‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’ Premiere Recap & Review: Worthy Heir To John Stewart

We’re at the start of a new season of a new show. Not a new show, but a continuation of an old show. One that many of us grew up on. Only the man we know to occupy that chair has left and some young gun is looking at us, promising to discredit the bulls**t like the man who came before him. Trevor Noah gives a heartwarming opening speech, to both viewers and predecessor John Stewart, wherever he’s at. He tells us about his origins on a dusty South African street, lacking in indoor toilets, and that yet again, an immigrant is doing a job that Americans didn’t want.

‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’ Recap & Review

Season one, episode one was dominated by perspectives on Pope Francis, John Boehner and interplanetary politics, with Kevin Hart as the first guest.

A prayer home companion: the Pope delivers a speech about the importance of immigration reform, equality and climate change. Then he drives off in a tiny Fiat. “Looks like the Pope is under-compensating for something… and such a waste!”

The next day, Boehner resigns as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Noah responds to the news with disappointment: he never even had the chance to to make fun of Boehner before he left. John Boehner was nothing but a bouncer at Club Congress anyhow, and the news of his parting is met with joyous applause. Marco Rubio delivers the news, and the look on his face is something like that of a person not used to getting applause. Noah makes the point that Boehner’s leaving is more than welcomed by conservatives simply because he was willing to compromise with President Obama at all.

Trevor drives past the subject of international issues and straight into interplanetary ones. NASA may have just discovered water on the surface of Mars, and, maybe one day, on California as well. This is important. The discovery of water on Mars makes the possibility of manned mission to the neighboring planet. But “How we gonna get there?” he muses,  “a brother can’t even catch a cab!”

Hart is the first guest for Noah. He proves to be an effective interviewer and is able to get Hart to talk intimately about his career. He discusses his world tour, passion for fitness, and his sense of responsibility having a platform from which to inspire.

With John Stewart officially gone, many of us have questioned Trevor Noah as a viable candidate to take over. Most people had never even heard of him until he was announced as the successor. But Noah has a strong voice and clever demeanor that gives us the feeling that maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah airs Monday at 8 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Pictured: Trevor Noah