30 Rock Episode 6.21 The Return of Avery Jessup

After months in captivity, Avery is finally returning to the United States. When she arrives, she and Jack kiss, embrace and tell each other how much they missed the other. Avery describes being forced to anchor a fake American news program in North Korea where each story bashed the United States and praised the ruling Kim family. Avery then introduces Jack to Scott Scotsman, a fellow hostage who was the sports anchor on their news show. Jack is instantly jealous.

As they discuss possibly starting a family, Liz and Criss realize their gender roles are backward: she's the breadwinner and he's a stay-at-home wife. At the office, Liz asks Jenna how she and Paul manage their gender-reversed roles. Jenna loves being asked and explains that Paul keeps the house looking nice while she tries to get him pregnant. Jenna counsels Liz to embrace wearing the pants in the family, even if she can't really pull them off because of her hips.

Jenna announces she has lined up the Southern Tourism Bureau as the sponsor of her wedding. Tracy mentions the same group sponsors him to stay in New York. Jenna only has one line to say for the commercial but can't seem to say it in a normal Southern way, despite being raised in the Florida Panhandle.

Jack's jealousy drives him to research Scott on the Internet. Exiting the screen as Avery enters, Jack promises to help her celebrate all the holidays she's missed in one night: a ThanksChristmasValenEasterWeen of July party! They're determined to make it seem like she was never gone. But when Avery mentions Scott, Jack's jealousy rises again. Avery makes a point of telling Jack that if anything happened between him and someone else while she was gone, all is forgiven now. Jack has no idea how to respond.

Jack asks Liz to make an hour-long presentation to catch Avery up on what's happened during the past year. He then shares a concern with Liz: Avery's being too nice. He reasons that if Avery is willing to forgive him, she must have done something she's trying desperately to cover up. Liz thinks Jack should gratefully accept the offer since he's the one who kissed Avery's mom. Instead, Jack devises a plan: he'll disclose his indiscretion as a way to get Avery to talk about hers!

Kenneth and Tracy are painfully trying to help Jenna remember her natural Southern accent. Nothing is working until they dress Jenna in stereotypically skanky white trash clothes. Seeing herself in the mirror, Jenna's pitch-perfect accent returns as she remembers her former life. Disgusted to see herself in her old trailer-park glory, Jenna refuses to go on with the campaign. She wants to do something classy, not to revisit when people called her "Jay-nuh."

Liz comes home to Criss all ready to embrace her new alpha role. After Criss offers to help pay for something around the house, Liz tells him to take that money and go out and get something nice for himself. Criss starts to freak out: he's a man - and he doesn't want Liz to pay for everything. Liz is stunned; she believed Criss was comfortable with their reversal of roles. But Criss is resolute. Tomorrow he's going to get out there and start pulling his own weight... 'cause he's a man! Liz is oddly aroused by this new, strong Criss, who demands, "Now get in bed... and let's watch some 'Dance Moms.'"

Jenna is crying in her dressing room, so Tracy comes to cheer her up. She confesses that she attempted to land a classy tea sponsor for her wedding, but every time she tried to say her lines, her natural Southern accent leaked out. Jenna believed her Deep South roots were dead and buried, but now they've come back to life, making her wants to throw a beer can at a police car.

Jack shares he had feelings for another woman to Avery in hopes of hearing her confession in reply. But Avery simply forgives him and says nothing more. Jack reasons that to get Avery to really tell him what happened, he'll need to reveal even more than he has. But telling her he kissed another woman still doesn't break Avery's resolve. She forgives him, she tells him - and no matter what he says.

Liz is impressed to see Criss selling hot dogs from his van in an upscale part of town. The admiration is cut off, however, when a gang of Sesame Street mascots try to run Criss off of what they believe to be their corner. The costumed characters start roughing Criss up, leading Liz and Jenna to defend Criss and beat them back.

Jenna is despondent. She's afraid the paparazzi pictures of her in the mascot fight have revealed her true Florida Panhandle self. She'll never get a reputable sponsor now. Then Kenneth notices the media misidentified her knock-off shoes as being the authentic brand. Jenna recognizes that's what she really is. Shiny and fabulous on the outside yet full of cardboard and horse glue on the inside. With this revelation she knows exactly who should sponsor her wedding: Off-Brandheelz.com.

At the ThanksChristmasValenEasterWeen of July party, Jack can't hold it back any more. He admits he kissed Avery's mother while she was gone. Though it truly tests her will, Avery sticks to her willingness to forgive. Jack is a wreck and announces every indiscretion over the past year including an erotic dream with an adult-version of Dora the Explorer. Overwhelmed, Avery finally tells him what she did... She won! She tricked him into telling her everything - even when she hadn't done anything wrong. Jack is captivated by her conniving ways. Now, they can really start over!