Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jon Stewart’s Compassion Won Late Night This Week

This was a mildly underwhelming week, news wise. The vice-presidential debates just couldn’t give the oomph of either presidential debate — which, in a non-comedy way, is a good thing. It’s probably better for the country or whatever if a political debate is boring and issue-focused, rather than a mess of name-calling and/or questionable cognition. But shout-out to the late-night hosts that made the most of a snooze. Haley Joel Osment returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! And Stephen Colbert went live as per usual. If nothing else, it gave his discussion with Andrew Garfield of the weird carousel horse from We Live in Time that much more frisson. Here’s what else got the brass ring this week in late night.

5. Triumph Does The Daily Show

The Daily Show is the seventh late-night show Triumph the Insult Comic Dog has appeared on, and only three of those were Conan O’Brien’s. That’s just incredible. Of all the VP debate coverage, Triumph’s worked best … because he could poop on it, and also because he was the only correspondent with the foresight to have brought a Mamaw costume. Hats off to Jake Tapper for being a good sport with Triumph. That has to be a lot to contend with at 1 a.m.

4. Roy Wood Jr. Channels Steve Harvey on Have I Got News for You

Sorry to the panel of this charming show, but this digital exclusive is my favorite thing from the U.S. Have I Got News for You thus far. Roy Wood Jr. played some of the show’s games with people lining up to be in the audience, and it gave him a change to go all Family Feud in his reactions. The interplay between pervert audience and chastising host is a delicate dance, as old as time. Perhaps as importantly, it gave Wood a chance to stand up. The energy is higher when Wood is standing. Maybe the show needs to do a reverse Seth Meyers and ditch the desk? Something to think about.

3. Wig Work on WWHL

Sarah Paulson was exactly the right person to have reenact Heather Gay’s “Receipts! Proof!” speech from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. One, because she’s a fan. Two, because Gay often sits in the “voice of reason” spot on RHOSLC in the way Paulson often did in early seasons of American Horror Story. Third, because she knows when a monologue needs a wig. She borrowed Kim Zolciak’s real, really heavy wig from the WWHL set, and it gave the whole recitation the weight it needed.

2. Chris Martin Is Game on The Tonight Show

It’s always fun when a celeb commits to the bit on The Tonight Show. Dave Bautista and Mick Jagger immediately spring to mind. But Coldplay’s Chris Martin takes it to another level. His refusal to make eye contact with Jimmy Fallon, the balloon, the way he doesn’t break — it all really, really works. I think it’s because Martin is a genuine goofball. From his cameo in Shaun of the Dead (20 years old this year) to the puppet version of Coldplay that performs with them sometimes, he’s a silly billy! Stay goofy, king.

1. Jon Stewart Shows Us How It’s Done

In the same week a really hostile interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates was making the rounds, we got this lovely discussion between Coates and Jon Stewart. I’d missed how deep Stewart dives into books with their authors. To see Palestine discussed with such care, understanding, and context was truly heartening. And Stewart made space for his own reactions to what he’d read, in a way that didn’t detract from the message of The Message. I won’t lie: Seeing these two reckon with their own shame, fear, and cynicism — and make room for hope, no less! — made me tear up.

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