This Underrated Episode of '30 Rock' Is a Perfect Summation of the Series

One of my favorite TV shows of all time was 30 Rock. It had the perfect blend of zany humor, characters you love, and comedy from all angles. It also was a show that had a huge heart. You loved the people in it, even though their problems and experiences were not always like ours. The reliability of having dreams, wants, and desires were enough to hook you. 

30 Rock on NBC was Tina Fey's crowning achievement, a show that allowed her to showcase all of her talents at once. The ensemble is also one of the greatest in TV history, with everyone perfectly cast and crushing each scene. 

But what was 30 Rock's best episode? The one that made the whole series come into focus and showed us all the things that kept it on the air?

Check out this video from Nerdstalgic, and let's talk after the jump. 

In the video, we learned about the "Sandwich Day" episode of the series. It's season 2, episode 14. The basic plot is that the teamsters are going to grab sandwiches from a secret shop. Meanwhile, Jack is trying to revive his mentor so he can get a promotion, and Liz Lemon is going to see a guy she broke up with. It's a simple plot for an episode that honestly has an average amount of laughs.

Where it succeeds is that it's about something relatable—the fear of the unknown, and the allure of the known. 

Liz and the others know they love these sandwiches, and they create a very comfortable zone on which they can have a great life. And the fear crossing through all of them is the idea that someday the sandwiches could disappear and the unknown could take over. 

As the episode progresses, we see each character dealing with the unknown, looking into the past and things they could have done to change their current life, but also worrying about what the future might bring. This kind of relevance was not something the show shied away from. They just were so good at putting it into crazy metaphors, like sandwiches. It was something I was always in awe of while watching. 

That transcends the funny and gives us a spin on the realness of this world. 30 Rock succeeds not only in making us laugh, but never getting too depressing or real. It allowed us to examine things we might be going through without ever depressing us. 

It's the perfect episode because at the end, the apple cart is not upset, we find the characters in stasis, enjoying sandwiches while also having learned their lessons. There's not some greater moral aside from taking life as it comes, being okay with fear, but also not demonizing the things that make you feel comfortable.

What's your favorite 30 Rock episode? Let me know in the comments.  

Source: Nerdstalgic