SNL vet Jan Hooks played the titular “Verna” in last night’s solid episode of 30 Rock. Pete! Kenneth! Jenna as her least-annoying self! All that and Meat Cat? Maybe 30 Rock is my release. These were the 10 best lines:
“I was inside ya! Razmataz!” — Meat Cat! You got cheezy bla-ah-sters!
“His name is Mr. Wiggles, and his cat’s name is Benson.” –Kenneth, who knows not to go to bed with a frown
“She’s down there, sitting on a curb, chain smoking, and waiting for me to come out — just like the day I was born!” — Jenna, who’s just a gorgeous naturally blonde ATM
“I’d like to pre-apologize for clogging your tub, sink, and toilet.” — Frank, who has a compilation DVD of fat ladies crying
“Mothers! You can’t kill them?” — Jack, who is going to ask you to always speak quieter
“While you were talking, I put a thumbtack in my neck!” — Pete, whose arms are really weak
“It was perfect, like a John Mayer song!” — Jenna, who was engaged to a congressman at 16
“This show will have laughter, tears, topless arguments, infections caused by jacuzzi water!” — Verna, who has a tattoo of a mermaid “doing it” with Captain Morgan
“They’re called night spanx!” — Liz and Lutz
“This just got awesome!” followed by “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen!” — Tracy, who doesn’t want to be the black guy at the movie
All that, plus some amazing improvised lines from Jack McBreyer at the very end? More like this, please!
Are you looking forward to the return of Verna as much as I am, PopWatchers? And was I the only one who secretly hoped Jenna and Verna’s duet would turn into a long-lost Sweeney Sisters bit? Clang…?
You-know-what and the Bear!
Hahaha!
how old is Jan Hooks she aged very badly, she used to be cute!
Mid-50s, I think. She was hilarious but yeah, didn’t look too good.
Good god, Jan Hooks looked HORRIBLE. Get to a plastic surgeon, lady.
Oh who cares! She was funny and the aged hooker look worked for Verna.
My wife and I wondered if the make up people didn’t deliberately make her look worse to fit the character.
I’m sure she has aged, but there is something called makeup (and a horrendous wig). Seriously people.
I hope that was sarcastic.
“Get to a plastic surgeon, lady”??? Wow, your depth is impressive.
It looked to me like she had a lot of makeup and fake skin on her, she’s not even old enough to be her mother.
I blame the make-up and gaudy outfits — both of which were, of course, perfect for the character
I’m just thrilled to have seen Jan Hooks on tv again. She’s one of those truly under-appreciated women of comedy 
I think she was aged. I mean, the real Jan Hook is not old enough to play Jane Krasinki’s mother. Part of it was probably makeup (fake wrinkles)
She’s not that ghastly, make up…
Some of those people on Match Game were drunk….with power.
how are you not moved by this — I’m listening to the words!
This was the best quote/moment of the night.
Hilarious!
did you not learn anything from jurrasic park?
Man, what happened to this show?
It used to be promising. Now….meh.
completely agree. seasons 1 and 2, i can go back and rewatch and still laugh so hard it hurts. since then and especially this season, i barely laugh during the whole episode. the office has really come back in a big way making this look even worse.
I know, I hate to admit it because I LOVE this show but it’s lost some steam. Although I did almost fall out of my chair while they were watching the video of Liz and Frank during the night. Right up there with “OK Face.”
I agree with Kim. Best line of the night was Because I’m listening to the word, lol.
i loved how jenna pulled out her own mic from her purse.
Totally… next time if Verna’s in town, maybe just pull a head set from underneath her hair, but I guess holding the mic has much more gravitas to it.
And the thumbtack in Pete’s neck, followed by it in his hand and the high five… brilliant.
A perfect example of the subtle comedy of this show, I lmao when I saw that too.
That was my favorite part! One of the reasons I love Jenna so much.
I forget how awesome Jan Hooks is until I see her again…holding out for “The Mother’s Day Visit”. And yes, the bit with Jenna pulling a mic out of her purse was priceless…
She was great! “I didn’t drive my home all the way here for nothing”
“Speaking of issues I had a dream last night you and I were married and I gave birth to a cartoon cat soo…”
Whatever happened to Twofer?
Yes, I love Twofer, too.
And when I have to look at only Lutz I get mad…but having said that – it was a great episode. I could even watch it with my kids and not have to worry about explaining that unforgettable menage a trois of Frank ,the old lady & Liz (nanny cam footage)or most of what Velma said or did or sang because it was so surreal & nauseatingly funny, they’ll just laugh. I think.I hope. I don’t want to explain “do it to me one more time.” BTW, here in Indiana, you can go to the State Fair & see 6 year old girls do dance routines to that very song. How can you not be moved by that?
On another note, Lutz is gay?
Liz – I believed in myself, just like the end to every movie.
“How are you not moved by this?” – Liz
“Because I’m listening to the words.” – Jack
Also, the “Paranormal Activity”-style sequence with the videocamera toward the end was FANTASTIC!
I loved the Paranormal Activity video. Liz was just standing there for an hour and Tracy yelled, “Girl, you better move!” And Liz ording pizza in that creepy voice was hilarious! I thought it was a very funny episode.
Oh, when she ate the cigarettes!
“Carl Yastrzemski was looking right at me!”
Most horrifying duet choice EVAH!
Can’t forget Verma: “I have been many things…A Liar, A Dental Hygentist…
That Verna line reminded me of Jack’s mom telling Liz. “My thanks to the peanut gallery” in Ludachristmas for some reason.
The subtle comedy is a big pay off for me. I only agree with people saying the show has fallen off when they complain about Liz’s nuttiness. I think Tina would be wasting her talents as a comedian if she didn’t get the chances to be nerdy Liz, so I don’t mind. It’s gotten less and less about TGS but I don’t care.
It’s 30 Rock. They can do whatever and I’ll still laugh.
Oh and…
“*gasp* This is what Meatcat spoke of.”