The public loves to tune in to the end of anything. We’re still mad about the last episode of The Sopranos, saddened by the rumored death of Twinkies and, deep down, a little disappointed that the whole “2012 apocalypse” thing never came to pass.

Tomorrow marks the final episode of 30 Rock‘s last season, and we can’t wait to see how the 7-year-old show will end. This perpetual underdog of a sitcom resonated with certain segments of the public, who came to know the characters and quote them during office meetings and happy hours. But now it’s time to say goodbye.

Farewells, of course, bring big ratings numbers. Tomorrow night millions of Americans will watch as Liz Lemon, Jenna Maroney, Jack Donaghy, and that guy who plays Tracy Morgan ride off into the flat screen sunset along with Ben & Jerry. That’s right–the ice cream guys.

Ben & Jerry didn’t become ice cream moguls because they were quirky farmhands; they’ve been a savvy PR team from the beginning. This week, while other brands roll the dice and blow their entire annual marketing budgets on Super Bowl ads, Ben & Jerry chose to aim for a demographic that appreciates their brand of quirk. We have little doubt that fans will literally eat up their latest release, 30 Rock Ice Cream (not to be confused with the Alec Baldwin classic “Schweddy Balls.”

Ben and Jerry’s doesn’t want to steal the show, however; the ingredients to the new flavor won’t be revealed until after it’s all over. Let’s just hope Tracy Morgan didn’t make the recipe.

Oh, and here’s Brian Williams explaining the project like only he can:

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Today we say goodbye to the Twinkie: an object as important to the American childhood experience as popsicles, jumping through the spray of a lawn sprinkler (or open fire hydrant), scraped knees, bicycle training wheels, and believing that everything in life—from bumble bees to moon craters—was there just for you.

Sadly, that innocence is lost over time (more quickly for some than others) until ultimately we’re adults, blundering through the real world as heroes to the children we used to be. As adults we know everything is temporary. Everything dies. And today, adults of all ages mourn the loss of the Twinkie.

This is horrible, horrible news for the public. The Twinkie–famously known as the one packaged food that would never spoil if left unopened–will one day drop from our lexicon, destined to be known by no one on earth save for a few scholars who specialize in this bizarre period known as the present. Until then, however, it is important for us—the living—to acknowledge the Twinkie and its innumerable contributions to our society and our memories.

Invented in 1930 by baker James Alexander Dewar, the Twinkie originally had a banana cream-filled interior, until World War II when bananas were rationed and the maker, the Continental Baking Company, was forced to switch to vanilla cream. From its early years the Twinkie was already making great sacrifices for America, and it eventually wove its way deep into the fabric of our culture. Millions of children throughout the ensuing decades would be rewarded with Twinkies for good behavior.

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