Sun Tea (30 Rock)

Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) learns that her apartment building is being converted into a condominium and is told that she must purchase her apartment or face a rent increase. She decides that she wants to buy her apartment and the one above her, and turn them into her dream home. When she learns that her neighbor, Brian (Nate Corddry), will not be bribed out of his apartment, she agrees to move in with him, seemingly to save money, hoping to drive him out with her behavior. At work, Liz is disgusted by her staff writer, Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander) peeing in bottles to stop global warming. However, she decides to adopt this behavior to force Brian to leave; she is successful.

At the same time, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) tells his boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), the negative impact fatherhood has had on his life. They both decide to get vasectomies from Dr. Leo Spaceman (Chris Parnell). While waiting, Jack discovers the respect Tracy's son, Tracy Jr. (Bobb'e J. Thompson), has for his father. After being put under, Tracy realizes his life is horrible because he does not have a daughter. Luckily, Jack is able to stop Dr. Spaceman before he conducts the procedure.

Meanwhile, NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) is put in charge of reducing TGS with Tracy Jordan's carbon footprint. He argues that Frank's habits, albeit disgusting, are actually environmentally friendly. Kenneth gets advice from former Vice President of the United States Al Gore, who tells him to recycle everything "including jokes". At that point, Gore declares that a whale is in trouble and runs off.

"Sun Tea" was written by show co-producers Dylan Morgan and Josh Siegal, and directed by Gail Mancuso. This episode was the first writing credit for both Morgan and Siegal,^[1][2] and Mancuso's eighth directed 30 Rock episode.^[3] Morgan and Siegal, along with series producer Paula Pell, would later collaborate on the episode "Argus", that aired in the show's fourth season on April 29, 2010.^[4] "Sun Tea" originally aired on November 19, 2009, on NBC in the United States as the sixth episode of the show's fourth season.^[5]

This episode aired as part of Green Week, an initiative introduced by NBC's Chief Executive Jeff Zucker^[6] which included having every primetime program which aired between November 15 and November 22, 2009, contain some sort of positive environmental theme.^[7] Jack McBrayer, who plays NBC page Kenneth Parcell, in regards to the environmental theme, said "It's something that is relatable and is something that a lot of people are doing. Everybody is on board with greening up the place and being more environmentally friendly in real life. Every now and then people need to be reminded of things that can be done."^[8] "Sun Tea" was filmed on October 23^[9] and November 10, 2009.^[10]

In October 2009, it was confirmed that actor Nate Corddry, best known as the brother of a former correspondent on the late night satirical television program The Daily Show, would guest star on the show as Liz Lemon's upstairs neighbor.^[11] Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore made his second guest appearance, playing himself, with this episode. Gore first appeared in season two episode "Greenzo".^[12] Actress Marceline Hugot reprised her role as Kathy Geiss, the daughter of Don Geiss (Rip Torn), for the eighth time.^[13] Don Geiss's estranged son, Bertrum (Tony Torn), sues Kathy for control of the Geiss family trust fund.^[5] It is later revealed that Kathy is being represented by Teddy Ruxpin.^[14] Comedian actor Chris Parnell, who played Dr. Leo Spaceman in this episode, has appeared in the main cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL),^[15] a weekly sketch comedy series which airs on NBC in the United States. Series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey was the head writer on SNL from 1999 until 2006.^[16] This episode was actor Bobb'e J. Thompson's third appearance as Tracy Jordan's son, Tracy Jr., on the show. Thompson first guest starred in the episodes "Gavin Volure" and "The Bubble".^[17]

The character Astronaut Mike Dexter was first referenced in this episode, in which Liz considers him to be her imaginary perfect husband.^[5] In "Sun Tea", "Dot Com" Slattery (Kevin Brown) pretends to be Mike Dexter, Liz's "crazy black boyfriend", to help her get Brian out of his apartment.^[5] In the following episode, "Dealbreakers Talk Show", actor John Anderson played the character,^[18] when Liz fantasizes about what it would be like following the success of her talk show, and is then notified by Mike Dexter that he has to go back to outer space.^[19] Astronaut Mike Dexter would be mentioned further in the season.

One filmed scene from "Sun Tea" was cut out from the airing. Instead, the scene was included on 30 Rock's season four DVD as part of the deleted scenes bonus feature. Frank Rossitano is told to stop peeing in jars in his office and forced to use the bathroom. After exiting a bathroom in the 30 Rock building Frank runs into Kenneth and tells him "They can make me use the bathroom, Kenneth, but they will NEVER stop me from eating food in the garbage." Frank then sees a janitors cart and picks up a half-eaten egg muffin, eats it, and goes through the garbage in search for more food.^[20]

• In one scene of "Sun Tea", Jack Donaghy reveals that Don Geiss's son, Bertram, is suing his half-sister, Kathy, for control of the Geiss family trust fund. Kathy, who is outside of court and interviewed by the news media, is being represented by Teddy Ruxpin, an animatronic talking bear, who is dressed in a suit.^[14]
• When Liz learns from Kenneth that NBC will have Green Week, she says "Oh brother, are they actually going to do something this year or are they just going to put that stupid green peacock in the corner of the screen?", a reference to the NBC peacock symbol having a green logo design during Green Week. As a result of what Liz said, Kenneth breaks the fourth wall, a term used when a character in a television show, film or on stage directly addresses the audience, when he glances down at the logo.^[21]
• Tracy, under anesthetic for his vasectomy operation, dreams that he is playing actor Bill Cosby's television character Cliff Huxtable and Tracy Jr. is Theo Huxtable from the television situation comedy The Cosby Show.^[22]
• Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) admits to Kenneth she once took a low-volume shower with actor Ed Begley Jr., and said "What more can I do?", after Kenneth told her he was in charge of reducing TGS's carbon footprint, and that everyone has to help with this. This is a reference to Begley's environmental activism.^[22]
• At the end, when Al Gore says "Quiet! A whale is in trouble. I have to go!", he repeats a line from season two episode "Greenzo", in which he also guest starred.^[23]