As 'The Late Show' comes to a close, it's not just the end of a late-night talk show, but the conclusion of an era defined by Stephen Colbert's unique brand of sincerity. In a world where cynicism often reigns, Colbert's ability to deliver unvarnished and unaffected moments has been his defining trait. This is a man who made his name playing an obviously fictional character, yet his ability to deliver an unfiltered version of himself has been his greatest strength. Personally, I think that what makes Colbert's departure so poignant is the contrast between his sincerity and the cynicism that often permeates late-night talk shows. What many people don't realize is that Colbert's sincerity wasn't just a ploy to win over audiences; it was a genuine reflection of his values and beliefs. In a time where political humor is often essential, Colbert's brand of humor never felt like a necessity to me. It was just essential to anybody doing his job at the time he was doing it. The Colbert version of 'The Late Show' launched and continued in the middle of both Peak TV overall and Peak Late Night TV, a brief window in which there were the usual suspects offering broadcast yuks for insomniacs, but also shows fronted by the likes of Samantha Bee, Robin Thede, Amber Ruffin, Desus & Mero. What set Colbert apart was his lack of cynicism and abundance of sincerity. For a man who made his name playing an obviously fictional character, Colbert's ability to deliver an unvarnished and unaffected version of himself has been what I will miss the most. In my opinion, Colbert's best moments on 'The Late Show' were those where he let his sincerity shine through. After its rough beginning, which included a showrunner change and more, the turning point for the show, at least for me, was the live election episode in November 2016, when Colbert had to process the results in real time. This was a moment that Colbert and most of his peers expected to conclude in relief and vindication, but instead ended with Colbert's own version of Conan's anti-cynicism address, a plea for unity that, in retrospect, may have been a tiny bit mawkish and superficial, but in the moment, it was what many of us needed. Colbert's sincerity wasn't bound by political identity. In fact, it was his ability to cover terrain that conservatives have tried to claim, without being conservative himself, that sets him apart. When Colbert talked about his faith, he did it in a way that never came across as feigned or confrontational. I'm still astonished thinking back on his conversation about comedy and religion with Dua Lipa — an interview that sounds like a punchline, like a thing that logically shouldn't exist, but turns out to be more theologically candid and rigorous than anything expressed by the more overtly godly men and women of Fox News in that channel's entire history. When Toby Keith died, Colbert's reflection on the loss of his friend was more potent than any other tribute I read or saw to the country music star. People on the right have made 'Jimmy Kimmel Cries About Everything' into an ongoing and inaccurate running joke, but nobody has dared do the same with Colbert. Nobody has ever questioned whether Colbert means what he says about grief or creed or J.R.R. Tolkien. Though he has had the chance for a one-year sendoff, Colbert still deserved better. He deserved better than being a victim of a time period that has ceased to be financially rewarding for the multi-billion-dollar corporations fronting it. He deserved better than being a martyr for free speech put out to pasture so that the government wouldn't interfere with one multi-billion-dollar corporation's ability to acquire another multi-billion-dollar corporation while our nation's chief executive cackled on social media. But that's cynical, and Conan O'Brien told me not to be cynical, and Stephen Colbert would probably prefer that as well. So instead, I'll just unironically look forward to how Stephen Colbert says farewell and what comes next.
