Stephen Colbert knows that a live week of The Late Show covering the Republican National Convention is a tough deal, so he doesn’t waste much time getting a little bit of backup to take on the task. After traveling through the woods of the Ed Sullivan theater stage, Colbert comes upon his old partner Jon Stewart — sorta like that moment in Star Trek: Generations, but without all the ax chopping and overacting.
It at first seems like Colbert is going to try and entice Stewart into returning to TV, using the prospect of Republican nominee Donald Trump as some true bait. It doesn’t work, despite some fine spit takes. But what it does achieve is the return of a spirit long forgotten on television:
That’s right, THE Stephen Colbert from The Colbert Report has returned. It was announced last week, but now it is a reality wrapped in an American flag and armed with Captain America’s shield. Sure, it might seem like a desperate move in light of whatever Colbert has been dealing with since coming to CBS, but it’s not a bad idea. Colbert as “Colbert” is always a welcome sight, especially when we haven’t had him for so long. There’s plenty of straight forward criticism of Trump, but we’re missing that sarcastic type that Colbert brought to the table with The Colbert Report.
It’s a welcome return.