Well, it finally happened. Justice rained out across this great nation, as the rule of law was finally restored and America sent a stern rebuke to hucksters and charlatans everywhere: Gwyneth Paltrow won her ski lawsuit. Oh, and Trump was indicted. Also, the restraining order against Vanderpump Rules’ Scheana Shay was lifted. It was a big week for justice overall.
The cheering from the late-night audiences rang out loud and proud Thursday night. Stephen Colbert’s audience seemed to go on the longest (apparently news broke three minutes before Colbert went on, so it’s highly probable that the audience was hearing the news straight from him), The Daily Show’s hootin’ and hollerin’ was most raucous, and Jimmy Fallon almost didn’t leave space for the cheering between setup and punchline. But he did note how funny it is that Ron DeSantis might have to sign an extradition waiver for Trump if he refuses to leave Mar-a-Lago. And as always, the pettiest bitch was Jimmy Kimmel. His cold open was Trump addressing the nation from a jailhouse toilet. He also included a clip of Fox News breaking the story, wiping the smug grin off a transphobe. Nice. But as we’ve said many times before, Trump isn’t very good for comedy. Here’s what made us laugh this week in late night.
5. Stephen Colbert’s Honesty
Stephen Colbert’s wife, Evie McGee, joins him in this cheery little desk piece. They’ve done this bit before and it’s mostly harmless. But the way Evie roasts her husband for wanting approval is too funny. “Oh, are you feeling insecure? Do you need us all to say this is fun?†she asks. “Very good bit, very good bit.†To which Colbert responds, “What makes you think that a man who comes out every night and tells jokes to people who chant his name is insecure?†We love a moment of clarity! Seriously, the overly fawning audience at The Late Show is the worst thing about the show, and I’m glad even Colbert sees there’s something a li’l off about the chanting.
4. Jimmy Kimmel Holds a Grudge
Ben Affleck invited both Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno to Christmas, which is bonkers. Rich people’s lives are weird. Recounting the story, Affleck recalled saying, “Oh, you guys have some kind of a, like, death-blood feud!†then deucing out of there. For those who aren’t well-versed in their Leno Lore, Kimmel was a guest on The Jay Leno Show and used his whole time to mock Leno for stealing The Tonight Show from Conan O’Brien. Their “blood-death feud†was squashed, however, when Leno called to check in on Kimmel when his son was in the hospital. Apparently they’re still not Christmas-party close yet. This clip is actually a twofer of Kimmel feuds, as he mocks longtime fake enemy Matt Damon as well. Lotta bang for your feuding buck!
3. Andy Samberg Does a Hostile Takeover of Late Night
Andy Samberg shared all the segments he would have done if he’d gotten to host Late Night the day after Meyers and his wife had their third child. The whole Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast was set to appear, so Samberg was drafted to host should Meyers want some time with his fam. Workaholic Seth didn’t take paternity leave, so all the bits Samberg had cooked up fell by the wayside. Until now! Behold the Late Night that could have been: “Jokes Andy Can’t Tell†(because he can’t pronounce the words in them), “The Spit Roast†(which is soooo different from “Ya Burntâ€), and some tender kissing between Samberg and cue-card guy Wally. Lorne, I think you know what succession plans you need to put in place.
2. A Brilliant Stand-up Comedian on The Late Late Show
Reggie Watts got to be a real weird Reggie Watts guy, and it was great. One gets the sense that everyone on The Late Late Show is getting a chance to do things they’ve always wanted to do before James Corden takes the QE2 back to foggy London town. Morvin Splaversby doesn’t really tell a single joke, but the cadence is close enough. And a blond beard is always funny. Thank you, Reggie, for being you. Or being Morvin — whichevs.
1. Jeff Goldblum Interviews Himself
Seth Meyers is back on this list, because he is just so good at dealing with a punchy guest. Jeff Goldblum was not interested in doing a straight talk-show interview — instead, he wanted to quiz the audience about movie trivia, name the color of Seth’s shirt, and futz with the lozenge in his mouth. This level of bullheadedness could be very annoying, and the fact that it was only kind of annoying belongs to Seth Meyers alone. Meyers thrives when he’s on his toes, riffing and abandoning the premise of the interview altogether.
More From This Series
- Chris Fleming’s Experimental New Play Won Late Night This Week
- Late Night With Seth Meyers Delivers the Best Topical Comedy for This Moment
- Queening Out With the Divas of Late Night This Week