LSSC: Season Five Episode Talk

[Brandi Maxxxx]

On 5/19/2020 at 2:02 PM, Annber03 said:

Oh, good lord, the bit about the sex dolls in the "Quarantine-while" segment. I'm dying. "How do you order that many dolls and not realize they're sex dolls?!"

Ya see, they were trying to order 69 dolls and they got... 69 dolls.

(Worth it.)

[meowmommy]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:15 AM, possibilities said:

I've thought he's seemed worn out all week, and the show has taken a noticeable dive in terms of looking like he's not even bothering anymore. I hope they take a break or get it together, because it's painful to watch.

I've stopped watching.  I delete it from the DVR.  I don't know if it's the lack of energy or what, but it's not enjoyable.  I'd rather read the NYT recap of the best jokes from late night.  Occasionally they think Stephen had one of them.

Also, that space he uses to broadcast from looks so small and cramped, like the smallest corner of the tiniest basement.  It's claustrophobic.  He needs to expand his set.

[Marisagf]

I know he's going on vacation , but his little speech at the end of Thurday's episode made it seem like the at home experiment was ending.  Will they be able to go back into the Ed Sullivan Theatre in June?  I'm sure there won't be an audience if they do.

[Tosia]

Steve Carell was great, but then he always is.

Usually Stephen and Steve feed off of each other's energy,  but Stephen still seemed close to crying.  IDK. get help, man.

[possibilities]

Maybe they should cue in a laughtrack for him or something.

[blueray]

I see that I wasn't the only one that thought something was off on Friday's episode. I didn't mind it but his interview with Steve was kind of off. I think it was because of Steve (from the office) was in mid-sentence and than Stephan had to interrupt him for commercials. But the way that he did it could have been better. In past interviews at home, he was able to somehow either tell a joke about it or find a good time for the break. Now to be fair this maybe a network problem not Stephan's. But it led to the whole interview being awkward.

Anyhow, based on the ending is he off for the summer? Or is he coming back?

Edited May 27, 2020 by blueray

[Victor the Crab]

5 hours ago, blueray said:

Anyhow, based on the ending is he off for the summer? Or is he coming back?

I believe they're off this week, as are most of the late night shows because of Memorial Day Monday. Only Kimmel is on this week, and he's only doing half hour shows.

[shapeshifter]

15 hours ago, blueray said:

Anyhow, based on the ending is he off for the summer? Or is he coming back?

This Wikipedia page seems to imply that the show is returning Monday, June 1: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Late_Show_with_Stephen_Colbert_episodes_(2020)#2020i

[shapeshifter]

Our Stephen is back. I may have to rewatch tonight’s monologue, kind of like having to repeat a dose of acetaminophen for fever.

[Annber03]

Yeah, tonight's monologue was really good. I also liked his guests. Hayes' explanation for why these particular protests seem more especially intense made sense. 

[shapeshifter]

16 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Hayes' explanation for why these particular protests seem more especially intense made sense. 

Yes. I don’t have cable and so I did not know Chris Hayes. I may now look for his social commentaries on YouTube. According to Wikipedia he has a BA in Philosophy from Brown.  

[Annber03]

Oh, wow. That's impressive. Not surprising, though, he seems a smart guy. I've only seen the occasional clip of his MSNBC show, but I have liked what I have seen. 

[possibilities]

I love Chris Hayes. In addition to his "All In" show on MSNBC, he also has a podcast, called "Why Is This Happening?" It's really interesting.

I also like Killer Mike.

Stephen did seem refreshed after his break. I think the make up is going a little heavy with the rosy cheeks, though. He looked positively flushed, like he'd been drinking.

 

[blueray]

Wow that was a powerful monologue. And I liked the interview with Killer Mike and from what I saw of the second guy. Unfortunately spectrum app decided to start buffering so I missed most of what the second guy was saying. It's probably on youtube so maybe I'll watch that.

Edited June 2, 2020 by blueray

[GoldenGirl90]

I can’t stand Chris Hayes so I skipped out on that interview, but I liked Stephen’s monologue.

[ABay]

The photos from the protests made me cry. All I seem to see is the burning trashcan like Hayes said. The protesters protecting the cop, the group protecting the store from looters, this was the first and so far only time I've seen those pictures. I'm glad to learn about the line of white women if only to balance out the piece of human excrement who called the police claiming a black man was threatening her life when he asked her to leash  her dog. 

Edited June 2, 2020 by ABay

[Ailianna]

I was just happy to see someone with a high profile showing the goodness that people are still capable of.  I had seen several of those images before, but on special interest news feeds that most people don't have access to.  It's important to remember that just as we are all individuals, all the protesters are individuals too, and will make their own choices.  They are not a monolithic group.

[ebk57]

No music tonight.  I hope we find out why. 

[Annber03]

I'm curious about that, too. I'm assuming it has to do with the current events somehow.

Loved the description of the Secretary of Defense as the quiet guy who had something hidden in his basement (and boy, his comments really made that joke all the more accurate). 

[shapeshifter]

The Trudeau bit was my favorite. 

[Ailianna]

There was no music because there's a musician's protest, in which they spent Tuesday without playing, including on TV shows or internet media.  BlackoutTuesday

[DXD526]

The local radio station I listen to went silent for a minute at the top of every hour all day Tuesday, so I immediately knew what Stephen was doing. I was expecting him to say something, to mention why Jon Batiste wasn't there, but was glad he didn't and was just silent about it. 

[ABay]

I was surprised Stephen didn't explain it like Seth Myers did.

[deirdra]

If a day without music is a good tribute, how about a day without mentioning TRump or imitating him or anything? Being completely ignored would bother him more than devoting 15-20 minutes of every single show to him.

Edited June 3, 2020 by deirdra

[ebk57]

1 hour ago, ABay said:

I was surprised Stephen didn't explain it like Seth Myers did.

He did explain it, but not until the end of the show. I appreciated Seth telling us right at the start. I thought that's what was happening,  but I spent the whole show worrying (sorta), so something at the beginning would have been nice. 

In case I don't mention it enough,  I love Jon 

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, ebk57 said:

11 hours ago, ABay said:

I was surprised Stephen didn't explain it like Seth Myers did.

He did explain it, but not until the end of the show.

--an interesting and legitimate choice
(to wait until the end so that the audience would either be wondering why there was no music or realize they hadn't noticed it was missing).

Edited June 4, 2020 by shapeshifter

[possibilities]

MSNBC has been showing some of the kinds of footage that Stephen showed last night (of peaceful protesters being peaceful and/or trying to intervene to stop others from being destructive.

There are also a lot of clips on twitter, but that's the kind of place where you can wander around a long time before finally finding the right feeds to see what you're looking for.

 

[freddi]

I was so looking forward to hearing Brian Wilson, but ooofff, that was a sad performance.  I wonder if anyone had vetted the performance.  

I think this was postponed from earlier in the week.  

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, freddi said:

I was so looking forward to hearing Brian Wilson, but ooofff, that was a sad performance.  I wonder if anyone had vetted the performance.  

I think this was postponed from earlier in the week.  

I know! 😔 It was so hard to watch.  I don’t think he’s sung without backup singers in a decade, so was this like letting my mom scrape the side of the car on the garage* so there’d be no arguing about not letting her drive anymore? But on national TV?!? I mean, it’s not like he didn’t know the right notes; the voice just isn’t what it was. 😞

* due to Parkinson’s (which also effects the vocal chords, as do other age-related conditions) not due to dementia 

Edited June 5, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Driad]

SC must miss a live audience, but I could do without his "victory dance" after every joke.

[shapeshifter]

I wonder if Stephen and Jon will have their first post-isolation hug on camera? There will be tears. 😭

Tonight's music was much better, in part because of equipment for vocals.

4 minutes ago, Driad said:

SC must miss a live audience, but I could do without his "victory dance" after every joke.

I prefer Seth Meyers' kid's rim shots.

[Annber03]

I really liked Stephen's speech towards the end of his monologue tonight. 

Good interviews, too. Congresswoman Bass seems pretty cool. 

[ahisma]

59 minutes ago, Driad said:

SC must miss a live audience, but I could do without his "victory dance" after every joke.

I like it. It reminds me of his usual rhythm, like when he used to spin around in his “harem” dance, or take a circle tour outside of camera range. He’s limited now to doing what he can seated, but it feels similar. I LOLed at the absurdity Thursday night when he suddenly upped to multiples in one monologue. (Though I do miss when the writers had to come up with increasingly clever “___ Slam!” labels. Now they just stick any caption in there.)

59 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I really liked Stephen's speech towards the end of his monologue tonight.

YES. So right on.

[opus]

That was a good question to Sorkin. I had been wondering about that stock market thing myself.

[smittykins]

7 hours ago, ahisma said:

 

8 hours ago, Driad said:

SC must miss a live audience, but I could do without his "victory dance" after every joke.

I like it. It reminds me of his usual rhythm, like when he used to spin around in his “harem” dance, or take a circle tour outside of camera range.

 

I went on YouTube yesterday to rewatch his “Caravan Dances” from last year.

 

”Could it be...the Caravan?”

[Rai]

Honestly, the periodic victory dance/"VOICEOVER SLAM!" moments are my favorite jokes, so...I'm glad they're part of his At Home repertoire. I can assure everyone now you do not want to see me deliver a joke in real life, because my follow-up is way too similar.

**SELF SLAM**

Anyway, I'm glad he keeps reminding audiences of the particularly egregious abuse of power Trump exercised in setting up his propaganda op in front of St. John's. There has been far too much letting his crimes slide because it's hard to keep up, frankly, but that was the most overt dictatorial move he's done yet, and people need to remember it.

Appreciated the slate of guests he had all week too.

[possibilities]

I don't mind if he laughs at his own jokes; I'm still too busy being super irritated by the wasted time at the beginning of the show where he asks his son, or whatever family member is working tech, if they are ready to start.

 

 

[Annber03]

Every time he does those little dance bits, the only reaction I have is that it makes me want to go listen to "Groove is in the Heart" afterward :D. 

[ABay]

It makes me think of John Oliver's Carlos Danger dance.

John's dance is better. IMO.

[cinsays]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't mind if he laughs at his own jokes; I'm still too busy being super irritated by the wasted time at the beginning of the show where he asks his son, or whatever family member is working tech, if they are ready to start.

 

 

yeah, what is that supposed to show?  time for the show, do the show, don't waste time doing this

[shapeshifter]

48 minutes ago, cinsays said:

yeah, what is that supposed to show?  time for the show, do the show, don't waste time doing this

Although I actually prefer the opening fake-not-recording-yet to the worn-out (to me) dance moves, I also think the opening bits could be made a lot more appealing, witty, etc., and that they too are just the same old, same old. 
I wonder if he's not changing up either the opening or the dance because he thinks (knows?) they'll be back in the studio soon? 
And, as a matter of fact: https://www.primetimer.com/item/California-will-allow-TV-shows-and-movies-to-resume-filming-on-June-12-3zSm6L

Edited June 7, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Rai]

I like the family chat bits too. Oh well!

[formerlyfreedom]

10 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I wonder if he's not changing up either the opening or the dance because he thinks (knows?) they'll be back in the studio soon? 
And, as a matter of fact: https://www.primetimer.com/item/California-will-allow-TV-shows-and-movies-to-resume-filming-on-June-12-3zSm6L

But they film in New York, which is still fairly shutdown for things like this.

I enjoy his exchanges with his family members, I feel like this is showing us some of his real personality. Yeah, I'd love for the full show to be back, but I will take what I can get at this point.

 

[possibilities]

I don't mind when his family members appear, I just hate it when he starts the show by asking his "crew" if they're ready to go. It's not even a one ask, it's a total time wasting back and forth nothing. I have no idea why they think this is something worth airing. It's not funny, it's not charming, it's not interesting, nothing but irritating. I'd rather listen to hold music if they're that desperate for filler.

[Zahdii]

I don't mind some family chat, but I know these shows are filmed earlier in the day, so there's no reason for Steve to do the "Are we ready yet?" sort of thing.

Maybe Steve, or the people who edit the show, thinks it adds a 'folksy' touch.  Maybe they like the idea of making sure everyone knows the show is fulfilling stay at home rules.  If so, he's doing his audience a disservice because if we haven't figured it out from his home background and lack of real-time audience feedback, we'd get it from the way his guests are taking part from a distance and his band is playing separately from multiple places.

BTW, maybe it's editing magic, but I love how the band is able to play together even when they're not in the same room.  There is at least one daily talk show (cough*The View*cough) that is not handling the remote thing very well.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

On 6/7/2020 at 5:24 PM, Annber03 said:

Every time he does those little dance bits, the only reaction I have is that it makes me want to go listen to "Groove is in the Heart" afterward :D. 

Isn't there already enough suffering going on right now?

[Victor the Crab]

I really have no problem with Stephen chatting it up with family members just before the show starts. It lets him know who supports him in lieu of an audience.

[Rai]

Also, for me, it's good to know there are people just outside the frame of the camera. Everyone is so isolated right now that a reminder that he's with family and people is actually reassuring in a way.

[LakeGal]

I don't like the camera angle they use.  It looks down on Stephen from too high up.  There is too much space above his head. I always think he is sitting on a low chair and needs to be higher.

[candall]

On 6/2/2020 at 1:09 AM, shapeshifter said:

Yes. I don’t have cable and so I did not know Chris Hayes. I may now look for his social commentaries on YouTube. According to Wikipedia he has a BA in Philosophy from Brown.  

I'm always happy when I see Chris Hayes is a guest on a late night talk show.  I'm a fan of his show and I enjoy it when he barely keeps the lid on his outrage to maintain professionalism, but when he's a guest, the snark is no holds barred.  I think his insider viewpoint criticism is brutal and hilarious.

(Rachel Maddow is also fun as a guest.  You feel you're getting a peek at the private Rachel because she wears her glasses and sneakers, but she doesn't share her personal opinions so freely as Hayes.)

 

 

On 6/6/2020 at 11:52 PM, possibilities said:

I don't mind if he laughs at his own jokes; I'm still too busy being super irritated by the wasted time at the beginning of the show where he asks his son, or whatever family member is working tech, if they are ready to start.

 

 

THIS.  I don't know exactly why I'm so annoyed by this little bit of disingenuous chit chat, but I'm about to stop watching because of it.  To me it seems completely artificial and almost insulting to the audience.

I think there was a show way back at the beginning of television where the star introduced every episode pretending he was just hanging out, enjoying a smoke, and the camera had caught him unawares.  He'd look up, startled, and say something like "Oh!  Hell-o!  I didn't see you there.  I'm glad you're here.  In tonight's episode . . . "

 

I think it's nice when SC pulls his wife into the frame and gives her a hug, but when he pretends every night that he doesn't know the camera is rolling, that's bullshit.

Harrumph.  : )