Jane Krakowski: A TV treasure at 50

Jane Krakowski and Lucy Liu — in a suit — teaming together in a swing dance — it was 1999, after all — competition. Enough said.

"Ally McBeal" is a show that made the concept of a “face bra” a thing, so we might as well celebrate the episode that ended its arc: the one where Elaine’s aunt sued her for the rights to said face bra. (Apparently, Jane Krakowski also took one of the face bras home with her when the series ended.)

This is the rare episode of "Ally McBeal" where Elaine got to be more than just a sexually charged character, as her finding a newborn baby in a Nativity-scene manger led to her doing everything she possibly could to adopt the baby.

Another serious Elaine episode, as Elaine has to battle with the idea people — especially men — have about her (and her supposed promiscuity) and the fact that she’s actually lonely. At least she has Ally as a friend (and vice versa).

Jane Krakowski is obviously great at comedy, but every once in a while, she gives drama a whirl. And it's not just dramatic beats in a comedy, as evidenced by her role as traveling psychologist Dr. Gretchen Trott in "Everwood" (a change of pace post-"Ally McBeal" role). This is the second of the character’s two episodes in the series, and she played somewhat of an opposites attract love interest to Treat Williams’ Dr. Andy Brown, a necessary interaction for him to move on after his wife’s passing.

This isn’t just a classic because it actually shows “The Rural Juror” for the first time (after being referenced earlier in the season). It’s one of those 30 Rock episodes (and one of the first of the series) that really focuses on the Liz/Jenna friendship. Also, just for the sake of completion, let’s hear the theme to the film (and cry again).

Siri: Play Jenna Maroney doing the Charleston on a loop.

While Jenna Maroney and Tracy Jordan both needed to be wrangled by Liz Lemon — as her adult children — they didn't always share common ground due to that. In “Secrets and Lies,” Jenna acts out (even more than usual) because of a feeling that Liz lets Tracy do anything he wants. And in doing so, she gets a new entourage, which provides us with the immortal line: “Oh, Melissa! Your face is on the phone. Soccer practice is over and you need to … pick it up!”

To say that “desperate Jenna” is the best Jenna is to ignore that 99 percent of Jenna is desperate Jenna. But that’s exactly what you get here, as Jenna attempts to reprise her late-series Night Court role as Sparky Monroe, werewolf lawyer (a lawyer that’s a werewolf, not a lawyer for werewolves). This is also simultaneously a Liz/Jenna friendship episode, as they both have to suffer through their visiting ex-roommate Claire (Jennifer Aniston).

I’m not saying that Amy Adams couldn’t have pulled off a Janis Joplin biopic; I’m just saying, it maybe wouldn’t have been shelved had she fully committed even half as much as Jenna Maroney had to even the off-brand version, Janet Jopler/Jackie Jormp-Jomp.

In an attempt to get TGS to appeal to Middle America — instead of, you know, coastal elites— Jenna has to “go country.” And what does Middle America love more than “tennis night?” Well, if you ask Jenna, nothing. Jenna also has to deal with the fact that there’s going to be a new cast member, and if it’s a blonde woman...

There is perhaps no longer-lasting image for the combined duo of Jenna Maroney and Tracy Jordan than each of them wearing “THE PROBLEM” shirts while attempting to give advice to the TGS crew. Really, the sight gag of them never quite knowing how to properly wear complementary “THE PROBLEM” and “SOLVERS” shirts is seemingly so simple in hindsight but still absolutely brilliant. (Funnily enough, the aforementioned new cast member — Danny— is here, but in the long run, everything’s fine.)

As much of a caricature as Jenna could be, "30 Rock" still worked to make her one worth caring about on more than just a bizarre surface level, and there was no better way than introducing her leech mother, Verna (Jan Hooks), in this episode.

Where were you the night you first heard Jenna Maroney say, “Go jump back up your mother?” Oh, you were at home watching "30 Rock" live? Oh, OK — same.

Another Liz/Jenna episode, this time with Jenna wanting to steal Liz’s thunder because, as we all know, Jenna’s whole life is thunder.

Early Kimmy Schmidt had yet to pull back the few layers of Jacqueline White, but this episode was as good a time as any to start. Plus, this was also the beginning of the series’ robot uprising. Here, Jacqueline has Kimmy help her plan a dinner party, which is set up specifically to discover if her husband is cheating on her.

I’ll be honest: Kimmy Schmidt episodes about Jacqueline’s Native American past are a controversial topic. BUT the jokes truly always have been at the character's expense, and it would be a disservice to the character and Krakowski’s acting to ignore her performance as such. That’s especially true in the second-season premiere, as Jacqueline’s — well, Jackie Lynn’s — attempt to return to her Native American roots is an unmitigated failure. It’s no wonder she’s sent directly back to New York City after this.

The Season 2 arc of Jacqueline vs. Anna Camp’s Deirdre Robespierre is one for the ages, to the point where that feud could be an entire show on its own.

Honestly, the “woke” college stuff in this episode still very much comes across like a bunch of older writers writing what they think “woke” college stuff is. The farce of Jacqueline’s plot —with Titus as Flouncy Magoo/Cork Rockingham — is the real gem here.

Season 3 of Kimmy Schmidt also sees Jacqueline take on the NFL because of the Washington Redskins situation (perhaps the best use of her Native American backstory), and here, she has her meeting with the NFL owners…which leads to the ridiculous renaming of the teams (which has been a beautiful part of the series ever since).

Heist shenanigans — despite being episodes after “Kimmy Pulls Off a Heist!”— from a sort of homeless Jacqueline and a "Gals on the Town" reference? You should be watching this right now.

Jacqueline and Lillian are two characters who probably shouldn’t work as well together as they do, but episodes like this one — where they scheme together to assemble (via ticket scalping) a hipster audience for Titus’ student production of "Beauty and the Beast"— are shining examples of how they do.