Stephen Colbert stopped by The Daily Show to say goodbye to Stephen Colbert

By Sean O'Neal | April 24, 2014 | 3:26pm

Aux Features TV

As we rapidly approach the time when we’ll have but a mere seven months or so left of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert is doing all he can to hurriedly put his affairs in order, last-306,803-minutes-style. So last night, as is required of everyone everywhere who quits their job, he stopped by The Daily Show for an exit interview with Jon Stewart—who’s well aware his onetime protégé is moving on, having endorsed and paid tribute to him already. But there is still the formality of hearing it from him directly. It’s all part of the paperwork.

Colbert, setting up a heartwarming tribute to himself, also let Stewart know his official reasons for leaving: He’s “won television,” and has nowhere left to go. (Certainly not to The Late Show, where “some fat guy” will be taking over.) Of course, as someone pointed out recently, The Colbert Report’s credits on Monday contained a “Hail Hydra” reference, so it’s possible this whole Colbert-Late Show thing may just turn out to be some complex tie-in with the Marvel universe, perhaps setting up the next season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. But for now, we’ll just have to take Stephen Colbert’s word on Stephen Colbert.