According to Deadline, Stephen Colbert (Our Cartoon President, Darrylgorn) opened as the host for The Late Show, stating he would stand alongside Jimmy Kimmel (Smurfs, Bad Thoughts), who was suspended for his comments about the killer of Charlie Kirk. However, part of Colbert’s opening monologue included a joke about Kimmel overshadowing his Emmy as he held up his statue.

During the first half of the show, Colbert spent time reminiscing about a bit from his old show, The Colbert Report, titled “The Word.”  He remembered saying, “Don’t ever complain, no matter what the President does, even if he sends the army to your hometown, just shut up and take it,”  according to Deadline.

Deadline also mentioned that Colbert stated, “Given the FCC’s response, I was expecting something more provocative. That’s like hearing that Playboy has a racy new centerfold, and finding out it’s just Jimmy Kimmel.” Colbert’s tone turned as he expressed that these attacks on freedom of speech are “a serious threat to our freedom.” He also highlighted the irony that the chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, used to be about protecting freedom of speech.

According to Deadline, Colbert quickly made light of his own situation, joking about his being fired and The Late Show being cancelled, alluding that Paramount’s settlement with the president was nothing more than “a big fat bribe.”

“A company apparently capitulating to the wishes of the President, in order to ensure their merger goes through. Has that ever happened before?” Colbert stated via Deadline. “Oh, I’m being told not to answer that question.”

At the end of cold open, Colbert signed off by saying that the late-night talk show hosts may resurrect their podcasts that they once started right after the strike. This time the podcast will be titled, Fired Force 5. View the full segment below.