A week after Jimmy Fallon made his debut as the new host of The Tonight Show, another SNL alum, Seth Meyers, took to the set to begin his tenure as the new Late Night host, a position Fallon just left. After starting the show with a “Thank You Notes” segment, which is a skit borrowed from Fallon, Meyers jumped straight into a typical monologue on a range of topics like the Winter Olympics, Taco Bell breakfast, Rob Ford, and a smattering of news oddities.
In terms of monologues, this was as straightforward as you can get. Instead of talking about his new position, Meyers ran, undeterred, through a dozen or so jokes with mixed results. Some landed flush, while others just drew courtesy laughs from the audience. It could have been the nerves, or just a case of Meyers getting his feet wet, but it felt like the monologue was read through so fast that it didn’t exactly allow the audience time to ease into the new host’s personality.
However, once the monologue was done, Meyers sat down behind the desk and recounted a story about a recent trip he and his wife took to Connecticut that resulted in a flat tire. It was genuinely funny and gave more of an insight into Meyers’ personality, as opposed to him just being a voicebox for a string of topical jokes. The Venn diagram segment also worked, especially the jokes about Sochi and medical sales reps. Still, there were obvious growing pains here that might take a few episodes to shake loose.
Keeping it in the SNL family
While the opening was what you would expect from a new host, the interview segment with Amy Poehler was a definite success, given the duo’s history together. Not only did they play off their own past, but they also interacted with SNL alum, Fred Armisen, who is the band leader for Late Night. It's obvious that his deadpan delivery will be an invaluable asset to Meyers moving forward.
Poehler's presence allowed Meyers to comfortably talk to someone he’s known for years as his first guest. The duo talked about nonsense like Poehler and George Clooney being engaged in a prank war, and her bizarre interactions with Joaquin Phoenix at a Hollywood party. She also made a bit of news by announcing the Broad City, the show she produces on Comedy Central, has been picked up for a second season.
Vice presidential prestige
Out next was walking viral quote, and occasional politician, Vice President Joe Biden. Biden and Poehler already have a history together, so this wasn't as much an interview as it was a comedy sketch. Tough political questions were ignored in favor of casual conversation about Biden’s recent State of the Union facial expressions and his quote referring to LaGuardia airport as “a third-world airport.” And no, there wasn’t a bombshell announcement about Biden leading a 2016 presidential campaign, although he did joke about it. While he might not be our next president, no one would argue with Biden being groomed for a late night gig of his own.
Overall, Meyers’ debut wasn’t as strong as Fallon’s from last week, but for a first show, this one showed a lot of promise. Once the monologue gets less mechanical and Meyers lets his own personality shine through, Late Night will be in good hands.
[gifs via Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihans, Jillian Leedy, Last VHS]
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