The Worst Episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

#1 Worst Episode
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0.0/10(0 votes)
#1 - October 11, 2026
S13:E2610/11/2026
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6.5/10(368 votes)
#2 - Episode 220: Hair
S8:E115/9/2021
John Oliver discusses the importance of black hair, the ways it can be a target of discrimination, and some ideas to address that.
Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
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Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
7.0/10(360 votes)
#3 - April 6, 2025: Trans Athletes
S12:E74/6/2025
John Oliver discusses Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs and why trans athletes seem to be at the center of U.S. politics.
Director:Unknown
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7.0/10(182 votes)
#4 - June 14, 2026: UK Elections
S13:E156/14/2026
John Oliver discusses the upcoming elections in the UK, why the race for Prime Minister hinges on 76,000 voters who live in a small area called Makerfield, and which party leader looks like his first words were "British East India Company."
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7.1/10(200 votes)
#5 - March 22, 2026: Police Stings
S13:E63/22/2026
John Oliver discusses police stings, why they can seem like they're creating more crime than they're stopping, and the best alias for any undercover cop, ever, in history. Ok, fine, we'll just tell you: It's a tie between "Angelo Lasagna" and "Rico Rigatone."
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7.1/10(199 votes)
#6 - May 17, 2026: Structured Settlements
S13:E125/17/2026
John Oliver discusses structured settlements – the incremental payments designed to sustain victims of injury or wrongful death over long periods of time.
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The 20 BEST Episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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7.1/10(66 votes)
#7 - October 4, 2026: Secret Service
S13:E2510/4/2026
John Oliver discusses the Secret Service, why they're in a worrying state, and how ethernet cables became disturbingly crucial to the nation's safety.
Director:Unknown
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7.2/10(238 votes)
#8 - June 8, 2025: Med Spas
S12:E146/8/2025
John Oliver discusses the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Mike Lindell's trial, the lack of regulation at med spas, and a fun new way to spell "scumbag."
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7.2/10(205 votes)
#9 - October 26, 2025: Medicare Advantage
S12:E2710/26/2025
John Oliver details what Medicare Advantage is, and why it basically has all the pitfalls of private insurance.
Director:Unknown
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7.2/10(189 votes)
#10 - June 7, 2026: New College of Florida
S13:E146/7/2026
John Oliver discusses New College of Florida – the small liberal arts school that has been taken over by Governor Ron DeSantis – and why we think their new mascot would really get Samantha from Sex and the City going.
Director:Unknown
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7.2/10(112 votes)
#11 - September 27, 2026: Brazil's Presidential Election
S13:E249/27/2026
John Oliver discusses Brazil's upcoming presidential election, the baggage associated with the two leading candidates, and some insight into acting from John – a person who has acted. Twice.
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7.3/10(295 votes)
#12 - October 16, 2022: Transgender Rights II
S9:E2610/16/2022
John Oliver discusses the latest round of attacks on transgender rights, what’s at stake, and how kids are schooling the ignorant adults on this topic. Plus, why the Crimean Bridge is having a bad time these days.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(223 votes)
#13 - August 17, 2025: Make America Healthy Again
S12:E218/17/2025
John Oliver discusses why Donald Trump seized control of the police in Washington, D.C., where the "Make America Healthy Again" movement in the U.S. could be headed, and whether or not you can buy testicles on Amazon. Three issues of equal importance.
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7.3/10(213 votes)
#14 - October 5, 2025: Presidential Libraries
S12:E2510/5/2025
John Oliver discusses what presidential libraries are exactly, how presidents use them to fundraise in office, how Donald Trump might make existing problems even worse and – of course – some stuff about one president's unique inseam.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(194 votes)
#15 - November 2, 2025: Police Chases
S12:E2811/2/2025
John Oliver discusses the prevalence of police chases, and why the risks involved can massively outweigh the benefits.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(226 votes)
#16 - March 15, 2026: J.D. Vance
S13:E53/15/2026
John Oliver discusses the Trump Administration's mixed messaging surrounding the U.S.'s ongoing war with Iran, then explores J.D. Vance's ideologies past and present, including but not limited to who J.D. thinks is a real stupidhead.
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7.3/10(209 votes)
#17 - March 29, 2026: Hungary
S13:E73/29/2026
John Oliver discusses the elections on the horizon for Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, why conservatives in the US are so invested in him maintaining power, and what it all has to do with Rob Schneider.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(216 votes)
#18 - April 19, 2026: Prediction Markets
S13:E84/19/2026
John Oliver discusses prediction markets – platforms where you can bet on basically anything, from the weather to the war in Iran – and the legal and moral questions posed by their existence.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(197 votes)
#19 - May 3, 2026: Gas Station Drugs
S13:E105/3/2026
John Oliver discusses the sprawling industry of "gas station drugs" – a world of questionable supplements and boner pills – which is posing a risk to the public by putting under-regulated substances over the counter.
Director:Unknown
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7.3/10(188 votes)
#20 - June 21, 2026: Feral Hogs
S13:E166/21/2026
John Oliver discusses one of the most destructive invasive species in America: feral hogs. How they got here, the damage they're doing, and why the Discovery Channel should really consider doing "Cow Week."
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7.4/10(292 votes)
#21 - Prisons & Jails
S7:E166/21/2020
In the latest episode on coronavirus John talks about US prisons and jails. These confined spaces have frightening number of COVID-19 infections. And there has been insufficient initiatives to address the matter. Consequently, in some cases inmates are taking matters in their own hand to raise concern about situation behind bars.
Director:Unknown
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7.4/10(284 votes)
#22 - Episode 218: Bankruptcy
S8:E94/18/2021
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.
Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
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Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
7.4/10(278 votes)
#23 - Episode 223: Asian Americans
S8:E146/6/2021
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.
Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
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Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
7.4/10(242 votes)
#24 - Episode 225: PACE
S8:E166/20/2021
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.
Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
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Directors:Paul Pennolino, Christopher Werner
Writers:John Oliver, Daniel O'Brien, Chrissy Shackelford, Seena Vali, Greg Iwinski, Ben Silva, Joanna Rothkopf, Ali Barthwell, Liz Hynes, Charlie Redd, Owen Parsons, Johnathan Appel, Mark Kramer
7.4/10(281 votes)
#25 - April 21, 2024: UFOs
S11:E94/21/2024
John Oliver explains why we need honest inquiry into UFO sightings, covers the week's protests in the US over the war in Gaza, and recaps Adeel Mangi's confirmation hearing.
Director:Unknown
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