Amber Ruffin’s 3-Week Recap Won Late Night This Week

Photo: Late Night with Seth Meyers via YouTube

Late night is back from its Olympics-mandated vacation! But don’t worry, there were still lots of “That one guy’s massive hog knocked down the pole-vault bar” jokes to be made. Shoutout to Seth Meyers, who did a wonderful recap of all the dumb things that happened to Trump while the show was off. When discussed in rapid succession, it feels almost as jarring and head-spinning as real life. Additional shoutout to Wally the cue-card guy, who had to hold all those news items. I assume it was a strain, even for him.

Something that happened in that “Closer Look” segment and Stephen Colbert’s news recap (see item No. 3 on this list) was a little aside: Yeah, we know the couch-fucking story isn’t true, but who cares? It’s nice seeing these boys have fun with the news. The energy Kamala and Tim Walz have brought to politics has made even politically adjacent content lighter and breezier. Hosts aren’t slogging through Sleepy Joe jokes anymore. We’ve got Tim Walz’s cunty little poses and white-people taco nights to roast. Here’s what worked best during this lighter, happier week in late night.

This is a recurring bit on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The show looks for SAG-AFTRA members who are super-duper close to making their minimum to qualify for health insurance, gives them one line, then boom! Health is officially cared. Last time, it was guest host Kerry Washington giving the checks to a whole host of actors. This time, it’s Jeff Goldblum giving the cash out to his doppelgängers. A little self-involved, but the check clears either way.

Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow recounting Stephen Sondheim stories and talking about people who have either died in the audience or committed murders before seeing their shows? Yes, please. Take a shot every time they call Sondheim “Steve.” That’s one of the best “I know this guy so well” signals, right up there with when people call Scorsese “Marty.” Looooove when people call him Marty.

Knock knock. Who’s there? Interrupting horse. Interrupting horse wh — NEIGH!!

The ugliest carousel horse you ever did see went on The Late Show and scared the bejeepers out of Colbert. It’s interesting to characterize the horse as shell-shocked and not just dumb. There’s probably more to work with there. This plus Steve doing the “Apple” dance puts The Late Show at the top of the terminally online ranking for late night. Congrats?

It’s always exciting when a guest innovates a new way to make one’s intro to a late-night show. We’ve all seen long dance numbers, handing stuff out to the crowd, and pretending to crowd-surf. But behaving as if you’re actually hosting Saturday Night Live and about to deliver your monologue? That’s one I had never seen. Schwartz always brings a lot of oomph to his late-night appearances. As Jimmy Fallon would say, “Great job, bud! You’re killing it.”

Man, there is too much in this “Amber Says What” to highlight: a really upsetting sound effect. Good prop comedy from Amber Ruffin and Meyers. Mild saltiness about the (unconfirmed as far as I knew until now) cancellation of The Amber Ruffin Show. And introducing Minnesota’s own John Lutz! You can tell everyone is right back from vacation and full of renewed energy. So many bits landing so well, it’s a dang Simone Biles floor routine.