'30 Rock' Season 6, Episode 16 Recap - 'Nothing Left To Lose'

After last week's episode, which had us wondering if "30 Rock" had completely run out of ideas (that's not an attack against the show, Liz actually proclaims that "it's the same thing every year!"), we learn something new about one of our beloved characters: Tracy has no sense of smell.

As it turns out, that's because he has had a ring shoved up his nose for the past 30 or 40 years, which Dr. Spaceman removes for him. That restores Tracy's sense of smell, which leads to a shocking revelation: all this time, Liz has smelled like Tracy's dad (they use the same hair pommade, Midnight Symphony).

That means that, due to repressed memories and such, Tracy is now completely eager to do everything that Liz says in order to receive praise. Of course Liz uses this to her advantage, but feels guilty once it causes Tracy to leave Angie and his kids and start sleeping in the building.

Jack, meanwhile, spends the episode attempting to coach Pete into being a winner. Good luck with that, Jack. He succeeds only in having Pete shave off his "ring" of hair and breaking his nose with a boxing dummy.

Jenna continues her battle against the writers (battle unconfirmed, but it does seem like they're getting at each other a lot, doesn't it?) when they prank her into dressing like a Smurf and doing cartwheels in Times Square. When she finds out from Kenneth that you can learn a lot going through people's trash, she uncovers secrets about the writers that she reveals... skipping over Lutz, because he's "not important."

That hurts Jenna's feelings and makes her question herself, but it all ends up being a double-prank, as the guys (including Lutz) just wanted to make her root through garbage. At the end of the day, Jenna learns that she is only the fourth worst person ever, behind Lutz, Frank and Toofer.

Nothing incredible, but a solid episode that was bolstered by some good ol' Dr. Spaceman screen time. Here's a tip: if you need more funny, just add Chris Parnell.

There are two interpretations here: either the writers have gotten out of their funk, or the whole "nothing left to lose" thing and being in the same place five years from now is just another cry for help. Let's hope it's the former.

Notes & Quotes:

- Desirz

- "May I suggest messily eating an orange while I photograph it?"

- "...like a couple of Jews watching the Daily Show!"

- "No, I'm quoting myself talking to Bruce Willis"

- Tracy's Jimmy Fallon impression

- Lutz's son (okay, grandnephew) is Kellan Lutz

Frank's Hats of the Week: So many of them! "Butler School," "Click Here," "Maintenance Required" and "Low Oil"

And as a bonus, here's this gem, tweeted by Kellan Lutz himself after the episode aired:

Where is my daddy? Does anyone know? Dad? “@NotYerAvgChick: Lutz is estranged from his son, @KellanLutz from #Twilight. - Frank #30Rock”

— Kellan Lutz (@kellanlutz) April 6, 2012