After nine years of making us laugh until we cry at all things preposterous in the news, Stephen Colbert’s “Colbert Report” is a wrap.
The satirical news show was bid farewell by an all-star cast of celebrities, politicians and even an activist that seemed to pour out by the dozen. Breaking Bad’s Brian Cranston, Law and Order’s Sam Waterson, James Franco, Sir Patrick Stewart, Gloria Steinem, Barry Manilow, Willie Nelson, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, George Lucas, Jeff Daniels – the list goes on and on.
While there were sprinklings of sentimental moments – Colbert thanking his “nation” as the words, “You Too, Pal” flashed on screen during “the Wørd,” for example – the show didn’t go the way many speculated.
First off, Stephen Colbert’s trademark, bombastic character by the same name isn’t dead. On the contrary, he’s immortal! In a scene in lieu of a guest (this was before it became clear that no guest meant a Sh!t ton of celebs), Colbert “cheats” death by moving a chess piece while Grimmy himself isn’t looking. The Grim Reaper then attempts to choke Colbert until he pulls out his favorite gun and accidently shoots and kills Grimmy. Oddly, there is blood spatter – a fact Colbert notes when he points out that the sack of bones has no pulse, or skin.
The show then cuts to a commercial and when Colbert comes back, he matter of factly points out that he was going to say farewell but since he’s now “deathless,” “who knows?”
The real Stephen Colbert, not the conservative blowhard he plays on TV, has said his Report persona won’t be a part of his new gig as host of the “Late Show,” but this lack of goodbye and apparent immortality of Colbert suggests he may make a cameo from time to time.
This possibility was reiterated during the star-studded song in the middle of the episode in which the group sang the 1930s hit, “We’ll meet again.”
Colber recapped some of his nine years on the Report leading his “nation.”
“Let’s not pussyfoot around here, I had a huge impact,” he said during “the Wørd.” “On my very first show I told you that the truth doesn’t come from your head it comes from your gut and back then my gut made you a promise, I know some of you may not trust your gut yet, but with my help you will – and you did because the truthiness is all those incredible things people say I did, running for president, saving the Olympics, Colbert Super PAC, treadmill in space, the rally to restore sanity and/or fear and/or Cat Stevens’ career – none of that was really me, you. the nation, did all of that. I just got paid for it, thanks.”
He announced at the beginning of the show the winners of a charity auction of his desk and fireplace on set and proudly proclaimed the show raised more than $300,000 for charity. He then asked, after airing a segment mocking a plumber’s truck that somehow ended up in Syria, that his props not end up overseas.
In perhaps the silliest of Colbert’s final sillies, he’s seen standing atop the Hell’s Kitchen set with his ‘Murica shield where he’s then picked up by Santa, a unicorn Abraham Lincoln and the all-knowing Alex Trebek. The group then flies off into the full-moon night sky on Santa’s sleigh where Colbert bids a final farewell to his fictional wife and his loving Nation.
It wasn’t his funniest show and it lacked some of Colbert’s most shining parade of awesomes like giving up his desk to the president and literally establishing a Colbert Super PAC, but it was an appropriate almost farewell.
Colbert begins his newest venture on January 19, hosting the “Late Show” on CBS. He replaces longtime comedian and host David Letterman.
