Thursday nights have gotten more crowded with NBC’s three shows, Smallville, and Lost, but don’t worry, I’ll review everything, it just may take me a little more time is all…

Scrubs - My Dumb Luck

This was supposed to be the last season of Scrubs, and so a lot of stories were designed to wrap up certain characters’ arcs this year. (How the additional year on ABC will change things remains to be seen.) This episode served as the swan song for Chief of Medicine Bob Kelso. Despite his curmudgeonly ways, he has shown over the years that he does in fact have a hear, and that it’s not full of just muffin tops, baby souls, and his denture grip as Dr. Cox claims. Hearing him talk to the random intern about all of his experiences was both touching and funny, as he scared the poor guy and made fun of his “gay little knapsack.” My only complaint about this storyline was that I thought it was a little out of character for him to ask for Elliot and Carla’s help in getting his job back, only for him to then turn around and quit.

J.D. and Turk had some great moments this episode, from their game of “poke the bear” with Dr. Cox, to the way he got them (just J.D., actually) back with bungee cord, to their conversation about not paying attention when they’re being insulted, and of course, the blind luck they used to diagnose the mystery ailment by googling purple pee. Elliot also had a great joke when it was revealed that she called men and lesbians “slick” to get them to do what they want, and Dr. Cox had me laughing out loud when he called J.D. “Hermoine.” Once again, the show is able to mix touching moments with big laughs, but I fear what will be left for the show to cover in season eight if they keep wrapping up threads in season seven.

Best joke of the episode: Janitor claiming to have invented the phrase “delusions of grandeur.”

The Office - Night Out

Over the years, Ryan’s character has gone from a guy you felt sorry for to a guy you hated, and now with this episode, I’m back to kind of feeling sorry for him again. He’s still a self-righteous and arrogant jerk, but the not-so-subtle implications that he has a serious drug problem can’t help but make you think that the pressure of his corporate job has been too much for him to handle. Especially after dundermifflininfinity.com was hacked into by sexual predators. Of course, that won’t be a problem when version 2.0 rolls out, which will happen TBD. Or, as Michael puts it, TDB. Ryan’s scenes in Scranton were all great, but the capper came when the still-bitter Kelly asked him simply, “How dare you?”

Of course, the episode doesn’t really get under way until Michael and Dwight head down to NYC to join Ryan out for a night of clubbing. The way that even Michael is surprised about how happy Ryan is to see them is a great moment from one of the least self-aware characters to ever grace the small-screen. Michael and Dwight are the ultimate fish out of water in this new environment, as Michael orders chicken fingers and “marachino” cherries, calls his mom, and tells women that he’s a bank-teller, all as Dwight mistakes Ryan’s short friend for a Hobbit and tall women for Amazons. Still, it is Dwight who is able to adapt to his new surroundings, by using the women’s basketball team to get his friends into a club, then by making out with one of the gals and even getting her number. If this group is as Swingers-esque as Michael hopes, who would have guessed that Dwight would end up playing Vince Vaughn’s part?

Meanwhile, back in Scranton, Jim once again learns that running the office in Michael’s stead isn’t quite as easy as one would think. Getting their work done on Friday night instead of coming in on Saturday makes sense, but when Jim fails to notify security and the gang all gets locked in, they quickly turn on him. Stanley, as usual, got a big laugh when he said that he’ll kill both Jim and Pam if he’s not in a bath with a glass of red wine in an hour. Jim has struggled leading the branch before, when he tried combining multiple birthday parties. As dense as Michael is, he does apparently know a few things about how to be a regional manager. It was great seeing Jim, who usually makes fun of others when they are in awkward situations, squirm as he calls the security guard, and suffer through Andy and Angela being voted to be the better couple by everyone, even Phyllis. The ending of the show was again great, with the security guard finally arriving to find everyone else has gone. The Office went through a bit of a slump at the start of the season, but since its return from the strike hiatus, the show has been incredibly strong.

Best joke of the episode: Toby putting his hand on Pam’s knee, announcing a move to Costa Rica, and then jumping the fence in the parking lot.

30 Rock - Succession

Jack Donaghy’s quest to be the next boss of GE has been playing out for a while now, and whenever Jack’s rival, Devon Banks, makes an appearance, you know you’re in for a great episode of TV. Will Arnett hasn’t had much luck on the big screen since Arrested Development, but his guest spots on 30 Rock are always spot on, as he plays a power-hungry gay man willing to do anything to get ahead, including marry into Don Geiss’ family. The flashback of him flirting with his wedding florist, the way he feigns excitement for his bachelor party, and his back and forth with Jack about seeing Clay Aiken in Spamalot are all great bits that take the “gay man getting married to a woman” joke to whole new levels.

As great as the Donaghy/Banks rivalry is, Liz Lemon steals the show. She starts out by saying that Frank looks like a cross between Gene Simmons and a basset hound, and then makes references to her secret wish of living with the gorillas. But once she decides to go corporate, Liz is at her funniest. The way she handles herself at her first executive meal is brilliant, and it’s a real treat watching the other suits react to Liz’s bold microwave “start button classic” initiative. Of course, it was not meant to be, and by show’s end, Liz is back at her TGS gig and Jack’s future is uncertain. It seems like we’ll be seeing more of Banks in the weeks to come, which is always a good thing.

The episode also had another brilliant appearance by Dr. Spaceman (pronounced Spuh-chee-men), and a fantastic bit with Tracy trying to invent a pornographic video game. The twist of this story turning into a parody of Amadeus, worked well, and seeing Frank jealous over Tracy’s success with the game, despite his difficulties in making realistic characters that were sexy and not creepy, was really funny stuff, and I hope we hear more about the finished product as the show continues. This episode certainly laid the groundwork for the rest of the season, and it is full of potential.

Best joke of the episode: Tracy’s summation of Han Solo: “He acts like he doesn’t care, but he does.”