We’re almost done. Only seven more episodes. Let’s get through it.

This week’s 30 Rock marks the 131st episode of one of the best comedies to grace television. But after more than six seasons of absurdist plotlines, grounded, relatable struggles and jokes rattled out at impossible speeds, all among a core group of actors who’ve largely remained the same, finding new directions for the characters to veer in can be tricky. Until now, there’s never been a set end date, so the writers have been constantly treading a line between moving their set pieces forward while leaving room for growth.

After last night’s episode, I’m relieved the destination is in sight – as are the writers, I’m sure. The juggling act can finally cease. For the last time, hopefully, Liz can stop convincing herself she can have it all, only to realize she can’t have it all. The revolving door of boyfriends, the doubts about weighing her social life against her work life, the intense fear of never having children and a husband are soon to be no more. As the series wraps up its final episodes, its star’s training wheels are slowly falling off, and she’ll soon be ready for real happiness. NBC just released a statement that everyone’s favorite TGS-showrunner will be getting married in the next episode two weeks from now – as 30 Rock won’t air next week because Liz Lemon pigging out on turkey for a half-hour wouldn’t be great for ratings – and the likely happy ending is close.

Of course, that’s all future talk. This week’s episode still harbored the same hackneyed, stale plot issues self-referenced throughout, but still character struggles that are glaringly rehashed.

To its credit, it did so in a remarkably funny fashion (just check out how many tidbits are listed this week). But a woe-is-Liz episode that also prominently features my least favorite late-30 Rock addition, Hazel – a polarizing character who serves as an amalgam of Jenna without the inventive absurdity, Liz without the everywoman appeal and Kenneth without the charm – will not make it into my canon of the best 30 Rocks ever.

“Aunt Phatso vs. Jack Donaghy” revisits the battle between Liz’s personal life and her career, albeit in a grosser-than-usual fashion: Her bunions have gotten out of control. She needs surgery, badly – her shoes had to be sawed off from her feet, which was thankfully not given a cutaway shot – but going under the knife would set her back three weeks, an awfully long time to be away from a group that concentrates its efforts to think up excuses rather than writing. The bunions become her latest ersatz children, as she has to pick between work and those foot buddies that she cares for, applies ointment to and watches brown stuff emit from. (I’m elated these jokes didn’t need on-screen visualizations.)

Liz and her heel-heavy, duck-footed waddle get seemingly bailed out, though, by an ambitious if maniacal Hazel. Hazel eyes the spotlight and figures befriending Liz under the guise of assistantship will yield her screen-time on TGS, as dating Kenneth hasn’t gained her any valuable blackmail information as of yet. But after Liz agrees to hire Hazel as her assistant so she can have the surgery, Liz scoffs at the idea of a tap-dancing Hazel and the wormy assistant has to scramble.

After the surgery, Liz is restricted to bed rest to care for bunionized feet, and Hazel persuades her against using a wheel chair, insisting Liz stay home and watch the feed of this week’s TGS. Only, Hazel sets up a previously taped one, which Liz discovers just in time when she sees herself on camera at the studio.

So for the last (!) time, Liz lets her personal life fall by the wayside (I’m sorry babies,” she coos to her bunions), and she lurches toward the set to stop Hazel.

While she gets there in time to halt the tap-dancing spectacle that would have been, she’s far too late to save the show. (“Oh yeah, we didn’t write anything,” says a strangely sedate Pete.) It’s a funny closing scene, but one that has been simply reimagined from past instances of Liz trying to have it all, and coming away with nothing. It’s a 30 Rock go-to that I won’t miss.

The “B” plot this week, which inspired the episode’s title, had far more potential and was much better executed. Tracy’s new movie, “Aunt Phatso Goes to the Hospital Goes to Jail,” an easy and funny send-up of the Tyler Perry franchise, contains the villainous miserly misanthrope, Jack Donaghy, as its antagonist. Tracy wrote, directed, provided the makeup for and starred as its lead female, elderly character over the course of one weekend, and brought in “$50 million … in Atlanta.” Suddenly Jack’s name is mocked by each passerby, a plight this writer can identify with.

Jack and Tracy then trade barbs, each time escalating the stakes; Tracy plans to make another film, this time with “Jack Donaghy” in the title; Jack threatens to fire him. Tracy’s money convinces the Philharmonic (not to be confused with Phil Harmonic, the worst rapper Tracy knows), to play four straight hours of the Sanford and Son theme song while Jack tries to enjoy the orchestra, which is far and away my favorite bit joke of the night and among the more inspired that 30 Rock’s pulled off; Jack responds with threatening legal action, as he feels he’s being libeled. Tracy, though, points out that each dastardly act the film version has committed, Jack has, too. With one exception: the climax sees film-Jack shut down an orphanage. So, Jack has grounds to sue.

Tracy, not above essentially gambling with orphanages, pledges a percentage of the new film’s profits will go toward an orphan-home that would go under without the funds. It’s a genius move by Tracy, who the show has trickled in suggestions that he’s far smarter than he appears since the onset. If Jack ceases production, he’ll be fulfilling the film’s plot and losing any legal upper hand; if he allows the film to be made, his name will be even further mocked by the black community. In a nice twist, Jack appreciates the rejoinder, only to find out that his respect is all Tracy was looking for – although, Aunt Phatso also craved the carnal side of Donaghy.

It’s a welcome subplot and one that stays true to established character traits without repeating plots from past seasons, grievances I have with Liz’s direction this week. Starting next episode, we’ll see Liz Lemon begin to finish an arc that began in 2006 and hasn’t seen much semblance of closure since.

Tidbits:

• Pausing the iPad that plays Aunt Phatso, 30 Rock’s NBC channel is advertising “Homonyms,” sloganed “what’s fair is fare.” Better than Whitney.

• “Why don’t you make like a woman driver and get lost?” “I’d rather make like the father I never had and stay!”

• “The only possible explanation is one of my ancestors mated with a dinosaur.”

• Liz had to be sawed out of sneakers and her shirt is perpetually stuck to her chair. Does she sweat glue?

• “I heard you say, ‘Guard, seize him!” “Well that was at a Knick game and they needed to stop the clock.”

• “Get me a black coffee. By which I mean a Sunkist.”

• Jack’s cadence while recollecting the song the Philharmonic performed: “I can’t remember.” (Beat) “I can’t remember what it was.” Perfect.

• “This sounds insane, but I care about you as a friend.” Jenna didn’t figure prominently in the episode, but still got in a few laughs. Also, as potentially gross, thankfully nonexistent cutaways go: her slutty ear costume is concerning.

• “War’s my favorite card game, and I win about half the time.”

• I’ve compared 30 Rock to The Simpsons ad nauseum, but Jenna’s inner monologue as she’s racking her brain thinking about what Kenneth told her is pure Homer.

• Official 30 Rock EpisodeCountDownOMeter: Just seven more. Nerds!