Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Season 8

Aired 14 February 2021 • 30 min

Main story: What could cause the next pandemic, what we can do to avoid it, and why you shouldn’t kiss pigs; plus, Impeachment Part 2.

Aired 21 February 2021 • 30 min

Main story: Working conditions in the meatpacking industry; plus, the Texas power crisis in the wake of severe winter weather.

Aired 28 February 2021 • 30 min

Main story: How few guardrails there are on the use of police raids; plus, New York governor Andrew Cuomo faces multiple scandals.

Aired 7 March 2021 • 30 min

Main story: The many obstacles that impede access to unemployment benefits; plus, Fox News freaks out over Dr. Seuss.

Aired 14 March 2021 • 30 min

Main story: Where Tucker Carlson came from and why he's admired by white nationalists; plus, reaction to the Biden COVID-19 relief bill.

Aired 21 March 2021 • 30 min

Main story: How plastics are harming the planet, and why recycling isn’t the solution you think it is; plus, the Atlanta mass shootings and hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

Aired 4 April 2021 • 30 min

Main story: How national debt works and why it might be more helpful than you'd think; plus, Giuliani freaks over Lil Nas X; Amazon's anti-union tactics; Peeps and Pepsi form an unholy alliance.

Aired 11 April 2021 • 32 min

Main story: Why nursing homes and assisted living facilities need fixing; plus, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program; Matt Gaetz and Venmo; R.I.P. Yahoo! Answers.

Aired 18 April 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver details why people file for bankruptcy, how needlessly difficult the process can be, and the ways we can better serve people struggling with debt.

Aired 2 May 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver explains why some people don't want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured.

Aired 9 May 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver discusses the importance of black hair, the ways it can be a target of discrimination, and some ideas to address that.

Aired 16 May 2021 • 30 min

Main Story: John Oliver takes a look at why “stand your ground” laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don’t. Plus, a look at the past week’s events in Israel.

Aired 23 May 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver explains why the integrity of local news is so important, how sponsored content could damage that integrity, and why the Venus Veil is so much more than a blanket. (It's not.)

Aired 6 June 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term "Asian American", the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.

Aired 13 June 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver explains how the failure to air-condition prisons can cause both physical and mental health issues for incarcerated people, and why the solution is simpler than you might think. Plus, some truly unique local car dealership ads.

Aired 20 June 2021 • 30 min

John Oliver explains how PACE, a program meant to pay for environmentally-friendly home renovations, is fundamentally flawed and can put people at risk of losing their homes. Plus, why hosting summer Olympics in Tokyo this year is a bad idea and why dog shows are weird.

Aired 27 June 2021 • 32 min

Health Care Sharing Ministries, or HCSMs, advertise themselves as a more affordable, faith-based alternative to health insurance. But John Oliver explains some of the massive limitations these plans can have.

Aired 25 July 2021 • 39 min

John Oliver breaks down the long history of housing discrimination in the U.S., the damage it's done, and, crucially, what we can do about it.

Aired 1 August 2021 • 31 min

John Oliver explains how emergency medical services function in the U.S., why they can be so expensive, and what we can do to fix things.

Aired 8 August 2021 • 32 min

John Oliver explains how the Sackler family has been handling lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, how hard they've been fighting to defend their name, and why you should judge the situation for yourself.

Aired 15 August 2021 • 32 min

John Oliver discusses ransomware attacks, why they’re on the rise, and what can be done about them.

Aired 22 August 2021 • 32 min

John Oliver discusses the end of America's war with Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis being left behind.

Aired 12 September 2021 • 28 min

John Oliver discusses the longtime leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and the many reasons his country's citizens have not to like him.

Aired 26 September 2021 • 40 min

John Oliver discusses the current attacks on voting rights, who's behind them, and what we can do about it. Plus, John enters several paintings in the annual Duck Stamp contest.

Aired 3 October 2021 • 28 min

John Oliver discusses PFAS - a class of chemicals linked to an array of health issues - and why their widespread use isn't as magical as it may seem.

Aired 10 October 2021 • 29 min

John Oliver discusses how misinformation spreads among immigrant diaspora communities, how little some platforms have done to stop it, and, most importantly, how to have a very good morning.

Aired 24 October 2021 • 31 min

John Oliver discusses Taiwan's history of being governed by other countries, its fraught present-day relationship with China, and what its citizens would want their future to look like.

Aired 31 October 2021 • 31 min

With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are making the problem worse, and how we can help.

Aired 7 November 2021 • 29 min

John Oliver discusses the current state of the nation's power grid, why it needs fixing, and, of course, how fun the balloons are.

Aired 14 November 2021 • 39 min

John Oliver discusses the mechanics of union busting, why the companies who do it face so few consequences, and what it really means when your manager wants to talk to you about "your attendance."