Jon Stewart returned Monday as host of The Daily Show.

Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

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Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

Jon Stewart returned Monday as host of The Daily Show.

Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

After watching Jon Stewart’s triumphant return to The Daily Show final night time, I had two ideas.

The GOAT of late night time satire is again. And even a number of the present’s largest followers is probably not all that glad to see him return.

That’s as a result of, in his first episode returning as host — almost 9 years after he initially left — Stewart took on a topic that even his most liberal followers may discover sensitive: the concept that considerations about how age could have affected President Joe Biden aren’t essentially overblown.

He did not mince phrases concerning the erratic conduct of Biden’s possible opponent for the presidency, Donald Trump, both — exhibiting how the previous president could not keep in mind staple items throughout court docket depositions like how lengthy he was married to Marla Maples or whether or not he had bragged about how nice his reminiscence was (“It turns out, the leading cause of early onset dementia is being deposed,” Stewart cracked, after exhibiting a montage of Trump’s grown youngsters having comparable recall points).

But despite the fact that some liberals could also be delicate to the concept that evaluating Biden’s gaffes with Trump’s conduct is an unfair “both sides” balancing act, Stewart insisted supporters ought to do a greater job exhibiting the present president is significant and efficient as they are saying he’s.

“It’s the candidate’s job to assuage concerns,” Stewart stated in a 20-minute section that kicked off final night time’s program. “Not the voter’s job not to mention them.”

Easily slipping again into the host chair

From the present’s opening moments, Stewart eased again into the host’s chair with out lacking a beat, firing off jokes with a well-recognized fashion that felt like he had left only a few weeks in the past, relatively than in 2015. He introduced a confidence this system sorely wants; it has been looking for a everlasting host for greater than a yr because the departure of Trevor Noah, who succeeded Stewart as host.

Stewart returns in a singular association, internet hosting The Daily Show on Monday nights and serving as an govt producer for all evenings – just like an association crafted by one other cable TV star, Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. The new setup permits him to keep away from the grind of every day internet hosting, ceding the remainder of the week to the present’s correspondents, beginning with Jordan Klepper, who hosts Tuesday via Thursday.

Even as he eased into acquainted rhythms final night time — poking enjoyable at concept that he is an previous man returning to his previous job, highlighting considerations about two different previous guys competing to get their previous job again — Stewart confronted a brand new problem: Reminding everybody why he was such a honored host within the first place.

In his first 16 years internet hosting The Daily Show, Stewart elevated this system into an incisive have a look at the hypocrisies of media, politics and society. Along the way in which, he helped delivery a method of fact-based satire that has exploded throughout tv, from the work by Daily Show alums John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight and Stephen Colbert on CBS’ The Late Show to the sharper political tone of Late Night with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

But the media surroundings Stewart has returned to is kind of totally different. Ratings in late night time have declined and the younger audiences which as soon as fueled the style have moved on to TikTok and YouTube. With luck, Stewart’s enchantment to The Daily Show‘s old-fashioned followers will deliver higher rankings on the cable channel, nevertheless it’s nonetheless prone to be a smaller crowd than he as soon as commanded.

Regardless, final night time’s program exhibits Stewart’s nonetheless acquired the comedy chops and incisive concepts to energy the present not less than via the presidential election in November. He has said in interviews that a part of the enchantment in returning was to have a spot to “unload thoughts” because the election season progresses.

Last night time’s debut proved Stewart will deliver that and extra, shopping for time for an influential present at a crossroads to determine a brand new future for itself not less than another time.