LSSC: Season One All Episodes Talk

[trow125]

When I heard on the radio this morning that Lindsey Graham had dropped out, my first thought was, darn, no Hungry for Power Games until Jan. 4. Who knows, maybe we'll have another tribute or two by then.

[Milburn Stone]

When I heard on the radio this morning that Lindsey Graham had dropped out, my first thought was, darn, no Hungry for Power Games until Jan. 4. Who knows, maybe we'll have another tribute or two by then.

 

Was just coming here to post the same thing. I don't watch LSSC very much anymore, but I will always be there for The Hungry for Power Games. My first thought on hearing about Lindsey Graham was not, "Oh darn, probably the only qualified Republican just dropped out, we're doomed," but, "Oh boy, another Hungry for Power Games!"

[A Boston Gal]

Was just coming here to post the same thing. I don't watch LSSC very much anymore, but I will always be there for The Hungry for Power Games. My first thought on hearing about Lindsey Graham was not, "Oh darn, probably the only qualified Republican just dropped out, we're doomed," but, "Oh boy, another Hungry for Power Games!"

Yup, I'm sure we'll have another installment of the Hungry for Power Games...whether it's with just this one fallen tribute or more to come over the holidays. IMHO, it's one of the few sure-fire bits LSSC has. (Not that they don't have other fun shticks, but this one's always a crowd-pleaser.)

Edited December 22, 2015 by A Boston Gal

[jjj]

Was there any kind of Christmas/holiday show?  I hardly watch anymore (now I know I really watched for Dave, not for the time slot), and don't see evidence of a holiday show on this thread.  I did not expect any resemblance to Dave's Christmas shows, but thought there might be something.  (I see that "The 8 Days of Hanukkah" was on the 11th.)

Edited December 24, 2015 by jjj

[trow125]

Was there any kind of Christmas/holiday show?  I hardly watch anymore (now I know I really watched for Dave, not for the time slot), and don't see evidence of a holiday show on this thread.  I did not expect any resemblance to Dave's Christmas shows, but thought there might be something.  (I see that "The 8 Days of Hanukkah" was on the 11th.)

There were certainly a lot of Christmas decorations up on the final show of the year (Dec. 18) -- more than were on that week's previous episodes. I don't know that I'd call it a "holiday show," though. I found myself really missing the annual retelling of the Lone Ranger story and the meatball tossing contest. As for Darlene Love, I thought she'd said she was no longer going to perform "Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)" on TV after Dave retired, but I read that she did perform it on "The View" this year. Who knows, perhaps in time Stephen will develop his own yuletide traditions. (I also miss "The Blitzkrieg on Grinchitude" from the "Report"!)

[Muffyn]

Well....Mandy Patinkin was certainly passionate on the Friday episode!

I am catching up.  Wow, I wasn't expecting that.  I like how he warned Stephen he might not get a word in and Stephen ending with "and now for my second question." 

[StatMom]

I am catching up.  Wow, I wasn't expecting that.  I like how he [Mandy Patinkin] warned Stephen he might not get a word in and Stephen ending with "and now for my second question." 

I thought maybe we'd get at least a quick little duet at the desk. I really liked their rendition of Good King Wencesles a few years back (also including Michael Stipe).

[Gemma Violet]

I just read Pataki's dropping out.  So there'll be a double Hungry for Power Games--Pataki and Graham.  I'm eagerly awaiting it. 

[Muffyn]

I heard Pataki was dropping out; my first thought was, "He was running.  Who knew?"  Of course my second thought was another tribute gone in the Hungry For Power Games.  Bring on the blue wig of destiny! 

[Saylii]

I'm not sure I can keep watching the current format. The first show back had 10 minutes worth of monologue & that awful Jeb! skit. Then 4 minutes of commercials. At minute 14 the interviews started. I will say I was pleased to see Stephen was a little nicer to the Indian Grandmother then some of the other people he's worked with in skits like that. But man... It's getting really boring.

(I hope there's a Hungry for Power games tonight. I hope the revamp after Thanksgiving hasn't killed that.)

[StatMom]

Jeb&

[Muffyn]

Jeb?

[StatMom]

Jeb+

[trow125]

(I hope there's a Hungry for Power games tonight. I hope the revamp after Thanksgiving hasn't killed that.)

I stayed up late just because I figured there'd be a Hungry for Power Games and was very disappointed when there wasn't! The Jeb! sketch was a poor substitute.

[Fable]

I really like that Stephen has been inviting unconventional guests.  I know his ratings haven't been the best, but I love that he thinks outside of the box and gives the audience a broader perspective.   Even my dad (a card-carrying Republican) watches him, over the other late-night shows, which tickles me to death.   

[peeayebee]

Can we actually mail stuff to those militiamen in Oregon? I might consider sending a note that says, "The birds need this refuge more than you. Leave."

 

Stephen is so good at fake-vomiting. "You can't handle the [Heurrrrrgh]!"

[Fisher King]

Enraged Birders To Retake Oregon Wildlife Refuge <wink>

 

Loved last night's show. SC cracks me up. Despite the decline in ratings, I expect SC to be there for years. I only hope that Stephen can relax his interviewing, allow the guest to expound and curb his tendency to try and be funny with almost everything he says. Not every line has to be a witty comeback.

 

 

[Muffyn]

Killer Mike for the win!  That was excellent.  I love the diverse guests that SC brings to late night.  While he certainly has plenty of actors, he also has scientists, authors, business people, politicians, etc.  It makes for a much more interesting show.  

[mariah23]

I just wanted to say DAMN John Krasinski!

[roseha]

I thought the Killer Mike interview was the best one of the night as well.  He and Stephen really got into serious talk in a short segment.  I liked the Oregon militia men satire as well. 

[Fisher King]

SC giving Trump the finger was the best thing ever.

[teddysmom]

Can we actually mail stuff to those militiamen in Oregon? I might consider sending a note that says, "The birds need this refuge more than you. Leave."

 

The staff at Gawker sent them a bunch of stuff from around their office.  Including four tampons.  A book about the Constitution, mints, etc.  

[ABay]

The something/nothing bit was very Wordy.

[teddysmom]

The something/nothing bit was very Wordy.

 

I know.  I don't think it made the point he was trying to make. 

 

Trevor Noah did a great job tearing down the a holes at Fox over their comments about POTUS tearing up. 

[Hanahope]

Count me as someone who doesn't think that a "vomit off" is entertaining at all (and gives me something to FF through).  Frankly, most of the 'bits' that SC has done with the celebs hasn't resonated with me.  I did like the Downton Abby 'American accent' screen reading, "Button", Candy Crush with Liam Neeson and that 'hat off' with John Cleese was cute, but I haven't cared for most of the rest.

 

I do like the different guests he has on, most are very interesting on topics I didn't know about at all.

 

I love most of SC's political bits the best, but that's probably because of the rub-off from TCR.

[teddysmom]

I agree. The political stuff is the best.

 

Most of the stuff he's done other than that has been blah, IMO.  And the vomit stuff is just gross. 

[Milburn Stone]

Saw the monologue and opening desk bit last night. (DVR'ed the rest of it to see Seinfeld at a later date.) Was happy to see that as he makes his entrance the exuberant dancing has been 86'ed. Maybe the ratings have him less exuberant. 

[ChelseaNH]

The dancing shows up every now and then.  It's just not a regular element.

[roseha]

The something/nothing bit was very Wordy.

 

I agree, and I was very glad Stephen took the time for an almost entirely serious segment in support of Obama's effort to eliminate gun violence in our country in whatever way he can, given the shameful blockade he faces in Congress.

 

I loved Stephen's rejoinder to Jerry about funny presidents:  "Harding wasn't funny"  "Yes but he was very corrupt!"

[zxy556575]

I shared Stephen's puzzlement when Jerry mentioned his producer on Comedians in Cars who also produces the debates. All of them? For both parties? Even though they're on different networks? Seemed odd to me, too.

 

Jerry was simply not about to tell us where he went for vacation, was he? When he was talking about Trump/rich people living with their heads inside a bubble, he evidently doesn't consider himself to be in that group, even with a net worth of $820M. I guess it's only the billionaires.

[Grommet]

I very much liked the something/nothing segment. I prefer his smart stuff to his silly stuff.

[possibilities]

I checked back in because I love America Ferrera and like Damian Lewis, but I think I just plain don't like Stephen. His berating the deli person on camera was not funny to me. I'm the sort of person whose day can definitely be ruined by a menu mistake, so yes-- go ahead and ask them to give you the tomatoes. But browbeating him on camera is just not funny. Why does Stephen think acting like a bullying dick is cute and amusing? Loved the double dutch performance, though.

[StatMom]

I checked back in because I love America Ferrera and like Damian Lewis, but I think I just plain don't like Stephen. His berating the deli person on camera was not funny to me. I'm the sort of person whose day can definitely be ruined by a menu mistake, so yes-- go ahead and ask them to give you the tomatoes. But browbeating him on camera is just not funny. Why does Stephen think acting like a bullying dick is cute and amusing? 

I totally agree. I'm a pretty big fan of Stephen, so he gets quite a bit of benefit of the doubt from me, but even I watched that segment with increasing discomfort. I guess he thought it was along the lines of Dave's visits to local merchants, but it just did NOT fly. I can't believed they watched the footage, then decided to go ahead and air the piece. 

[nowandlater]

Seriously?

 

Rupert Gee, for those who don't know, was a Letterman regular.

 

So he was obviously in on the bit.

 

It was great to see Rupert again.

[StatMom]

Seriously?

 

Rupert Gee, for those who don't know, was a Letterman regular.

 

So he was obviously in on the bit.

I'm sure he was. And like I said, Letterman did bits with neighborhood business folk and those were fine. They weren't all winners, but there was an underlying humor that was evident with Dave's that I didn't see in this one. Stephen is not mean-spirited, so that is why I'm surprised this segment came across with such a negative tone.

[thispersonstinks]

I thought the BLT segment was generally mean-spirited, but I think Stephen told Rupert in advance what will be going on (if you see Colbert's behind-the-scenes segments, he does the subject what is coming) and the free chips made the segment easier to digest.

 

I know Stephen needs to get better on interview timing, but it does seem to me he's looser after the new year, which is good. As for the ratings decline, it might be a concern, but I don't think it's a panic move yet. CBS will still make money even with 2 million viewers, but if I were Stephen, the Super Bowl show needs to be more general. He's great at discussing politics and tough subjects, but he's on and off on the fluffy stuff.

 

By the way, The Hello Deli get plasma TVs for menus, but didn't upgrade the register?

[Hanahope]

Its funny, I like Jerry Seinfeld as a comedian, but I never really cared for his TV shows.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Hanahope

[ZoqFotPik]

There was clearly a tomato on that sandwich.

Edited January 8, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[teddysmom]

Jerry was simply not about to tell us where he went for vacation, was he? When he was talking about Trump/rich people living with their heads inside a bubble, he evidently doesn't consider himself to be in that group, even with a net worth of $820M. I guess it's only the billionaires.

 

By the looks of Jessica's Instagram account they went skiing somewhere.  Unless they took two vacations. But there is only one pic of them on vaca recently and they're all on top of a mountain in ski gear.  I'm sure Jerry has just gotten into the habit of not broadcasting to the general public where he and his family go. 

[possibilities]

Seriously?

 

Rupert Gee, for those who don't know, was a Letterman regular.

 

So he was obviously in on the bit.

Even if it was 100% scripted, why was it supposed to be funny, or even OK? Any dick swinging asshole that scolded and humiliated someone like that would not be considered any kind of joymachine when I worked retail. He might even be banned from the establishment for general obnoxiousness. Again, I'm not one to overlook a messed up order, but a "hey guys, you forgot my tomato on this BLT" "Oops-- sorry about that, here it is" is all that's needed, not an extended berating with extra shame added. If this is supposed to be a fantasy about how to fight back against life's irritations, I dissent strongly. If it's supposed to be humorous, I completely fail to get the joke. Taking the chips didn't mitigate it for me.

[teddysmom]

I agree about the sandwich bit.  It was not funny - from start to finish. It was just stupid and mean.  

 

Maybe they just aren't back in the swing of things after the holidays, but this week has not been their best effort. 

[Iseut]

A couple days behind...just watched the John Krasinski ep last night.

 

"Real" barfing on TV and in movies totally grosses me out, but for some reason Stephen's fake barfing always makes me giggle ridiculously. I could watch a whole episode of Steph/vens and Blunt/Krasinskis' doing nauseated movie scenes and never stop laughing.

 

"You can't handle the [Heurrrrrgh]!" Heee hee hee.

 

"I just wanted to say DAMN John Krasinski!" Also this. Daaaaaamn. He and Emily are both so gorgeous, funny and talented. It's kind of ridiculous. 

 

I do feel that Stephen is trying to be all things to all people, and not necessarily succeeding all the time. The opening monologue (which is kind of a slog for me) always seems as if it's written by different people than the desk segments (which I almost always love). The interviews need some work, but they're showing signs of improvement, and even if the interviews aren't 100% on point, I love the show for bringing on guests in such a diversity of fields. My favorite interviews have been with the people I hadn't heard of before the show. 

Edited January 8, 2016 by Iseut

[peeayebee]

I didn't like the sandwich bit either. I rarely watched Letterman, but I'd seen enough to know that Rupert was a regular, so I figured he was in on it. However, he still looked very uncomfortable. Maybe he's a good actor, but I felt horrible for him. Also, I pictured Conan doing the same bit and it being funnier. I believe Conan has said that he works to make himself look foolish, not the other person. Stephen didn't do that at all. He looked like a self-entitled bully. I hope the show doesn't do anything like that again.

 

 

There was clearly a tomato on that sandwich.

 

I didn't see tomato. I saw bacon both on top of and below the lettuce.

 

Loved the Hungry for Power Games bit. Lots of goodness in that. I think my favorite part was when he was talking about Lindsay Graham losing support when he came across as a moderate. "If you listen closely you can hear his mating call: 'Let's COMpromise! Let's COMpromise!'"

 

Stephen said America Ferrara hadn't been on TV since Ugly Betty ended. America didn't correct him, but she was in a few eps of The Good Wife.

[Saylii]

There was clearly a tomato on that sandwich.

It looked like it to me too, off to the left underneath the lettuce. It could have been a long piece of bacon sticking out, but it had the rounded edge of a piece of tomato. I noticed it more in the picture used at the deli. Maybe there were two different picture props used?

I think the skit as a whole was awful though. It would have worked better if Rupert smiled or grinned at the end to show he was in on the joke. Instead it closed with him looking just as bewildered which did not help.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Saylii

[Milburn Stone]

The dancing shows up every now and then.

 

Oh. Too bad.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Milburn Stone

[Muffyn]

America Ferrara was charming.  I loved them each making their snack from childhood.  They were some nasty concoctions.  I liked how she called them out on the music choice also.  

 

The double dutch team made me so happy.  That is the kind of extras I love on this show.  I enjoyed everything from the names to the performance and the team's wonderful enthusiasm.  even when they were standing there you could see how excited they were to be on the show.  Now I've got to go practice doing a handspring into a double dutch jump rope.  

 

As for the sandwich bit, I found the early parts funny and I was happy to see Rupert Gee again.  But it went on way too long, shifting from funny to uncomfortable to shut-the-fuck-up-Stephen-and-leave-Rupert-alone.  I thought Rupert was going to hand him a platter of sliced tomatoes or a crate of tomatoes.  By the end, I would have enjoyed it if Rupert threw a tomato at him.  

[stonehaven]

I loved Rupert on Letterman but that sandwich bit looked really uncomfortable..and Rupert looked like he was tolerating Stephen..

I think the BIG difference in the way Dave did the bits..and the way Stephen did it was that Dave did have an ironic distance...and laughed a bit...like the whole gag where Dave forced him to get a slushie machine during a heatwave....Dave,,in his own way, was trying to help Rupert....Stephen's arrogance and condescension was oozing out of every pore of him..Plus, Stephen got into Rupert's personal space while Dave did it remotely..

It's easier to laugh at a gag when it's NOT being shoved in your face...

"..of all the deli's in New York City, Hello Deli is.....one of them"--David Letterman

[Grommet]

The bit with Rupert was just awful. Rupert seemed uncertain if Stephen were joking or not, especially about the sandwich renamed for him. I'm not sure why anyone thought it was funny.

[futurechemist]

I agree with others that the sandwich bit made me uncomfortable.  Between threatening his intern about mayo to yelling at a deli owner about tomatoes it really smelled of a rich powerful white guy "punching down".

 

The live show seemed pretty similar to all his other shows.  I switched over to Archer after Matthew Broderick.  Those network notes must really have told him to dial down the political satire.  Sigh.  When he mentioned doing a live show after the Superbowl, my mind immediately went to a live show about the Superb Owl.  And then I was sad.

 

When was Hungry for Power Games on?  I thought I watched every episode this week at least until midnight.  If he's burying his political segments at 12:20 I won't be watching them.

[peeayebee]

I don't think Hungry for Power Games came that late in the show, but I can't quite remember where it happened.

 

I like Matthew Broderick. Again I wish Stephen would have yielded the spotlight to him more. Broderick is funny and quick and should be allowed to tell his own stories and provide punchlines that Stephen sets up for him. Anyway, the song was kind of nice, though I wish they'd done it in a Cockney accent. "Lots of coal making' lots of 'eat." The best part was the little kids throwing the rose petals at them.

 

The scientist was great. Very interesting stuff.