The Late Show with David Letterman is over. Dave is officially off our TV sets. Rumor has it he may venture into podcasts, but the world of late night will never be the same. After a months long buildup, the culmination of David Letterman’s career was last night’s final Late Show episode, which served as a happy medium between one final regular episode and the career summary that fans craved.
All the longtime favorites made one final appearance, with the exception of the old Mail Bag. There was a mediocre Top Ten list about “Things I’ve Always Wanted to Say to Dave,” which is a topic that got used at least once a year and, in this case, served mainly to parade Dave’s friends and frequent guests out one more time. It would have been more fitting to have Dave jokingly suggest ten things he will be doing in retirement. However, it seems all he wants to do right now is spend time with his 11-year-old son Harry, so maybe that topic was rejected because no one wants to accidently make jokes at a kid who is clearly overcome and confused at the reaction his father is receiving from the world.
The majority of the episode felt like it was meant to serve as a debriefing for the Letterman faithful. There were a couple of clips, such as Dave’s visit to Taco Bell, and a montage of kids talking back to Dave, but the extremely detailed overview of the man’s career took place in a photo montage as The Foo Fighters performed Dave’s favorite song, “Everlong.” In six minutes, the photos came so fast that if you blink you would literally miss something. In order to fully appreciate it, you have to have to know what each photo came from or references. Dave did many things and a lot of Late Night’s regular bits, such as the Monkey Cam, were in exile at NBC for the last 22 years, so for the casual fan it’s easy to forget or never know about some of Dave’s classic bits. For those who felt out of the loop, I strongly suggest spending an hour on YouTube watching old Letterman clips.
The Late Show finale was fitting. It was heartfelt. Dave addressed his family, thanked them for being his family, and said “nothing else matters.” It featured Dave’s usual self-deprecation with the opening that had various former presidents and President Obama tell the country that “Our long national nightmare is over.” The finale also embraced its host’s offbeat comedy and career with a montage that at first glance looks completely random. No one could have asked for anymore.
https://youtu.be/yrVjOUIoo6Q
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Allison Lips is the Founder of Wait! What’s a Dial?, a television blog that showcases the writing of millennials. Allison graduated from Rowan University in May 2013. She has a passion for TV history, especially late night and game shows. If she could go back in time, Steve Allen would still be hosting The Tonight Show. Follow her on Twitter @waitwaitsadial.
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