When It Rains, It Pours (30 Rock)

Guest stars in this episode include Joanna Adler, Ben Bailey, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Castaldo, Paul Giamatti, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Parnell, Sherri Shepherd, and Brian Williams.

In the episode, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) uses her newfound confidence of men noticing her to solve Pete Hornberger's (Scott Adsit) problem with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti).

Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) decides to teach his unborn child with his girlfriend Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks) how to live.

Her friend Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) tells Liz that she is coming off as more confident since starting her relationship with her boyfriend Carol (Matt Damon).

Liz decides to use her new-found confidence to help TGS with Tracy Jordan producer Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit) with a problem he has had with a difficult television editor named Ritchie (Paul Giamatti).

Liz visits him in the editing room and hopes to convince him to get TGS's show's opener footage finished as soon as possible in which she is successful after flirting with Ritchie.

Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and his girlfriend CNBC host Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks) tell Liz that they are expecting a son.

[10] In August 2010, series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey revealed to Entertainment Weekly correspondent Michael Ausiello that actor Paul Giamatti would guest star in the upcoming season playing a "grouchy" television editor named Ritchie.

[15] Comedian actor Chris Parnell, who played Dr. Leo Spaceman, the doctor who assisted in the birth of Angie and Tracy's daughter in the episode,[16] has appeared in the main cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL),[17] a weekly sketch comedy series which airs on NBC in the United States.

[18] News anchors Brian Williams and Andrea Mitchell played themselves in the episode in which the two tease the Liz Lemon character of her supposed relationship with Giamatti's Ritchie.

[19] Entertainment Weekly contributor Annie Barrett was thrilled that the Tracy character was a contestant on Cash Cab, noting once the game began "everything felt so right".

[31] Brad Sanders of the Indiana Daily Student wrote that Giamatti played his part brilliantly, and that his involvement in the main plot was "well-written, well-organized, and by far the best thing about the episode".

[32] Bob Sassone of AOL's TV Squad commented that Giamatti "seems like he could be an editor at NBC, so the guest role didn't irritate or grate".

[34] Scott Eidler of The Cornell Daily Sun called Tracy's plot "very believable", and opined that "any reservations I have had about this show being less than completely real are gone" after watching this episode.

[35] Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times deemed this a stellar episode, explaining that the Tracy, Liz, and Jack characters had storylines that allowed them "to strut their comedic stuff".