In a turn of events that feels like a Hollywood blockbuster with an anticlimactic ending, late-night TV has bid adieu to Stephen Colbert, whose stint on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has now officially come to a close. It seems he took over from the legendary David Letterman and managed to reverse-engineer success into a network-sized black hole—a feat in itself! Financially speaking, his show was losing a significant amount each year. For that kind of cash, CBS could probably fund a small country’s infrastructure. But hey, anything for “comedy,” right?

Naturally, some folks attribute this spectacular downfall to, you guessed it, former President Trump. Because what’s a Colbert show without blaming the Donald? Yet, even the wizarding world of Hogwarts couldn’t conjure enough financial magic to keep a sinking ship afloat when the captain is busy carving anti-Trump monologues into the hull every night. Nevertheless, conspiracy theorists everywhere are probably chalking the cancellation up to some elaborate Trumpian plot—as if the man has the time to channel his “Apprentice” skills into network programming sabotage.

Then we have the curious case of Jimmy Kimmel, who, in an act of sheer Hollywood bravado, decided to “go dark” as a tribute to Colbert’s career. In reality, it appears Kimmel simply extended his own weekend nap as if hoping no one apart from his most devout fans would notice the glaring lack of late-night laughs. Ironically, “going dark” might have given viewers a reprieve from the incessant echo chamber that these shows have become. Perhaps silence really is golden.

Now, there’s also the not-so-shocking revelation that these big network hosts might be enthusiastically propped on a throne of fibs and feigned laughter. Kimmel himself admitted the “fun” of professing love for questionable blockbusters and reality TV icons. It’s almost enough to make one nostalgic for the days when political correctness didn’t involve insulating thin-skinned snowflakes from every micro-aggression, including comedy that was actually funny.

Ultimately, even in his scripted tributes, Colbert managed to leave a crater of baffling content behind. His comedic railings post-election likened an electoral loss to a national tragedy of unspeakable proportion, prompting viewers to wonder if they’d accidentally tuned into a retrospective documentary about 9/11. For a show supposedly anchoring laughs, it’s a wonder it veered so deeply into melodramatic monologue territory when humor was supposed to be on the menu.

Farewell, Stephen Colbert. And congratulations to CBS for doing what should’ve been done eons ago. They’re off to save millions—money that might go towards investing in hosts who actually remind us why jokes were invented in the first place. And maybe, just maybe, a new era of late-night shows will offer humor without an agenda, where laughter isn’t a social commentary but simple, good fun. Here’s hoping!