The curtain has finally fallen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and while the finale was packed with A-list surprises, it was out lesbian comedian Tig Notaro seated quietly in the audience who arguably delivered the night’s sharpest laughs.
CBS’s beloved late-night institution wrapped for good on Wednesday night at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, following the show’s cancellation. The finale was a star-studded farewell, drawing Hollywood heavyweights including Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, and Ryan Reynolds. But it was the unplanned or at least seemingly unplanned spotlight on Notaro that had audiences and viewers howling.
Colbert, mid-monologue, paused to acknowledge a familiar face a few rows back in the audience. “Hey, I just noticed another old friend,” he said. “It’s Tig Notaro.”
What followed was a masterclass in deadpan comedy. Colbert gently broke the news that Notaro hadn’t been chosen as his final guest. Notaro, unfazed, explained her presence simply: “I just like to be at historic events. I was at the Obama inauguration, the moon landing, and… whatever this is.”
When Colbert corrected her pointing out she couldn’t possibly have been at the moon landing Notaro’s response was pure gold: “I said what I said.”
The exchange continued, with Colbert thanking her warmly for her support on his last night. Notaro responded with feigned shock: “This is your last show?” When Colbert expressed surprise that she didn’t know, she delivered her final mic-drop line: “I have a very full life, Stephen.”
It was Notaro at her absolute best dry, unhurried, and devastatingly funny.
The queer representation didn’t stop with Notaro. Bravo’s Andy Cohen also appeared in a brief but memorable bit involving a black hole that ultimately consumed the entire 13-story building housing the Ed Sullivan Theater. (It’s late-night television just go with it.)
Ryan Reynolds added some chaotic energy with a banana-fueled bit involving a late-night band member, while Paul Rudd confused everyone with a retirement gift of bananas — the number of which changed suspiciously between sentences, thanks to a mid-conversation snack.
The emotional crown of the evening, however, belonged to Sir Paul McCartney, who served as Colbert’s final official guest. McCartney performed the Beatles classic “Hello, Goodbye” alongside Elvis Costello, bandleader Louis Cato, former bandleader Jon Batiste, and Colbert himself a fitting farewell from a legend to a legend.
The finale ended with a surreal nod to the 1988 closing of NBC’s St. Elsewhere, as the entire theater transformed into a tiny snow globe.
Colbert’s Late Show may be gone, but Tig Notaro’s deadpan cameo is the moment the internet and queer fans especially will be replaying for years to come.
