“This last episode is going to be a hot mess,” Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon said during 30 Rock’s one hour series finale (titled “Hogcock” and “Last Lunch”), which aired on Thursday. No, she wasn’t talking about the 30 Rock finale, which was gloriously executed better than a combination of lavender and blueberries. Instead, she was talking about the last episode of The Girly Show, the sketch comedy show that she writes for.

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Despite her show getting cancelled in last week’s penultimate episode, Lemon, who was busy being bored out of her mind with being a stay at home mom, went back to NBC looking for work. Instead, was hired to do one more episode of TGS. This was due to a strange clause that former page turned NBC president Kenneth discovered (though not as strange as the two Santas he caught making out in the subway), on TGS star Tracy Jordan’s contract that stipulates that unless they make 150 TGS episodes, NBC will be forced to pay Tracy $30 million!

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So the gang reunites to make one more TGS episode to fill the quota, since NBC can’t afford to lose any more money. And of course, Lemon was forced to deal with the “sideways nonsense” that came with it, including the cavalry of celebrity cameos that invaded 30 Rock, which included Julianne Moore, Salma Hayek, Conan O’Brien, Nancy Pelosi, and more (sadly missing though, were Lemon’s former flames like Wesley Snipes. No, not the badass black actor that did Blade, but the lame British white guy) that packed the episode.

Tracy kept trying to sabotage the episode (presumably for the hefty payoff). Pete, her co-writer, kept hinting that he’s about to fake his death, and the writers have to pick their last lunch as TGS writers, but to their disgust, it’s Lutz’s turn to pick the restaurant, and he wants Blimpies as payback for all the years his co-workers have abused him!

“I want you to feel what I have felt for the last seven years: anger and disappointment and regret,” he tells his horrified co-workers. “When that sandwich slides out of you after a week, look at it. Because that is Lutz’s revenge!”

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However, most problematic of all, is a fight that Lemon has with her boss/mentor Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) who, having become the rich and powerful president of Kabletown, is not happy and doesn’t know what he wants in life anymore.

This angers Lemon, who can’t believe that her mentor/best friend is no longer sure of himself, making it seem as if they’re relationship for the last seven years has been toxic.

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“You’re nothing but an alcoholic with a great voice!” she shouts at him before storming off.

Despite all the drama and laughs, the episode was still able to pack in enough poignancy and tear inducing moments that reminded one of why the show is a classic. Like TGS co-star/diva supreme Jenna (Jane Krakowski) saying goodbye to her vanity mirror (give that bitch an Emmy!), a strip club reunion between Lemon and Tracy that mirrored the show’s pilot episode where she begrudgingly hired the unpredictable comic for her live TV show.

Here, he confessed to her that he was only sabotaging the finale because he’s afraid of saying goodbye to everyone he’s worked with for the last several years, leading to a tear-inducing speech by Lemon about how hard goodbyes are.

“Working with you is hard Tracy,” Lemon said. “You frustrated me and you wore me out. But because the human heart is not properly connected to the human brain I love you, and I’m going to miss you, (PS, give both of them an Emmy!)”

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Even Lemon and Donaghy shippers got what they wanted when Jack tried to tell Lemon that he loved her but in a platonic, professional manner that should not be be mistaken as an invitation to “scale bone mountain (Give this guy his millionth Emmy already!)”

“I love you too, Jack,” Lemon replies (here comes the waterworks).

And so, everyone got back together for the TGS finale. The cast and crew said their farewells in a musical montage set to Jenna singing an incomprehensible song from the musical adaptation of her film based on the novel, The Rural Juror. And 30 Rock acknowledged how it was never a ratings powerhouse, but it didn’t care anymore

“Thank you America!” Tracy says in one of the series’ best Meta references. “That’s our show! Not a lot of people watched it, but the joke’s on you, ‘cause we got paid anyway!”

photo courtesy: sheknows.com

The episode ended with a wonderful tag scene set one year later where we saw what all the characters were up to.

Pete successfully faked his death, but was found by his family (with the help of Will Ferrell’s Bitch Hunter maybe?). Jenna was still Jenna and crashed the Tonys. Tracy’s father finally came back from his decade’s long grocery trip in a tearful reunion. Liz was a happy working mom who’s co-producing another successful crappy NBC comedy with Dot Com from Tracy’s entourage (Grizz and Herz, starring Grizz from Tracy’s entourage) while her husband is a happy stay at home dad. Jack is finally happy. And richer and more powerful than ever after inventing clear dishwashers (everyone can see what’s going on inside it!), as for Kenneth? Well, I’m not going to spoil the surprise.

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As I type this in my pornography box computer, I can’t help but think about why I’ll miss 30 Rock. 30 Rock was a show that, thanks to its quick pacing, call backs and irreverent humor, felt like a live action Family Guy. However, since this was Tina Fey doing the show, 30 Rock was smart and classy even at its most infantile. It also ushered in an era of female comedians starting to conquer TV like Amy Poehler’s heartwarming Parks & Recreations and Lena Dunham’s divisive but undeniably unique Girls.

Not since the end of Scrub’s seventh season have I cried during a comedy’s finale (like me, you should pretend season eight never happened).

Watching this show really were the best days of my flurm.
With 30 Rock gone, how can I ever continue living?
What’s that you say? October 19 is next week?
Oh happy days!

photo courtesy: www.celebuzz.com

Oh, and here’s a parting gift for us from Jack

And here’s the cast and crew of 30 Rock thanking Tina Fey for the show.

Yes, a box of tissues is required.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you successfully conclude one of the most ambitious sitcoms in history.

Now tell me, did you love it as much as me? Where does it fall under in you list of favorite finales? Was there something about it you hated? Maybe a recurring guest star you wanted to show up (Jon Hamm and Dean Winters of course), sound off below!

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