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Recap / 30 Rock S1 E16 "The Source Awards"

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Liz forces herself to stay with a very boring lawyer named Stephen Black, so as not to seem racist. Meanwhile, Jack attempts to break into the wine business, and Tracy hosts the Source Awards in order to get back into the good graces of a hip hop mogul.

This episode contains the following tropes:

  • Asbestos-Free Cereal: The lab report for Donaghy Estates wine states that it "contains no lead" and is "non-fatal".
  • The Cameo: Ghostface Killah shows up to promote Donaghy Estates wine. He previously appeared in "Jack-Tor."
  • Celebrity Paradox: Stephen is played by Wayne Brady, who was previously mentioned as himself in the episode "Jack Meets Dennis."
  • The Dreaded: Ridikolus, a legendary hip hop producer with a fearsome reputation. Tracy considers himself as good as dead after crossing him. Kenneth, of course, is completely unshaken.
  • Everything Is Racist: Stephen takes this view, causing Liz no end of trouble.
  • Five Stages of Grief: Tracy says that he's going through them when he believes that he'll be murdered at the Source Awards, although he says the stages are Fear, Denial, Horniness, Wisdom, Sleepiness, and Depression. When Kenneth says that he forgot Anger, Tracy reacts, well, angrily.
    Tracy: NO! I DON'T WANNA DO ANGER! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!
  • I'll Take Two Beers Too: When Liz suggests to Stephen that they share the porterhouse steak for two, Stephen says that he'll just have a salad. Liz ends up eating the porterhouse for two all by herself.
  • Incredibly Lame Fun: Stephen's hobbies include collecting tote bags, Vietnam War re-enactments, and Star Wars (not Star Wars the science fiction franchise, but Star Wars, the strategic defense initiative).
  • Jerkass: Stephen assumes that all women who don't like him must be either racist or lesbians.
  • The Law Firm of Pun, Pun, and Wordplay: The common "Dewey, Cheatum and Howe" variant is subverted: Stephen is a lawyer at the prestigious Dewey, Cheatum and Livingston.
  • Mistaken for Racist: Stephen accuses Liz of racism when she tries to break up with him, leading her to stay with him despite the two sharing nothing in common. Meanwhile, events conspire to make her seem racist, culminating in her accidentally shooting Stephen at the Source Awards.
  • Shot in the Ass: Liz accidentally shoots Stephen in the ass with a gun Tracy brought to the Source Awards.
  • A Tankard of Moose Urine: Donaghy Estates is a wine variant. Virtually everyone reacts with disgust after drinking it, even if they're paid to promote it.

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