Jafar Panahi’s Comedic Timing Won Late Night This Week

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Stephen Colbert delivered what is likely his most hilarious joke of the year this week. It happened while he was interviewing CNN’s Brett McGurk about the future leadership of Iran – specifically, Colbert jokingly volunteered himself as the next Ayatollah. It was such a perfect moment, it’s hard to imagine he’ll ever top it.

Before we get to the rankings, I wanted to mention how great Watch What Happens Live did this week. The Traitors star Maura Higgins got a Birkin bag live on air, and even Rob Rausch seemed to be enjoying himself – he hasn’t been very energetic during this press tour, but he really let loose on WWHL. He’d be perfect for Winter House. The same goes for Olympic gold medalist Alyssa Liu, who was bartending and had a lot of fun chatting with Andy Cohen. Both Rausch and Liu are new to the spotlight, and WWHL seems like a good way for them to get used to it. Every late-night show has its strengths, and here’s a look at who else stood out this week.

5.
A Particularly Peppy “Closer Look”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=nOD2LzdAm6k?si=hEjicqvLKyK9cu35

Seth Meyers’ segment, “A Closer Look,” is a highlight of his show for good reason. On Thursday night, he seemed particularly passionate, likely due to the recent news about Kristi Noem. He joked about a Trump supporter ending up in the emergency room because of an infected tattoo they saw on a gas station TV, which led to a funny point: why are we even watching those screens when we’re all just looking at our phones anyway? They’re completely unnecessary.

4.
HIGNFY Beats a Dead Cross-eyed Horse

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=ad9IH3RN23k

As a film and comedy buff, I’ve always found something really satisfying about a good insult-based bit – especially when a comedian latches onto a running gag. It’s just a joy to watch them circle back to it again and again. In this case, I was completely captivated by Bomani Jones relentlessly returning to Kash Patel’s… well, let’s just say his eyes. Seriously, no matter what Jones talked about, it always somehow looped back to Patel’s crossed eyes, and honestly, the range of topics he connected to it felt as expansive as… Patel’s actual field of vision. It was brilliantly silly.

3.
HBD, Eva Mendes

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4Das7Xc-daI?si=DIabs3Dt5vdwMnIk

Jimmy Fallon hasn’t really done traditional Broadway, but he’s surprisingly good at big, theatrical performances. He proved that again this week by not only singing to Stephen Colbert, but also leading a (small) parade of musicians to celebrate Eva Mendes’ birthday. What The Tonight Show does better than any other late-night program – something you just can’t recreate with online videos – is create these over-the-top, spectacular moments. If Ryan Gosling needs a marching band for a special occasion, Fallon and his team are always happy to deliver – and they do it with a lot of energy!

2.
Even Stephven’s Second City Memories

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=s6jxhwuMaRI

Forget the phrase “cellar door” – Steve Carell jokingly declared that “the half-eaten one didn’t seem alive to me” is the most beautiful phrase in the English language. This came up when Carell and Stephen Colbert were chatting about their time at the messy, rundown backstage area of Chicago’s Second City theater. They both fondly remembered the rats that lived there, realizing that even unpleasant places can become nostalgic. Apparently, the carpet was so dirty and covered in grime it resembled concrete – a truly unbelievable sight!

1.
Jafar Panahi’s Got Jokes

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qGyZbidOfaE?si=WRI4GP1-R3q3VSJP

Jafar Panahi, the director of It Was Just an Accident, gave a fascinating interview this week. While a somber discussion would have been understandable, Panahi surprisingly approached the conversation with humor, refusing to portray his work as anything exceptional. His translator’s casual apology for potentially disrupting the tone after detailing the widespread violence in Iran was particularly striking – it’s a moment worth remembering. Throughout the interview, Panahi emphasized that meaningful resistance isn’t about grand gestures, but rather the accumulation of small, everyday acts of defiance. He believes that sustained resistance requires everyone to contribute in whatever way they can, rejecting the idea of revolutionary heroes in favor of widespread opposition to the ruling powers. This message feels especially relevant for American audiences, and the fact that it was delivered with humor made it all the more effective.

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2026-03-06 19:54