Verna (30 Rock)
| "Verna" | |
|---|---|
| 30 Rock episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Don Scardino |
| Written by | Ron Weiner |
| Featured music | "Do That to Me One More Time" performed by Jane Krakowski and Jan Hooks as their characters Jenna and Verna Maroney |
| Production code | 412 |
| Original air date | February 4, 2010 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Verna" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 70th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network in the United States on February 4, 2010. Jan Hooks guest stars as the title character of this episode and was her last acting role before dying on October 9, 2014.
In the episode, Jenna Maroney's (Jane Krakowski) mother Verna (Hooks) comes to visit her, and Jenna turns to Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) for help. At the same time, Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander) moves in with Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) temporarily, and they both decide to make a pact to give up their bad habits.
"Verna" has received generally positive reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings, the episode was watched by 5.93 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.9 rating/8 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) learns that her mother, Verna (Jan Hooks), has come to visit her. Jenna does not want to see Verna, though, as she knows that her visit will lead to her asking Jenna for money, so Jenna turns to her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), for help. Jack, who also does not get along with his mother Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch), shows Jenna a presentation on how to deal with overbearing mothers. Jenna attempts to follow the presentation, but Verna surprises her by giving her back the money she has borrowed from Jenna and wanting to be in her life again, leading to Jenna ignoring what Jack has told her and reconciling with Verna, making Jack convinced that Verna has an ulterior motive for making amends with Jenna. Later, his suspicions come true when Verna admits that she sneaked her way back into Jenna's life solely to convince her to star in a reality show featuring them both. Jack tries to let Jenna know Verna's true intentions but cannot bring himself to tell Jenna as she is so happy. Instead, Jack pays Verna off to visit Jenna on a regular basis, letting Jenna believe her mother has changed her ways.
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