Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Today, November 9, 2016, the world has changed. Change was inevitable, but for many, it happened in a way they never expected. That was certainly the case for late night host Stephen Colbert.
Surely when Showtime‘s Colbert-led election special was pitched, it was imagined to be a light-hearted, joke-filled fun fest. Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going To Clean Up This Sh*t? aired on Showtime, the premium cable channel owned by the same company as Colbert’s typical network, CBS. The night promised to be a delightful time for Colbert’s loyal, and likely Democratic, fans. Colbert would quip and curse — something his network late night show never lets him do — as he held the nation’s hands through what all of America thought was a set election. Instead Democracy’s Series Finale allowed the country to watch in real time as a beloved personality broke down.
Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff wrote a great breakdown of the special, detailing the many assured jokes that fell flat and capturing a seasoned performer failing without a safety net as the election results poured in. To paraphrase VanDerWerff, Democracy’s Series Finale was not good television. It was not funny or particularly insightful. Colbert delivered several moving lines, but few if any will go down in late night history for their wit. However, Showtime captured one thing last night that’s never been seen before — one comedian’s real-time breakdown. Colbert’s reaction to election night wasn’t polished or dramatic. It was slow, small, and terrified. It was painfully authentic, and in its subtlety, it was arguably one of the most powerful and dramatic moments of 2016 television.
No matter who you voted for, Colbert’s gradual and unfiltered fear, this level of panic coming from someone whose job it is to be cool in the face of uncertainty, was humbling. In this moment, Colbert echoed much of the fear that’s categorized this election from both sides from the beginning. Thank you for leading us and entertaining us one last time, Colbert.
