What do you get when a writer on a sketch comedy show at the National Broadcasting Company writes a comedy show for NBC about the writer of a sketch comedy show on NBC? The answer is “30 Rock.”

Tina Fey’s “30 Rock,” which aired from 2006 to 2013, takes the viewer into an exaggerated, chaotic, and almost cartoonish version of Fey’s world. The show follows the overworked and under-appreciated Liz Lemon, portrayed by Fey herself as a sort of self-caricature. Lemon struggles to write and produce the NBC sketch comedy “The Girlie Show,” whose reviews have been less than enthusiastic (“Entertainment Weekly called it a comedy!” Lemon brags, so starved for praise that she mistakes bland statements for acclamation). Lemon is tasked with juggling the show’s self-absorbed star, Jenna Maroney (played by Jane Krakowski), the unpredictable and childish Tracy Jordan (played by comedy actor Tracy Morgan, happy to parody himself), and the staunchly business-minded executive producer Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). It is Donaghy and Lemon who are the heart and soul of the show, forming an initially uneasy alliance against their disorderly workplace.

Perhaps “disorderly” undersells “30 Rock,” where chaos is seemingly a law of the universe. Plotlines are less sequences of events that lead to a satisfying conclusion, and more loose outlines of ideas that spill over into a simultaneously unhinged and controlled absurdity. “30 Rock” never lets anything get in the way of its humor, often resulting in satisfyingly absurd plotlines and moments, of which there are plenty. For example, Tracy tries to kill Jimmy Fallon with an ax to rid himself of a curse. Greenzo (David Schwimmer), a corporate mascot hired by NBC to insincerely promote environmentalism, becomes drunk on power and turns on his corporate overlords. Former Vice President Al Gore ends an episode by tearing open his shirt like a superhero and announcing that he must save a whale, on not one, but two occasions. “30 Rock” knows that it is a show and not reality, and by extension, things don’t have to make sense within its world. It takes full advantage of not having to play by the rules of traditional narrative television, employing cutaway jokes and sight gags straight out of cartoons. Oftentimes the show directly breaks the fourth wall, such as a season five episode where the audience is kept waiting for a post-credits scene – only for the scene in question to be abruptly cut off by the episode’s ending. What else demonstrates this blurring of reality and fiction better than an episode where Liz Lemon, a self-professed “Star Wars” geek, becomes mentored by her favorite comedy writer, played by “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher? 

But “30 Rock” is more than a show aware of its medium. Its jokes are never jokes for their own sakes, despite their occasional juvenility. Rather, they almost always have a deeper meaning… or do they? That’s another interesting thing about this show. Any moment could be a silly gag, or an insight into society disguised as a mere parody. Is Tracy’s trying to kill Jimmy Fallon simply slapstick humor, or is it an exaggeration of our own critical discourse of celebrities? Is Greenzo just a silly role, or is his character a manifestation of the way corporations pretend to care about a cause for money while exacerbating the problem? Are Al Gore’s cameos fun guest appearances or critiques of the way we view certain public figures as heroes who can magically solve problems? No matter how you interpret these scenes, every time you laugh, you know there’s more behind that laugh than Tracy’s bulky bodyguard telling Donaghy that he wishes he lived in a world where people assumed he was a doctor. “30 Rock” is clever satire disguised as farce. 

Although “30 Rock” is a show focused on humor and not plot, it has heart and a sense of respect for the struggles of its characters, no matter how ridiculous. This sentimental side of “30 Rock” partakes in the show’s unexpected absurdity by manifesting itself in the unlikely friendship between Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon. Donaghy is a Reagan-loving Republican who claims that he has perfected “capitalism as an art form”, while Lemon is an artistically-minded liberal who idolizes Eleanor Roosevelt and Oprah Winfrey. The two learn from each other, correct each other’s flaws and attitudes, and confide in each other, temporarily putting the show’s zaniness on hold. In a sense, the story of the show is the story of Jack and Liz working together to find a balanced view of their insane world without renouncing their differences. With Jack and Liz, “30 Rock” gives us the last piece of the puzzle. Not only does it have humor and brains, but heart and lovable characters. 

“30 Rock” is an addictive show because it always keeps us guessing. Is it farce? Is it satire? But at the end of the day, it also has a soothing effect, inviting us to sit back and contemplate a world slightly stranger than us, just as Jack and Liz do each episode.