As of 12:35 a.m., Jay Leno officially ended his run as host of The Tonight Show after 22 years, and true to form, he treated this episode like all of the other 4,500+ that came before it. And for millions of Americans every night, that’s exactly what Jay Leno has been since 1992: comfort food. His material has never been cutting-edge, he didn’t try to connect to a generation he didn’t understand, and his monologues never went viral. However, he was hired by NBC two decades ago to have the top-rated late night show on television, and more nights than not, that’s exactly what he did.
A show like most others
Leno has never been known to toy with the formula for his material, and his last show was no different. There were jokes about mainstays like Barack Obama, Justin Bieber, and even O.J. Simpson. It was funny enough to garner laughs, but not enough to convert any critics watching. This familiar monologue was followed by a lengthy video montage with celebrities from all walks of life wishing Jay luck and giving him advice on what to do in retirement.
Some of these worked, such as Mark Wahlberg and Bill Maher; some didn’t, like Tyler Perry and Miley Cyrus. Then there was Martha Stewart randomly describing a bacon bikini, which was just awkward. Still, this was the moment that it became clear that Jay is really gone for good, unless Jimmy Fallon bombs in the ratings.
Jay’s last guest was also the first guest he ever had on the show: Billy Crystal. The two have a long history together, and they recounted stories of their early days and breaking into the stand-up business. Crystal even broke out his “executive planner” from the ‘70s, which Jay called his diary. It contained all of the phone numbers of comics he met during the ‘70s, including Jay’s, which was a nice callback to their past. This wasn’t a celebrity interview; this was a conversation between two longtime friends on the eve of retirement. For fans of these comics, it was bittersweet.
After a short conversation, Crystal serenaded Jay with a retirement song to the tune of “So Long, Farewell” with cameos from Jack Black, Kim Kardashian, Chris Paul, Sheryl Crow, Jim Parsons, Carol Burnett, and Oprah Winfrey. Without a doubt, the song was the comedic highlight of the night, and Oprah's "So long, farewell, you really raised the bar. If you were me, you'd buy them all a car" line was just perfect.
An emotional ending
After a musical spot from Garth Brooks, Leno finally bid farewell to his audience of 22 years. He was never a man who showed much emotion, but he could barely hold it together during his final speech. He spoke of losing his parents early in the show’s run and how the audience and the people at NBC became like a family to him afterwards. He even paid homage to Johnny Carson by telling the audience “I bid you all a heartfelt goodbye,” a quote from Carson’s last show.
For people who have watched Leno over the years, this speech brought everything full circle. He was a man who took plenty of flak from the media and fellow celebrities, but he never lost the support of his audience. And in the end, that’s the mark of any successful host.
