Adam West had a cameo on last night's 30 Rock

You know a 30 Rock episode is in trouble when Adam West – yes, that Adam West! – is the show’s highlight.

While last night’s episode was far from unwatchable, it wasn’t one of the show’s best, either. But as I’ve written before, a so-so 30 Rock is still better than 99 percent of TV’s other so-called comedies.

As much as I love loopy Tracy, we’re starting to see a little too much of his dim-witted character each week. The writers would be wise to start developing the show’s secondary players. I’m talking about Cerie, Liz Lemon’s dippy assistant and Toofer, the brainy, Harvard grad writer. Unfortunately, they serve mostly as window dressing and don’t get much to do. Kinda like when Tracy Morgan was on Saturday Night Live. But such is life when you’re working with a top-shelf comedic ensemble.

As for the episode, flighty Tracy holds a press conference announcing his intention of going into space. When you think about it, that’s an ideal place for him since his mind is already there. Tracy wants to realize his childhood dream of leaving the ghetto and killing an Ewok. And isn’t that the dream of every inner-city youth? Those furry little Ewoks may have been cute in Return of the Jedi, but their singing drove you crazy to the point of wanting to cap ‘em all.

Jack, who’s having his own childhood issues (more on that later), fibs and tells Tracy that he’ll call NASA and make the necessary arrangements. What he really decides to do is fake a space launch like they did in Peter Hyams’ underrated 1978 film Capricorn One. The staff blindfolds Tracy (it prevents space madness, you know), flies him around in a helicopter for a few hours and tells him he’s at Cape Canaveral. Ah, that Tracy. Not the sharpest tool in the box.

If the episode hadn’t aired the week after the one in which Tracy quit “The Girlie Show” and decided to become a rapper, maybe it would’ve been funnier. But Tracy is a little overexposed. Like J.Lo used to be before she stopped shaking her ample rear as much and had kids. You have a deep bench, 30 Rock. Use it!

Meanwhile, Jack is about to turn 50 and wonders if he’ll ever be as happy as he was on his 10th birthday when he vomited because he was so happy. Uh, most people vomit because they’re sick. Or drunk out of their skulls. Jack’s obviously a little different. “The closest I’ve come to vomiting tonight is when I saw Ann Coulter’s shoulder blades,” he says.

Sure, Jack has money, fame and a really nice office. But what does it all mean? Leave it to Kenneth to put it in perspective for him. “You’ve got all these fancy presents from business associates and this big empty house to store them in.”

Kenneth’s right, of course. At Jack’s party, there are no friends. Only business associates. And Batman! Who not only gets Jack’s name wrong, but also tells a joke that falls flatter than a pancake in the room. The crack, however, made me howl with laughter because of West’s legendary stiff and overly serious delivery. “I can’t stay long,” Batman/West announces to the guests. “I’m on a case. The Penguin’s in town.”

Thud in the room!

Howls at my house! BANG! POW! ZOOM!

Jack finds his happy – and vomiting – moment after spying Liz sporting a hideous Billie Jean King ‘do in an old commercial for a phone sex line aimed at “urban singles.”

In the show’s least interesting plot, Dennis, Liz’s ex, is back. Seems as if he’s a sex addict (imagine the kinds of conversations Dennis and David Duchovny could have over drinks!) and is announcing that fact to all the women he’s slept with, including Jenna — a little factoid that comes as news to Liz. But Liz won’t give Dennis power over her emotions and she won’t let him destroy the “sisterhood” she shares with Jenna. Sisterhood…yeah, right! All that sisterhood crap goes out the window when Liz discovers Jenna slept with Dennis in Liz’s apartment while they were in an “emotional place” because of Hurricane Katrina.

I never liked Dennis on the show. He was annoying (yeah, I know he’s supposed to be) and had no chemistry with Liz. So I wasn’t thrilled to see him back – especially after Jon Hamm’s hilarious guest-starring stint as Liz’s other ex.

Again, a so-so episode with a few funny moments, like watching Liz “lizzing” (it’s a combination of laughing and whizzing); Jack seeing everything in dollar signs (Ken’s only worth seven bucks to him!) and Liz trying to look all sexy hot in that phone sex line commercial.

Still, no one made me laugh more than Batman.