As Trevor Noah took over as host of The Daily Show on Monday night, many viewers had questions: Could he possibly fill Jon Stewart's shoes? How much will the show change? And would it still end with Stewart's signature "Moment Of Zen"? You can sigh with relief now — Noah is continuing the "Moment of Zen" on The Daily Show . His first episode as host on Monday night ended with the segment, which usually features a funny and/or absurd clip from the week. This episode's "Moment of Zen" was a clip of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi being asked if she'll miss outgoing Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner — and not being quite sure what to say.
But I have to say I think it's fantastic that Noah decided to keep the tradition alive, which has been with the show since its debut in 1996 with Craig Kilborn as host. As he said in his monologue that opened the show, change can be hard — especially for audiences who adored and worshiped Stewart at the helm of The Daily Show. Noah has a lot to live up to and he knows it. "I can only assume this is as strange as you as it is for me," Noah tells the audience, while calling Stewart the voice of America and the country's "political dad" (well said). Keeping the "Moment of Zen" helps make this transition a bit easier. It's comforting. It's often hilarious. And it'll remind us that Jon is still out there — somewhere — laughing with us about American politics and the news, too.
Twitter was also pretty please that "Zen" still had a place on Noah's Daily Show.
It's really nice to have a small piece of Daily Show history — and hilarity — still at the close of every episode, even as things change. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Noah does during his tenure as host.
Image: Peter Yang/Comedy Central
