From NBC to Homeland Security

Federal employees are rarely represented on prime-time TV, but Tina Fey’s sitcom 30 Rock, normally devoted to the backstage lives of the cast and crew of a sketch comedy show, ended its second season Thursday with two executives played by Matthew Broderick and series star Alec Baldwin desperately trying to find a way out of political appointments with the Bush administration.

Baldwin’s character, exiled GE Executive Jack Donaghy, the newly minted "Homeland Security Director of Crisis and Weather Management," brightens up Broderick’s drab existence when he convinces the House Appropriations Committee to provide the department pens with actual caps. "I haven't felt this energized at work since the two weeks when they tried to teach us Farsi," Broderick enthuses.

But their enthusiasm is short-lived. Broderick explains sadly to Baldwin -- who is desperate to flee back to New York -- that "my boss wouldn't let you resign. They don't want people leaving here any more." So the two concoct a scheme of Lurita Doan-esque proportions to get themselves fired. FedBlog doesn’t post spoilers, but needless to say, the end result is a doozy. Check out the full episode on Hulu or the show’s site on NBC.com.

By the way, if you think this is a farfteched plot, consider this: Yesterday President Bush announced he would nominate Thomas D. Cairns to be the new chief human capital officer at Homeland Security. Cairns' previous position? Senior vice president with NBC Universal, responsible for human resources and labor relations. --Alyssa Rosenberg