Stephen Colbert

If nothing else, last week’s Republican National Convention brought the nation something it sorely needed, that of Stephen Colbert’s return to the “Stephen Colbert” character as only the Colbert Report knew him. That return landed Colbert in some legal hot water, however, so let’s meet his off-brand replacement, Stephen Colbert!

I’ve missed Jon Stewart. I’m guessing you have too. The Daily Show continues in his absence with Trevor Noah at the helm, and it’s not a bad TV show. But it’s not the same. For one night only, though, the old Daily Show magic was back, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The Republican National Convention has certainly energized Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, but there’s little two ways about the former Colbert Report host struggling to find his voice on CBS. James Corden’s Late Late Show has only grown in the subsequent time slot however, but would CBS really consider swapping the order?

Stephen Colbert has been sorely missing from late-night, and we don’t mean the one hosting CBS’ Late Show night after night. Thankfully, The Colbert Report version made a welcome return to a changed political landscape last night, along with none other than former Comedy Central buddy Jon Stewart.

Now that Netflix’s Full House revival Fuller House will be sticking around for Season 2, it’s time for the inevitable spinoff. Lo and behold, Stephen Colbert obliges with Full House: Nights, the True Detective-style adventures of Danny Tanner and Uncles Joey and Jesse, taking on San Francisco crime.

The fun aspect of late-night programming is the elasticity of the form; it’s flexible enough that really anything can happen, from a Donald Trump musical to a new short film from one of American cinema’s least predictable voices. Late Show host Stephen Colbert has a heavy rolodex, and he’s got the creative freedom to bring his friends along for whatever little projects they might feel like doing..

While the night was short of massive revelations (no, Luke Skywalker talk here), there were plenty of interesting, fascinating and hilarious stories as the show formally got started. Here’s the night’s greatest hits.

Stephen Colbert was among the first late-night programs to express his emotions over the Friday Paris attacks, tagging a brief announcement (sans audience) at the close of his Friday Late Show. The Monday outing went far more in depth however, staging a heartfelt tribute as Colbert urged viewers to show support in whatever way possible, either french fries or Ratatouille.

Every year, the non sports-inclined among us await the series granted a post-Super Bowl slot, and Stephen Colbert will make history in the process. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has landed a spot as the first late-night talk series to follow the Super Bowl, and with a live show at that.

Stephen Colbert may be the wildly successful host of a popular late night talk show on a major television network, but that doesn’t change who he really is: a huge nerd. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said of Colbert, “I have never met a bigger Tolkien geek in my life.” The Late Show host appeared in The Desolation of Smaug and hosted a Hobbit panel at Comic-Con. But his geek cred is not limited to Middle Earth. Last night, Colbert delivered an impassioned prediction of how Star Wars: The Force Awakens will end, and the funniest thing is, he wasn’t joking.