And just like that, the great Jay-Leno-at-10 experiment is over.
The beleaguered funnyman on Tuesday presided over the final episode of The Jay Leno Show—which, as it turned out, was just part of a really elaborate punk orchestrated by guest Ashton Kutcher.
"Six years ago, I sat in an office at NBC—unfortunately, we forgot to roll the cameras and so I don't have any of the tape, but I thought I'd come out and do the reveal," the Valentine's Day star explained.
"You did a hell of a job," Leno marveled. "I'm glad it's over."
But while this leg of Leno's journey was seemingly over before it began, he successfully milked his ill-fated adventure in prime-time for all it was worth.
"We were on the air five months," Leno said. "It seems like just yesterday I was telling NBC, 'This is not going to work.' "
"Five months! Do you realize that guys on Viagra have had erections that lasted longer than that?" he marveled.
There was also a nostalgic look back at the Jay Leno Show, which featured a few moments we just don't remember (but which probably would have helped the ratings), like Kanye West punching him when he asked what the rapper's late mother would have thought of the whole Taylor Swift thing.
Donald Trump also got in on the action, appearing via satellite to pass along a "special message" from the folks at NBC.
The "You're fired!" bit would have been a bit more effective if Leno wasn't going to be back hosting The Tonight Show March 1.
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Read all about the first on-camera kiss between Kutcher's Valentine's Day costars Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner.