"Reunion" is the fifth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 41st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 4, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Susan Barrett, Marceline Hugot, Robyn Lively, Janel Moloney, Diane Neal, Rip Torn, and Steve Witting.
In the episode, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) is opposed to going to her high school reunion, but her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), manages to convince her otherwise. Meanwhile, Don Geiss (Rip Torn) wakes up from his coma only to inform Jack of his decision to remain CEO of General Electric (GE). At the same time, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) feel threatened by NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) when he gets more laughs than they do in the elevator.
"Reunion" has received generally positive reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings system, it was watched by 7.2 million households during its original broadcast. Matt Hubbard won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, while Beth McCarthy-Miller received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
Plot
Liz receives an invitation to her upcoming high school reunion in White Haven, Pennsylvania. She is reluctant to attend as she was a lonely nerd but is persuaded to go by her boss, Jack. Don Geiss wakes up from his diabetic coma and tells Jack he will remain CEO of General Electric (GE). Distraught by the revelation, as Don had chosen Jack as the CEO to run GE, Jack decides to fly to Miami for a vacation, and offers to drop Liz off on the way to her reunion. When they land in White Haven after a major snowstorm, Jack is stranded with her.
Liz goes to the reunion but learns that she was not the quiet, lonely nerd she thought, but the spiteful mean girl whose passive-aggressive comments to everyone were taken as bullying. Jack in search of a drink ends up at the reunion as well, and is mistaken for a former popular student Larry Braverman and still unhappy with Geiss' decision, takes on the persona. Liz tries to regain the friendship of her classmates—Kelsey Winthrop (Robyn Lively), Erin O'Neil (Diane Neal), Rob Sussman (Steve Witting), and Diane (Susan Barrett)—without success. Jack, as Larry Braverman, persuades them to like Liz, until an ex-girlfriend (Janel Moloney) of Larry's reveals he has a son, at which point Jack confesses he is not Larry and Liz and Jack both make a quick escape whilst being booed off stage; Liz happily going back to mistreating her former classmates after they attempt to reenact the pig's blood scene from Carrie on her.
Meanwhile, at the 30 Rock studios, Tracy is shocked when Kenneth gets more laughs than he does in the elevator, compelling him to go to Jenna for help. The same thing happens to Jenna and in retaliation, she starts singing "Wind Beneath My Wings", prompting Kenneth to start singing "99 Bottles of Beer", to which everyone in the elevator joins in. As revenge for upstaging them, Tracy and Jenna start doing his page duties which confuses Kenneth. After Tracy explains what Kenneth was doing, Kenneth feels terrible about it and swears never to upstage them again.
Production
"Reunion" was written by 30 Rock supervising producer Matt Hubbard, making it his fifth writing credit after "The Rural Juror", "Hard Ball", "The Collection", and "MILF Island". The episode was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, making it her fourth for the series. "Reunion" originally aired in the United States on December 4, 2008, on NBC as the fifth episode of the show's third season and the 41st overall episode of the series.
Actor Rip Torn made his sixth appearance on the show as GE CEO Don Geiss, after appearing in the episodes "The C Word", "Corporate Crush", "Jack Gets in the Game", "Succession", and "Sandwich Day". This was actress Marceline Hugot's sixth guest spot in the series as Kathy Geiss, the daughter of Don Geiss. St. Cecilia's Catholic Church served as the high school where Liz Lemon attends her high school reunion. In September 2008, it was reported that actresses Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, who star on Gossip Girl, were set to guest star on the show as former high school classmates of Liz's in a flashback sequence, but the appearances fell through. 30 Rock and Gossip Girl are shot next to each other at Silvercup Studios in Queens, New York. Actress Robyn Lively, the half-sister of Blake Lively, guest starred in "Reunion" as Kelsey Winthrop, a former classmate of Liz's.