, 2010. Elizabeth Banks, James Rebhorn, and Michael Sheen guest star in the episode, and there are cameo appearances by Jack Welch and Brian Williams.

"Don Geiss, America, and Hope" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 73rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Stephen Lee Davis, and written by Jack Burditt and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 18, 2010. Guest stars in "Don Geiss, America and Hope" include John Anderson, Scott Bryce, Marceline Hugot, James Rebhorn, and Michael Sheen.

"Floyd" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 74th overall episode of the series. It was written by series producer Paula Pell, and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 25, 2010. Cheyenne Jackson, Kristin McGee, and Jason Sudeikis guest star in this episode, and there are cameo appearances by Kathie Lee Gifford, Lester Holt, Hoda Kotb, and Meredith Vieira.

"Argus" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 77th overall episode of the series. It was written by 30 Rock producers Josh Siegal, Dylan Morgan, and Paula Pell. The episode was directed by co-executive producer and show composer Jeff Richmond. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 29, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Will Forte, Marceline Hugot, and Burke Moses.

References

  1. 1 2 "30 Rock "Succession" 04-24-2008 9:31PM" (Press release). NBC Universal Media Village. Retrieved 2008-07-30.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "30 Rock "Succession"". Yahoo . Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  3. 1 2 Sepinwall, Alan (April 25, 2008). "30 Rock, "Succession": Too many notes". NJ.com. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  4. ↑ "NBC Results For The Primetime Week Of April 21–27" (Press release). NBC Universal Media Village. 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-08-30. 30 Rock (2.8/7 in 18–49, 5.5 million viewers overall) matched its highest 18–49 rating from its last seven original telecasts (dating back to November 15), despite the tough time-period competition. 30 Rock won its slot among men 18–34.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Sassone, Bob (2008-04-25). "30 Rock: "Succession" - VIDEO". AOL's TV Squad . Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  6. ↑ Canning, Robert (2008-04-25). "30 Rock: "Succession" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-04-27.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.