Ep 20. The Natural Order

The Natural Order is the twentieth episode of the third season of 30 Rock, a comedy television show. The episode originally aired on April 23, 2009, and was written by writer/producer Jack Burditt and directed by one of the show's co-executive producers, Beth McCarthy-Miller.

The main storyline of the episode revolves around Liz Lemon, the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy show named TGS with Tracy Jordan, and her attempts to deal with her own dissatisfaction with her life and career. After realizing that she has not had a serious relationship in a long time, Liz decides to seek the advice of her boss, Jack Donaghy, who is a successful and wealthy business executive.

Jack advises Liz to let the concept of "the natural order" guide her approach to relationships, suggesting that she should try to find a man who is at or slightly above her "level" in terms of attractiveness, intelligence, and socioeconomic status. Liz takes this advice to heart and begins to pursue a man who fits this description, but finds that their relationship is lacking in the areas of emotional and intellectual connection.

Meanwhile, a subplot of the episode involves the show's star, Tracy Jordan, who has become obsessed with having his own video game. When the game is finally released, Tracy is disappointed to find that it is not what he expected, and he spends much of the episode trying to get the game's developers to make changes to the game.

Another subplot involves the show's other main character, network executive Jenna Maroney, who is trying to work with an unreliable guest star and has to convince Tracy to step in at the last moment.

Throughout the episode, there are numerous other humorous moments and interactions between the characters, including several jokes and references to popular culture and politics of the time.

Overall, The Natural Order is a quintessential episode of 30 Rock, featuring sharp writing, memorable characters, and a mix of absurd and relatable comedy. Though it deals with serious themes such as relationships and self-worth, it does so in a way that is both hilarious and heartwarming, making it a fan favorite among viewers of the show.