While a bit funnier than the pilot, "The Aftermath" is still uneven in spots. Liz Lemon introduces Tracy Jordan to her writing staff. We find out that The Girlie Show is now called TGS with Tracy Jordan. Tracy shoots some promos with Jenna Maloney where he keeps getting her name wrong. Liz and Jenna accidentally keep their mics on when they talk trash about Tracy. When Liz talks to Tracy and does the same about her staff she is seen on television monitors. Tracy then offers to get everyone together on his yacht. As Liz tries to find the bathroom, she finds from a maid hiding in the closet that the yacht is stolen so she tells everybody to jump ship. The next day, Jack Donaghy congratulates Lemon on the staff unity and manages to keep Jordan's yacht scandal out of the papers...except for a drunk pose on the front page of one of Jenna! Liz is insulted when Donaghy thinks Maloney will like it, then Maloney comes and tells how excited she is about the free publicity as Liz puts a deadpan look on her face. What is a bit uneven is the Maloney character wanting respect one minute and then glad of being on the tabloid cover next. Also, Rachel Dratch was originally supposed to play the role now taken over by Jane Krakowski. To still get some airtime, Fey has her Second City partner doing various roles in each episode but they are cameos that short-shrift Dratch's talents. The food being thrown at Liz by her staff after she insulted them on the monitors is also a bit much. However, both Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are doing fine in their roles and hopefully we'll see more of the writing staff and producer as the series moves on. I just hope NBC gives the series a chance after the show's less-than-spectacular ratings of the first two weeks!
Review of The Aftermath
