For Jon Stewart’s last night on The Daily Show, about every single correspondent to serve under his tenure returned to pay tribute to the departing host. The last to appear was Stephen Colbert, whose pitch-perfect farewell to his mentor and friend brought Stewart to tears.

Colbert initially sauntered on set in a joking manner, but eventually segued into a full-on paean, describing Stewart as “infuriatingly good at his job” and thanking him for changing the lives of all those he worked with. Moving words, those.

Read more in Slate about Jon Stewart:

• The Daily Show Finale Showcased Exactly Jon Stewart Was the Political Satirist We Needed
• The Most Jon Stewart Moments in the History of the Daily Show With Jon Stewart
• A Former Correspondent on Its Evolution From Underdog to Media Institution