Jon Stewart's return to host The Daily Show on Comedy Central brought the channel its highest ratings in five years, with nearly 1 million viewers watching live and a total of 1.85 million across various airings. His performance drew such viewership due to curiosity about whether Stewart still had his charismatic presence as host after being away from the role for years. The episode addressed criticisms that his return represented "old white dudes...reclaiming" roles, with correspondents jokingly voicing skepticism but also acknowledging the cultural significance of Stewart's time on the show.