The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Recap – 12/11

Friday shows are special in the realm of The Tonight Show. It’s when most of America is able to stay up late enough to actually catch it, rather than just the night owls or people like me who are writing about the late night comedy scene. Friday’s show was no exception. Megastar Will Smith dropped by, and brought his signature charm with him. Fargo actress Kirsten Dunst and DJ Calvin Harris round out the cast for a strong Friday showing. Here’s the full recap.

Monologue

Like so many monologues before it, Fallon kicked off Friday’s with political humor. Thank god it wasn’t about the overused Trump. Jimmy said that the White House announced that Obamacare added a million new customers is its third open-enrollment season. They said that more people are signing up for healthcare due to the looming deadline, low costs and the sales of hoverboards. Jimmy has been keeping his political humor mostly balanced. He often rips on Trump, but who doesn’t. Hillary Clinton’s calculated personality has also been in the crosshairs. Like in his next joke: Obama was recently interviewed in People Magazine about his favorite book. He said it was a novel called Fate and Furies, while Hilary said, “Whatever yours is.”

Friday’s monologue mostly consisted of image gags that don’t translate well to a written space, but it was all solid. Fallon’s monologue continues to be a strong entrance into his show.

Joke of the monologue: A bit in which presidential candidates told a magazine what their favorite foods were while on the campaign trail. Trump’s answer was incredibly long winded and ended on a jab at his rivals.

To the desk

12 Days of Christmas Sweaters

The tradition continues. There are just six new shows before this show goes on holiday break. Jimmy unveiled a new hideous Christmas sweater. Friday’s gem was a glittery v-neck with Santa and his sleigh. The recipient was incredibly hyped to receive the sweater. It looks like Memphis, Tennessee has a new gross sweater wearer.

Thank You Notes

It’s Jimmy’s signature bit; his own personal Jay Leno’s Headlines bit. Friday means it’s time for Thank You Notes. Highlights include:

“Thank you, Dennis the Menace, for looking like Donald Trump as a child”
“Thank you, Michelle Obama, for releasing a rap song about why children should go to college. Or as Sasha and Malia put it, ‘let’s move.'”
“Thank you, nuts roasting, for reminding me of both Christmas and the feeling I get when I watch a movie on a laptop in bed.”

The Guests

Will Smith

Superstar Will Smith arrived for an excellent Friday episode of The Tonight Show. Will brought his high energy and talked about his new Golden Globe nomination for his upcoming performance in Concussion. His wife Jada Pinkett Smith told him the news early in the west coast morning by waking him up with a spanking. The conversation transitioned to Will’s music career. Jimmy asked Will is he was going to go back to music. Will hinted that it’s possible that he could indeed revive his rap career. He also joked that he’s going to take The Roots with him. Will then talked about getting into character for Concussion and acting with a heavy Nigerian accent.

Catchphrase

Like the other games played on The Tonight Show, Catchphrase is a great way to see the real personalities behind some of the biggest celebs in Hollywood. Some are ultra-competitive. Some are just plain bad at games like Catchphrase. Kirsten Dunst came out to join Will, Jimmy and Tariq from The Roots. It was an exciting edition. Check out how it went down in the video below.

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten dropped in to talk about her work in Fargo. Accents were point of conversation in tonight’s show. Will Smith talked about his accent for Concussion and Jimmy talked to Kirsten about her’s in Fargo. They also discussed that the last time she was on, she received a Christmas sweater from Jimmy that has since been given to Goodwill. Jimmy closed the interview by showing an old commercial for Crayola Crayons when Kirsten was five years old.

Calvin Harris

The show closed with a performance by Calvin Harris who “performed” “How Deep is Your Love.” I put “performed” in quotes because he could barely be seen and just turned some knobs and hit some buttons. Also, “How Deep is Your Love” has been out for some time. I would’ve liked to hear some new music.

That’s another week in the books for Fallon and the gang. There are only six more shows before they head to Christmas break. Check back next week for recaps of all of those remaining shows.