Brooklyn Without Limits

Plot

Liz Lemon, shopping with Jenna Maroney at a store called Brooklyn Without Limits, discovers a pair of jeans that makes her look sexy and earns her newfound respect at work. Jack Donaghy later reveals that the store, despite its artsy and liberal image, is owned by Halliburton, and the jeans are produced by a "Vietnamese slave tribe" on an "island prison" called Usa. Liz struggles with whether to keep the jeans and her improved image or to act on her principles.

Meanwhile, Jack tries to prevent Regina Bookman's reelection by backing her opponent, Steven Austin, an independent candidate from Rhode Island. Austin is clearly unstable, proposing a return to a "Founding Father's America" with no paved roads, rum as an anesthetic, and legal slavery, along with a plan to build a casino on the moon. Jack still holds a fundraiser for him and edits a pre-recorded speech to make Austin appear sane. At the same time, Tracy Jordan learns he is up for a Golden Globe, and Jenna tries to sabotage him by urging him to host a private screening and bribe the evaluators.

In the end, all three choose to do the right thing. At the screening of Hard to Watch, the entire audience, including Jenna, is moved to tears. Jenna advises Tracy not to bribe the critics, saying the film is strong enough to win on its own. Inspired, Liz returns the jeans and shows up to work in a ridiculously unflattering pair of "Shorteralls."

Seeing this, Jack decides to let Bookman win rather than send an insane man to Congress. He convinces Austin to give a live speech, which destroys all the support Jack had built.

Reception

The fifth season of 30 Rock was showing signs of recovery from a weaker fourth season, according to critics who reviewed "Brooklyn Without Limits." Nielsen Media Research reported that 5.09 million households tuned in for the original American broadcast, with a 2.4 rating and 7 share among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning 2.4 percent of that demographic and 7 percent of those watching TV at the time saw it. Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, praising the season's overall improvement but calling this installment a misstep.

He argued the show lacks political sharpness, comparing its handling of political themes to clanking around with a foot in a bucket, though he noted enough strong one-liners prevented disaster—unlike a similar episode in the previous season. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix agreed the season was shaping up to be the best since year two, with few exceptions. He singled out guest star John Slattery, whose character Steve Austin was so absurdly perverse that the humor kept finding fresh, ridiculous angles rather than wearing thin. Louisa Mellor of Den of Geek went further, calling Slattery's role the best used guest spot in the series to date.