8.5/106 votes#1 - Episode 214: Tucker Carlson
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 3/14/2021
Main story: Where Tucker Carlson came from and why he's admired by white nationalists; plus, reaction to the Biden COVID-19 relief bill.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.4/105 votes#2 - Episode 222: Sponcon
Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 5/23/2021
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.)
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.3/103 votes#3 - Episode 219: Vaccine
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 5/2/2021
John Oliver explains why some people don't want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/106 votes#4 - Episode 210: The Next Pandemic
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 2/14/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/106 votes#5 - Episode 215: Plastics
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 3/21/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/104 votes#6 - Episode 218: Bankruptcy
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 4/18/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/104 votes#7 - Episode 224: Prison Heat
Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 6/13/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/104 votes#8 - Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services
Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 8/1/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
8.0/104 votes#9 - Episode 231: Afghanistan
Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 8/22/2021
John Oliver discusses the end of America's war with Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis being left behind.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.8/106 votes#10 - Episode 212: Raids
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 2/28/2021
Main story: How few guardrails there are on the use of police raids; plus, New York governor Andrew Cuomo faces multiple scandals.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.8/106 votes#11 - Episode 216: The National Debt
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 4/4/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.6/105 votes#12 - Episode 221: Stand Your Ground
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 5/16/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.6/105 votes#13 - Episode 225: PACE
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 6/20/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.6/105 votes#14 - Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 6/27/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.5/106 votes#15 - Episode 211: Meatpacking
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 2/21/2021
Main story: Working conditions in the meatpacking industry; plus, the Texas power crisis in the wake of severe winter weather.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.5/104 votes#16 - Episode 217: Long-Term Care
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 4/11/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.5/104 votes#17 - Episode 230: Ransomware
Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 8/15/2021
John Oliver discusses ransomware attacks, why they’re on the rise, and what can be done about them.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.4/105 votes#18 - Episode 213: Unemployment
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 3/7/2021
Main story: The many obstacles that impede access to unemployment benefits; plus, Fox News freaks out over Dr. Seuss.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.2/105 votes#19 - Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers
Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 8/8/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
7.0/104 votes#20 - Episode 223: Asian Americans
Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 6/6/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
6.8/106 votes#21 - Episode 220: Hair
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 5/9/2021
John Oliver discusses the importance of black hair, the ways it can be a target of discrimination, and some ideas to address that.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
6.8/105 votes#22 - Episode 227: Housing Discrimination
Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 7/25/2021
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.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Ben Silva
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Ben Silva Ratings Summary
"Episode 214: Tucker Carlson" is the best rated episode written by Ben Silva. It scored 8.5/10 based on 6 votes. It was directed by Paul Pennolino. It aired on 3/14/2021 and is rated 0.1 points higher than their second-best episode, "Episode 222: Sponcon".