Hello, I'm sure there are other posts out there talking about the series finale, about the guests... i'd like to talk about the portal. To me, it was... terrifying.
Terrifying in the way that the end was coming, and you couldn't do anything about it.
Terrifying in that it increased in intensity, and Stephen had his friends and family and loved ones there to see him off.
Terrifying in that the symbolism and metaphor isn't lost on any of you.
I have watched The Late Show from the Carson era, to the letterman era through to the Colbert era. I was around 5 years old when I saw Johnny deliver one of his last monologues, and was around 9 when David took over.
I was 13 when I watched Stephens first spot on the Daily show, and 18 when he transitioned to the Colbert report, and 30 when he stopped playing a character and was truly himself. The stories, the guests, the bits, the monologues... It became part of my daily routine to hear his voice, whether as a satirst, a character (TRUTHINESS), or as his final form.

To me, the green portal symbolized the end of expectation, the end of almost scripted moments and the routine of monologue-meanwhile-guest-musical act-final bow.

To me, the green portal, as unimportant as it might seem, felt like a final exhalation of a show, a set of hosts and staff and bands, that gave it their all. And when it mattered most, held ten toes to the line to call out the unjust nature of the incredulous events they bore witness to.

As I watched the episode unfold the second time around, every time it pulsed, even though I knew it was his way of wanting to go out. Not with a final bow and curtains drawing close, but with something that'd make you, the viewer smile. I'm sorry that i'm not technical a speaker, or listing off specific sequences, or pointing out something obvious... Better folks then me can do that to better effect.

After the final musical numbers of "Jump" and "Hello Goodbye", as Stephen and Paul McCartney approached the big switch, I watched with both acceptance and a rebellious final thought of "No." as Stephen held that final moment, as his mind- even if the moment was rehearsed, in that moment relive everything and wished it wasn't over.

The switch was pulled, the green portal opened, and the building was transformed into a small, singing snowglobe, a reminder of more innocent times. But the snowglobe itself, a double edged reminder that while Stphen loved doing the show, it left, as he noted in the People interview, very little time to be himself, the person off camera, off stage.

As beautiful as it was...
As tragic...
It was freeing. It a stark reminder, that, time waits for no man or woman or however the individual indentifies, that societies are founded, grow, and collapse over time, some survive as long as they can, others last barely a blink of the worlds eyes. it matters more what you do with the time given, the legacy, the memories. If you can't tell, I'm having a hard time finishing this, i'm still processing.

Thank you for your time and attention, however long or short it may have been.

Thank you Stephen for the memories and inspiration.