Ep 12. Black Tie

The show 30 Rock follows the work and personal lives of the crew at a fictional sketch comedy show called "The Girlie Show," which is produced live from the 30 Rockefeller Plaza building in New York City. In season 1 episode 12, titled "Black Tie," the main character Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) is invited to a fancy charity event by her boss Jack Donaghy (played by Alec Baldwin).

Liz is hesitant about attending the event because she doesn't think she has anything appropriate to wear, but Jack assures her that it's a black-tie event and he has everything taken care of. Meanwhile, Liz's best friend and the star of "The Girlie Show," Jenna Maroney (played by Jane Krakowski), becomes jealous when she finds out that Tracy Jordan (played by Tracy Morgan), another actor on the show, has been invited to the event as well.

At the event, Liz's nervousness about fitting in is quickly put to rest as she sees just how eccentric and unusual the other guests are. Jack introduces Liz to his high-society friends including a particularly snobby woman named C.C. (played by Edie Falco), whom he is trying to impress. Tracy causes a stir when he arrives late and insists on wearing a white tuxedo, completely disregarding the black-tie dress code.

As the night progresses, Liz tries to make small talk with C.C. but finds it difficult to connect with her. Meanwhile, Jenna enlists the help of another actor on "The Girlie Show," Frank Rossitano (played by Judah Friedlander), to sabotage Tracy's attempt to impress everyone with a comedy routine. Jenna is upset that Tracy is getting more attention than her, and insists that she's the true star of the show.

The chaos continues as Liz tries to manage the different personalities and social dynamics at the party. She also becomes increasingly frustrated with Jack's attempts to impress C.C. and his disregard for the fact that Tracy is causing a scene. In the end, Liz manages to save the night when a fire breaks out in the kitchen, causing panic among the guests. Liz stays calm and ushers everyone out of the building safely, showing her quick thinking and problem-solving skills.

Overall, "Black Tie" is a fast-paced and comedic episode of 30 Rock that showcases the characters' quirks and flaws in a social setting. The episode examines themes of class and social status, highlighting the differences between Liz's down-to-earth personality and the pretentiousness of Jack's upper-class friends. The episode also sets up conflicts between the characters that will continue to play out throughout the series.