The One with the Cast of Night Court

"The One with the Cast of Night Court" is the third episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 13, 2008. The episode received mixed reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings system, it was watched by 7.5 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 4.6 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For her performance in this episode, Jennifer Aniston received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the category for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The title of the episode is a reference to Aniston's show Friends. Plot Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) await the arrival of their old Chicago roommate, Claire Harper (Jennifer Aniston). The two are not thrilled with her visit as they find her exhausting to be around. Immediately, their boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is attracted to Claire, but Liz tells him not to get involved with her. Jack, however, reveals to Liz that the two have already slept together. At a General Electric formal function, Claire surprises Jack by singing a sexy rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him, an allusion to Marilyn Monroe's performance for John F. Kennedy's birthday. He tells her that she needs to leave, so Claire loudly threatens to kill herself. To help Jack, Liz gets Claire to abandon her plans with Jack and instead go out nightclubbing with her and Jenna. At the club, Claire does not show up, which prompts Liz to call Jack to warn him about potential danger. He finds Claire inside his apartment and ends up sleeping with her again. When asked to choose between Liz and Claire, Jack chooses Claire, but Claire, thinking that the relationship has gotten boring, turns on Jack.