Although 30 Rock is well regarded for never really deteriorating in quality, that doesn’t mean it never fell to the same trappings other sitcoms, especially after its third season. The longer 30 Rock went on, the stranger it became. For the most part, it was able to weave its newfound weirdness into its already eclectic identity, but it also resulted in a comedy that wasn’t always cohesive. Most notably, when it came to resolving storylines.

Although 30 Rock put a considerable amount of effort into ensuring its many storylines and character arcs ended up fulfilled by its critically lauded final season, it wasn’t always so graceful in guaranteeing that every narrative thread or arc ultimately reached its natural conclusion. During its seven-year run, several storylines were either outright abandoned or left unresolved, forcing audiences to fill in the blanks themselves. In rare cases, 30 Rock even skipped over arcs in order to get to their resolution.

For as well regarded as the show is, it’s not without its rare stumbles.

Tracy’s Quest For An EGOT

Season 4 of 30 Rock not only saw a change in the production’s writer’s room but how it approached storylines. In the first three seasons, Jack and Liz were the only two characters with arcs that would last more than a few episodes at a time. Come the fourth season, however, and the writers decided to give the supporting cast more meat to chew on; most notably, Tracy Jordan.

Directly tying into his desire to have a daughter, Tracy decided he wanted to achieve every actor’s dream: The EGOT. This title is bestowed upon anyone who earns an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. The storyline felt like a natural fit for the often ridiculous antics of Tracy Jordan.

Unfortunately, as the show proceeded with the storyline, it was abundantly made clear that the writers weren’t interested in the plot, having Tracy earn most of EGOT off-screen, in cutaway gags, or outright in passing. By the time Tracy earned his EGOT, it was more of a formality to close out the arc than a genuine resolution.

The Third Heat: Josh Girard

Considering just how quickly 30 Rock abandoned TGS as its central premise, it can be assumed that the plan was always to use the variety show as more of a backdrop. After all, the clear heart of 30 Rock was the dynamic between Liz and Jack, two characters who were only involved with TGS tangentially. Interestingly enough, however, this wasn’t actually the case.

While Liz and Jack would serve as the central protagonists, the original plan was to have Jenna, Tracy, and Josh round off the supporting cast. The three TGS actors would share the spotlight, offering an important perspective on the show’s production. There’s a reason why Josh is introduced as early as he is in the pilot, almost serving as Jenna’s male counterpart. As Tracy’s character began developing his relationship with the cast, however— most notably with Jenna— Josh’s role on TGS dwindled, resulting in the character’s eventual departure from the show.

Jenna And Verna

Despite only appearing in two episodes of the show’s total run, Jenna’s mother, Verna, leaves quite the impact on the character. Even before she appears, Verna is built up as an important figure in the context of Jenna’s life, actively dictating how Jenna develops (or, rather, regresses) over the course of the series. In her introductory appearance, Jack ends up bribing Verna to serve as a good mother to Jenna, a plot thread the show actually does pick up on later in the fourth season.

Unfortunately, virtually all references of Verna are wiped clean beginning with the fifth season. Jenna’s relationship with her mother is pushed quietly to the background, Verna never appears again, and Jack does not mention Verna reneging on their deal. It can perhaps be argued that Verna maintained contact with Jenna off-screen, but there’s no in-show evidence to suggest this was ever the case.

Jack Donaghy, Vice President Of Microwave Oven Programming

Along with being introduced as the Vice President of East Coast Television, Jack serves as Vice President of Microwave Oven Programming at the start of the series. Near the end of the first season, during Jack’s first major character arc, the series starts to break down the elements that make Jack who he is. His relationship with his mother is deeply examined, he is placed in a position of weakness for the first time in the series, and he even loses his leadership over Microwave Oven Programming.

This deconstruction of Jack is a critical moment not only in his arc but in 30 Rock’s development as a TV show, showing audiences that it is capable of not only changing its status quo but actively analyzing its characters. Despite Jack losing microwaves being an incredibly important moment for his character, he mentions having hold of it later in the series completely in passing, skipping over a storyline that would have seen him regain what he had lost.

Whatever Happened To Danny Baker?

While Josh was rather unceremoniously written off both TGS and 30 Rock in season four, it did result in one of the show’s finger story arcs: The hiring of a new cast member. This plotline initially saw Pete and Liz working together before Jack took over Pete’s role. From there, several episodes were dedicated to the pair searching far and wide for a new fit, ultimately culminating in the hiring of Danny Baker.

Even though much fanfare was given to Danny’s newfound role, and several episodes following his hiring were dedicated almost solely to building his character, the fifth season saw history repeat itself. Much like Josh, Danny was neglected as 30 Rock’s priorities simply never revolved around TGS long enough to justify his inclusion.

Jenna’s Jackie Jormp-Jomp Biopic

Almost a prototype of sorts for Tracy’s EGOT arc in season 4, the back half of season 3 saw Jenna actively trying to star in a Janis Joplin biopic. As the season continued, the Janis Joplin biopic was quickly twisted into a “Jackie Jormp-Jomp” film, a bizarre take on the singer-songwriter that would allow Jenna to star in something despite NBC failing to own Joplin’s life rights.

While the premise lends itself more to a B-plot than an actual arc, the writers committed to Jenna’s newfound role with quite a bit of fervor, even leaving it unresolved at the end of the season, indicating that it would continue. Come season 4, however, and Jenna’s Jackie Jormp-Jomp biopic is a distant memory with no indication that she ever brought the character to life.

Toofer Spurlock, Head Writer

While 30 Rock was more than comfortable leaving the acting half of TGS to the wayside, the writer’s room was always given a fair bit of focus per season. It never managed to fall off in terms of importance, though, granted, it was never particularly important. That said, the writer’s room was often involved in B-plots, particularly Frank and Toofer.

Toofer himself even managed to find himself in an elevated role, sharing the head writer spot with Liz. As the series never revokes Toofer’s role, the clear indication is that Toofer holds this role for the remainder of the show, a fact that may as well not exist considering Toofer more or less fades into the background as Frank takes center stage as the representative of the writer’s room as the show continues.

The Don Geiss Succession

Arguably the most important storyline prior to the Kabletown buyout, the Don Geiss succession not only actively develops Jack from as early as the first season, it sees Liz grow alongside him while also fundamentally changing the foundation that TGS is built on. Through the Don Geiss succession, Jack clashes with Devon over the fate of NBC, creating a domino effect that lingers over the show all the way to its final episode.

Unfortunately, as Don Geiss’ actor, Rip Torn, got so drunk he mistook a bank for his home, the character was written off the show before the succession could be resolved. Worse yet, Comcast’s acquisition of NBC led to 30 Rock introducing Kabletown, a fictional company replacing General Electric as Jack’s immediate supervisor. In turn, Geiss’ role was filled in by Hank Hooper, whose succession arc actually did have a resolution in the show’s final season.

Jack Donaghy Versus Devon Banks

Introduced in the first season as Jack’s direct foil, Devon Banks was built up as the only man capable of taking down Jack Donaghy. Not only was he in the running for the Geiss succession, but he was also willing to play dirty, giving him an edge over the more honest and hardworking Jack. Come to the end of the second season, Devon actually manages to beat Jack to the punch, albeit briefly, forcing Jack out of his job.

By the start of season 3, Jack’s arc is laid out quite clear: Rise back up to his old position, take down Devon Banks, and work his way towards Geiss’ role once more. Bizarrely enough, however, this storyline is skipped in a single episode as it turns out Devon was never capable of actually holding Jack’s job. From there, the rivalry continues, but Devon fails to hold any true power over Jack for the remainder of the series.

Liz Lemon’s Dealbreakers Talk Show

With the exception of the adoption storyline, Liz’s Dealbreakers arc is arguably her most important story in the show that doesn’t involve a love interest. Stemming from a hit joke that spirals into a book, Liz spends quite a bit of time surrounded by the glow of Dealbreakers. She’s even given the chance to shop a potential talk show around. Naturally, things start to fall apart for her as any version of 30 Rock that lets Liz be free of TGS is simply not 30 Rock.

As perhaps to be expected, the Dealbreakers Talk Show never comes to fruition and becomes relegated to a background gag. Of all the unresolved storylines in the show, this one was clearly left unresolved intentionally, as pursuing it would ultimately lead 30 Rock in a direction that would betray its core identity. Remember, not all unresolved storylines are bad.