I’m assuming most of this ad-lib, that’s why it’s a flop.
Does anyone remember how funny Chevy Chase was in movies? Then they gave him his own talk show, and it was pitiful to watch him struggle to interview guests. He didn’t get one laugh, and he was cancelled after a few shows. He had to be humiliated.
Stewart seems to have no idea what he should be doing. He’s now about to get serious, which is what this is, in the end, all about—like most comedians, he wants to be valued for his Serious Thoughts.
Johnny Carson famously said this about Chevy Chase: “Chevy Chase couldn’t ad lib a fart after a baked bean dinner.”