Reception
According to the Nielsen ratings system, "The Break-Up" was watched by 5.9 million households in its original American broadcast. It earned a 2.8 rating/8 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 5.9 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 8 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "Tracy Does Conan", which was watched by 6.84 million American viewers. Scott Ellis, director of the episode, received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Since airing, the episode received good reviews from television critics.
IGN contributor Robert Canning said that "The Break-Up" was "well put together", noting that it had "ood set ups and good execution" and that it "gave us good comedy" as it had "plenty to work with." In regards to the Liz and Dennis story, he admitted that while it was funny, it was "fairly stereotypical." Canning commented that Jack's relationship with Condoleezza Rice in the episode was a "great concept" and "offered up a good number of chuckles", although "it never became as clever as it appeared it was going to be." Canning gave the episode a 6.5 out of 10 rating. TV Guide's Matt Mitovich was complimentary towards the episode, reporting, "Now this is what I'm talking about. Second-tier cast integration, multiple stories going on, intimations that Condoleezza Rice likes phone sex ... Another winning week for NBC's 30 Rock." Mitovich enjoyed the fact that Jack was in a relationship with Rice, writing that another show "would build whole episode around them" but that 30 Rock "made it that much funnier by playing it in the background and thus getting to be more outrageous with it." Julia Ward of AOL's TV Squad wrote that Alec Baldwin "always knocks the ball out of the park on the acting front" but noted that "the best material" in this episode belonged to the Tracy and Toofer story. "The show does have a tendency to telegraph its punchlines, but it was nice to have the two men's differences resolved by finding the funny in a Star Jones/excessive vomiting sketch." Ward was complimentary towards Jane Krakowski, observing that her "comic timing" in "The Break-Up" was "impeccable as usual, but it would be nice to see her character get a tad more three-dimensional." Amy Amatangelo of the Boston Herald enjoyed Dean Winters' appearances on the show, citing that he does a "hilarious turn" as Dennis, while the Houston Chronicle's Mike McDaniel opined that Winters had a "cene-stealing and hilarious role" on the show.
Read more about this topic: The Break-Up (30 Rock)
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