Lindsay Lohan and David Letterman: Well, how did it go?

So, how was Dave Letterman's interview with Lindsay Lohan Tuesday? Train wreck or smooth ride? How was the whole shebang as opposed to a brief clip about rehab and alcoholism?

It was actually fine, for him, for her, maybe even for viewers who may have stuck around for this. She played along, he played along, there were jokes about stealing, rehab -- yes, as if rehab could be funny -- and when the jokes went too far, it was she who pulled back, saying the whole process isn't funny, and -- well -- it's time to move along.

And Dave did.

She ever briefly teared up at the end. Why? Maybe because she knew it would be over blessedly soon, this trial by Letterman fire. That was nice, too.

But in the end, it was the usual, or deja vu all over again: Lohan acknowledging the problem, indicating that it will never happen again (short here though of any declaration), and saying that she now has enough awareness in her life's journey to say the problems will never happen again -- that rehab will even be good for her.

The interview was like the third step in her 12-step program -- although a recidivist, you suspect she'll be saying the same thing to Dave (or Jimmy Fallon a year from now, when he's the new host of "Tonight"). Because: You also suspect that she desperately covets the attention, much as late night hosts (and TV blogs) covet giving it to her. But in some quiet place in her mind -- if there is such a place -- she has to realize that they wouldn't give her all this attention if she wasn't so troubled in the first place. That means interviews like this may all just be part of a vicious cycle.

But at least she laughed her way through Dave's barbs. Maybe she's on the fourth step.

Here's the full clip:

(Mobile users, click here to watch the clip: http://bit.ly/152o9KL )