The Daily Show will stick around, but Jon Stewart has stepped out for a drink. Yeah. He’ll be back on the show sometime as a guest, and it’ll be awkward like the first time seeing an ex when you’re out with a new love. It’s not to say fans of the show won’t warmly welcome Trevor Noah, and hopefully offer a grace period as he warms into his role, but… we were all hoping Jon would take this run to the grave. In saying farewell, here are seven iconic moments that stemmed from Jon on The Daily Show.
7. The Fond Farewell
It only just happened — relatively speaking — but Jon Stewart went out with The Daily Show, just as he came in. Relatively quiet. With his departure, he refused to say goodbye. Instead, he decided he’d “go out for a drink.” The final show was heavy. Not sorrowful, but the weight of finality was evident in the studio audience, every member of it hanging on Stewart’s last word. Of course, Jon remained true to form, and offered plenty of commentary about all things warranting comment. Never has he held the nation’s attention the way he did on August 6, 2015, and he was kind with it. No unnecessary patting of his own back, no self-gratifying tears — just that delightful self-deprecation suggesting he is still working to figure it out. There’s a gracious confidence in this guy that is worth noting.
Norman Jean Roy / © Comedy Central / Courtesy: Everett Collection