Colbert, who has refused to back down since news of his show’s cancellation last July, ended his tenure at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in true style.
Before the show officially began, Colbert gave a heartfelt message to the audience. “Now, on night one of The Colbert Report, back in the day, I said anyone can read the news to you. I promised to feel the news at you’, and I realized pretty soon in this job that our job over here was different. We were here to feel the news with you, and I don’t know about you, but I sure have felt it.”
He continued, “I’ll say to you what I have said to every audience for the last eleven years, and I have meant it every time: have a good show, thanks for being here, and let’s do it, y’all.”
First, there were the extra-special guest appearances. Along with Colbert’s entire family, there were also 20(!!) celebrity friends who stopped by to wish him well. Brian Cranston, Paul Rudd, and Tim Meadows all interrupted the monologue to gift Colbert a bunch of farewell bananas and/or complain about not being the final guest.
Tig Notaro claims she was there simply because she likes to be at historical events, such as the moon landing, but didn’t realize this was the final show. Ryan Reynolds even stopped by to uncomfortably hug Colbert’s keyboardist, Corey Bernhard.
Despite Colbert hinting at an appearance by Pope Leo XIV over the last few weeks, his holiness did NOT make an appearance, but “his arm” did. Someone dressed like Pope Leo XIV refused to come out of the green room because Colbert had supplied him with New York-style hot dogs instead of Chicago dogs.
Thankfully, Paul McCartney stepped in as the final guest to reminisce on Beatlemania, promote his upcoming album, and air his grievances with internet cookies. He also gifted Colbert a signed photo of The Beatles’ first televised performance in the US, on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, in the very theatre where The Late Show was hosted.
The other Late Night hosts, also known as Strike Force 5, appeared next to a wormhole – naturally – to say goodbye to their friend and colleague. Also, Andy Cohen and Neil DeGrasse Tyson got sucked into the wormhole. It was a whole thing.
Jon Stewart then stopped by to read a very real, totally not made-up letter from Paramount addressing the cancellation: “Paramount strongly believes in covering both sides of any black hole that is swallowing everything we know and love, and the coverage must also include the positive aspects of the insatiable emptiness.”
The very literal hole, he continued, cannot be ignored. “The only choice you have now is how you choose to walk through it. You can go in kicking and screaming –” To which Colbert replied, “That one.” “Or you can do what you’ve done for the past 30 years when faced with something dark: You stare it down, and you can laugh.”
Throughout the show, Colbert and his guests demonstrated the same beautiful display of humor, joy, and honesty that has defined this iteration of The Late Show. Most notably, McCartney said the United States is still the Land of the Free and the home of democracy, “hopefully.”
During his “Meanwhile” segment, Colbert mentioned recent copyright lawsuits filed by the owners of the “Peanuts” television specials over the use of the iconic theme. He explained that “anyone illegally using that music is going to have to pay through the nose…” Suddenly, the house band, Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine, started playing the “Peanuts” theme. Truly a wild coincidence!
The show ended with two beautiful performances. The first, a stripped-down version of “Jump Up,” with Elvis Costello and Jon Batiste; the second, a raucous live performance of “Hello, Goodbye,” led by Paul McCartney, backed by Colbert, Costello, Batiste, and the house band once more.
Finally, the Colbert family and all the staffers joined on stage to sing along, before Colbert and McCartney flipped the giant switch to literally shut off “the Joy Machine,” as he often called his show.
It’s safe to say the internet is in shambles.
“A Stephen Colbert shaped hole has just formed in my heart.”
“Television is losing a true legend.”
“They can cancel shows. They can pressure networks. They can try to silence critics. But they can’t silence the truth.”
“Stephen Colbert not being in the Ed Sullivan Theater after tonight is like if they suddenly moved the Mona Lisa from the Louvre to an Arby’s bathroom.”
“The black-and-white cold open of Stephen Colbert walking the empty Ed Sullivan Theater hallways, surrounded by the echoes of 11 years of audio clips, was incredibly well done.”
“Stephen Colbert’s exit is such a great example of how you can be classy and also throw furniture from a rooftop because you deserved better than this shit.”
“‘Hello, Goodbye’ was the perfect choice.”
“I’m crying and I was trying to figure out why I’m taking this so hard and it’s still basically this.”
Some people were already preparing for Colbert’s next steps.
“What he does next will be his legacy…Man I hope he uses it!”
“So how many minutes until the Colbert substack drops?”
Even celebrities and politicians were in shambles.
Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon posted, “There’s good in this world, Mr. Frod…and it’s worth fighting for.”
Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! wrote, “Tonight we congratulate our friend Stephen @colbert and his writers, staff, and crew for eleven years of excellence.”
Former late-night host, Conan O’Brien, posted, “Here’s to Stephen Colbert, a man of great integrity and wit.”
Former Vice President, Kamala Harris said, “Stephen Colbert has a talent for making people laugh and encouraging them to stay curious, stay engaged, and stay hopeful about the world around them.”
…Of course, one politician couldn’t stay away.
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life.”
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts.”
Stephen, thank you for everything.
What did you think about last night’s final episode? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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