The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Episode: Tuesday, November 25 – Sean Duffy Tells Americans to Ditch the Pajamas | Tim Allen, Lili Reinhart, Dusty Slay
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively episode of The Tonight Show blends signature Jimmy Fallon humor, sharp pop culture commentary, and engaging guest conversations. Highlights include Thanksgiving travel jokes, timely headlines, a rapid-fire "Stranger Things" recap with the cast, and interviews with Tim Allen and Lili Reinhart. Comedian Dusty Slay closes the show with a stand-up set full of wry takes on parenting and car technology.

Key Segments & Notable Moments

1. Thanksgiving Travel & Political Monologue

[01:10–05:06]

• Thanksgiving Travel. Jimmy leans into the madness of holiday travel, riffing on crowded airports and TSA speed-ups:

  • “The TSA is asking that you put your bag, your laptop and yourself in a gray bin.” (01:36)
  • Jokes about dressing better for flights after a political figure calls for an end to pajama-wearing travelers:
    • “He doesn't understand. We wear pajamas because we have to sleep at the airport.” (01:43)

• White House Turkey Pardon: A running gag with Trump’s turkey pardoning and clever callbacks to various public figures:

  • "At the end of the day, all they want is a pardon. Then Trump said, okay, now I know you're talking about me." (03:45)

• Pop culture & politics blending: Includes a joke list “Trump’s schedule,” hitting absurd Trumpisms and pop culture references:

  • “Golf, sleep, turkey pardoning. Okay, my turn. Pardon me.” (04:56)

2. “Stranger Things” Recap Game

[05:37–06:51]

• Cast Rapid Recap: Jimmy and guests (Dusty Slay, Lili Reinhart, Tim Allen) team up to summarize all previous "Stranger Things" seasons in under one minute. It’s both energetic and nonsensical, poking fun at the show's wild plot turns.
  • “Goodbye Clark and Christmas lights. The upside down, we shut it tight.” – Dusty Slay (06:02)
  • “Vena's coming out to kill.” – Tim Allen (06:40)
  • “Okay, but Ella's here to save the day. Season 5 Becknaz Lair. Goats are floating in the air. One more year with better hair. Stranger Things.” – Dusty Slay (06:43)
  • “We'll see you there.” – Lili Reinhart (06:50)

3. Tim Allen Interview

[08:41–18:58]

Thanksgiving Traditions & Detroit Roots

• Tim jokes about Thanksgiving in Detroit and being a longtime suffering Lions fan:
  • “It's easier to be a loser... you know, you're a bad team when you're going, that was a good punt.” (09:47)

“Toy Story 5” Teaser & Legacy

• Tim opens up about finishing recording for “Toy Story 5,” doing voice work with Pixar, and his bond with Tom Hanks.

  • “That story's been so much a part of my life... Tom and I become really close friends because of that.” (11:11)
  • Jimmy & Tim discuss the emotional resonance of Toy Story movies:
    • "I cried in the third one. I thought that was the end... That was the greatest movie in my lifetime." – Jimmy Fallon (11:55)

• Tim describes the new film’s theme: toys becoming obsolete in the age of screens.

  • “That's what this is all about… you know, play with the toy again...” (11:46)

The Tim Allen Grunt Viral Challenge

• Jimmy brings up viral Hinge profiles asking for the Tim Allen "Home Improvement" grunt.
  • “It's horrible hearing them back to back… it became a huge deal” – Tim Allen (13:05)
  • Tim details how the grunt started and riffs on men communicating with noises during family meals.

Life & Stand-up Reflections

• Tim shares stories from being an altar boy and poking fun at religious rituals as a kid.
  • “Where in the Bible does it say, and he shall put a wastebasket upon him?” (14:41)
• Discussing his stand-up career, the joy of performing live, and a touching story about Richard Pryor's influence.
  • "I'm not going to say it to my promoter. I probably do it for free because I enjoy what I do on stage more than anything else. I do because I'm giving joy." (16:59)

“Shifting Gears” Sitcom

• Tim jokes about being the “Tom Brady of sitcoms” as his current series enters its second season.
• Talks about the show’s premise—his character deals with grief and starts dating again (with Jenna Elfman joining the cast).
  • “All the scenes are people mistaking her for my daughter.” (18:52)

4. Lili Reinhart Interview

[19:31–27:31]

Thanksgiving Memories

• Shares nostalgic childhood poem about Thanksgiving:
  • "Thanksgiving. We play games. We have turkey. My favorite food is turkey. We eat a lot. We sleep over at my grandma's. On the sweet Thanksgiving night. The end. Happy Thanksgiving.” (20:29)

Pop Culture Associations

• Addresses her pop-culture “brands”: Mountain Dew, Taco Bell, and Shrek, as well as the frequent interview questions about her mental health.
  • “So all people want to talk to you about is Mountain Dew, Taco Bell, Shrek, and my mental illnesses.” – Lili Reinhart (22:09)

Upcoming Projects

• Talks about new film, "Forbidden Fruits," co-starring Lola Tung; describes their bond during night shoot schedules and shares “heart to heart” moments on fame and industry wisdom (23:32–24:09).
• "Hal and Harper": Explains the new Mubi show, playing codependent siblings, and acting as younger versions of themselves.
  • “No one will ever ask me to play a nine year old again. So I took advantage of it.” (26:48)
• Funny story about meeting Mark Ruffalo (her onscreen dad) for the first time—while suffering a migraine at sushi dinner.
  • “Mark caravanned with us home to make sure I got home safe because he's such a dad and he's so wonderful…” (25:48)

Working with Child Actors

• Jokes about the awkwardness of making small talk with child actors and feeling appropriately uncomfortable in those scenes.
  • “I don't know how to make a small talk with a 9 year old... Ultimately it was great. I was supposed to feel uncomfortable... and I certainly did.” (26:57)

5. Dusty Slay Stand-up Set

[28:19–32:52]

• Dusty brings his signature dry delivery, riffing on:
  • Winter’s benefit: leaving leftover food in the car.
    • “My favorite thing about winter is being able to leave food in your car overnight.” (28:21)
  • Parents who are oblivious to their kids’ bad behavior.
  • Renting cars and ridiculous modern car features (auto-stop at lights, lane warnings, beeping, muting the radio).
    • “Back when I was growing up, that wasn’t a feature...that was a flaw.” (28:44)
    • “I want a car smart enough to learn my patterns...Maybe we don't beep until both tires are off the road.” (29:20)
  • How his 2-year-old picks up his behaviors behind the wheel and shouts, “go!” at red lights.

Notable Quotes

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |--------|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:36 | Jimmy Fallon | "The TSA is asking that you put your bag, your laptop and yourself in a gray bin." | | 03:45 | Jimmy Fallon | "At the end of the day, all they want is a pardon. Then Trump said, okay, now I know you're talking about me." | | 09:47 | Tim Allen | "It's easier to be a loser... you know, you're a bad team when you're going, that was a good punt." | | 11:11 | Tim Allen | "That story's been so much a part of my life... Tom and I become really close friends because of that." | | 11:55 | Jimmy Fallon | "I cried in the third one. I thought that was the end... That was the greatest movie in my lifetime." | | 13:05 | Tim Allen | "It's horrible hearing them back to back… it became a huge deal." | | 14:41 | Tim Allen | "Where in the Bible does it say, and he shall put a wastebasket upon him?" | | 16:59 | Tim Allen | "I'm not going to say it to my promoter. I probably do it for free because I enjoy what I do on stage more than anything else." | | 20:29 | Lili Reinhart | "Thanksgiving. We play games. We have turkey. My favorite food is turkey. We eat a lot. We sleep over at my grandma's. On the sweet Thanksgiving night. The end. Happy Thanksgiving." | | 22:09 | Lili Reinhart | "So all people want to talk to you about is Mountain Dew, Taco Bell, Shrek, and my mental illnesses." | | 28:21 | Dusty Slay | "My favorite thing about winter is being able to leave food in your car overnight." | | 28:44 | Dusty Slay | "Back when I was growing up, that wasn’t a feature...that was a flaw." |

Segment Timestamps

• Thanksgiving Monologue & Political Gags: 01:10–05:06
• Stranger Things Recap Game: 05:37–06:51
• Tim Allen Interview: 08:41–18:58
• Lili Reinhart Interview: 19:31–27:31
• Dusty Slay Standup: 28:19–32:52

Overall Tone & Style

Jimmy Fallon’s blend of playful sarcasm, nostalgia, and celebrity rapport keeps this episode energetic and fun. Guests match the mood with lighthearted anecdotes, personal stories, and good-natured self-deprecation. Notably, the episode leans into holiday themes, pop-culture quirks, and comedic takes on modern life, making it relatable and entertaining for a wide audience.

For New Listeners

• If you’re new to the show, this episode is a great sampler: you’ll get timely monologue humor, nostalgia from guest interactions (Toy Story, childhood Thanksgivings), pop culture rapid-fire (Stranger Things), and a snapshot of modern stand-up comedy.
• Each guest offers a blend of career updates and personal stories, all in the Tonight Show’s affable banter style.