If you missed Conan O'Brien's final 'Late Night' show...

Conan O'Brien's final Late Night show last night perfectly encapsulated his awesomely goofy genius, and demonstrated why he has excelled in that spot for the past 16 years. When Conan first took over the show, he was a massive failure -- a national joke, really. But NBC stood by him and gave him time to find his audience (that kind of network patience no longer exists). And we're grateful.

The fast-paced final show opened with a monologue and a tape of John Mayer singing a short tribute to Conan: "LA's gonna eat you alive. LA's gonna eat you alive. Look at me, I used to live in NYC, now I'm as douchey as a man can be. LA's gonna eat you alive... Good luck, loser."

Then Conan explains that he can't take everyone to LA, so he releases Abe Vigoda into the wild (Central Park). As Abe scampers off, Conan cries, "Goodbye Abe! Be free! Be with your own kind, Abe!" as tears stream down his face. Abe turns around once and Conan screams, "No! Just go!" An hour later, Conan says, Abe was in his backyard with a bone.

Then Conan plays one of his all-time favorite clips from the show, a visit to watch the Wabash Mashers, an authentic 1864 baseball team (think Civil War re-enacters, but playing baseball). It's classic Conan and absolutely hilarious. At one point, Conan tries to convince a young female spectator (in character) that her husband isn't coming back from the Civil War so that she'll "get it on" with him. "You know that guy ain't coming back. That guy's not coming back."

Conan's other surprise guests are Will Ferrell, who shows up as George Bush but reverts to his leprechaun striptease, and Andy Richter, the former sidekick who is there to reminisce. This cues a montage of hilarious clips -- goofy skits with Andy and classic moments with guests. One of the funniest features Rebecca Romijn, who plays a game with Conan and Andy where you pass a cocktail napkin from person to person (by mouth). At the end of the napkin chain, Conan removes the napkin and she kisses him. He becomes so excited he throws his chair across the room and collapses on the floor.

There's a nice performance by The White Stripes, and then Conan thanks his staff and writers, and all those who have helped him through the years. He gets choked up talking about how Lorne Michaels single-handedly made his career.

Another nice moment is when he talks about David Letterman, whose original Late Night show Conan inherited 16 years ago. Conan calls him one of the "most brilliant broadcasters of all time" and says that "living in his shadow has been a burden and inspiration for years."

Conan also thanks Jay Leno, who he says has always been one of his biggest supporters, since day one in 1993. He acknowledges that Jay's success contributed to his own success, and says he's thrilled that Jay will continue to be his lead-in.

Lastly, Conan thanks the city and people of New York, the "Mount Olympus of broadcasting." He thanks his family, and in his final goodbye, choking up again, assures his audience that even though some critics are saying he'll have to "grow up" in his new timeslot, "that just isn't going to happen."

That's exactly what his fans wanted to hear.

If you'd like to watch the show, NBC is streaming it here.