9.0/105 votes#1 - Government Surveillance
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 4/5/2015
There are very few government checks on what America’s sweeping surveillance programs are capable of doing. John Oliver sits down with Edward Snowden to discuss the NSA, the balance between privacy and security, and dick-pics.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.5/102 votes#2 - U.S. Territories
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 3/8/2015
A set of Supreme Court decisions made over 100 years ago has left U.S. territories without meaningful representation. That’s weird, right? Plus, daylight saving time doesn’t actually benefit anyone. Strangely, it’s still a thing!
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.4/105 votes#3 - FIFA II
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 5/31/2015
After the arrests of numerous top officials, John Oliver decided to give an update on the state of FIFA. Also, Thailand's ignorance about the world's history involving Hitler might require some re-education.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.3/106 votes#4 - SLAPP Suits
Season 6 Episode 29 - Aired 11/10/2019
After winning a legal battle involving a coal executive and a giant squirrel, John Oliver explains how SLAPP suits are designed to stifle public dissent.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.2/108 votes#5 - The Right to Be Forgotten
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 5/18/2014
John talks about the product recall going on at General Motors, the EU Court of Justice "Right to be Forgotten" ruling and updates us on how the Indian election is going with help from Fareed Zakaria.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.2/106 votes#6 - Military Translators
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 10/19/2014
Translators who have aided the U.S. Military in Afghanistan and Iraq are in great danger in their home countries, but red tape is making it impossible for many of them to leave. John Oliver interviews FNU Mohammad, one translator who made it out. Plus, since cameras aren’t allowed in the Supreme Court discussions, most coverage of the important cases looks like garbage. John fixes that problem with real animals and fake paws.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.2/104 votes#7 - Torture
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 6/14/2015
The US Senate Torture Report revealed horrifying details of America's interrogation program. Helen Mirren will fill you in. Plus, information about the 2015 European Games and the Canadian Senate expenses scandal.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.2/108 votes#8 - Puerto Rico
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 4/24/2016
Puerto Rico is suffering a massive debt crisis. Lin-Manuel Miranda joins John Oliver to call for relief.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.1/109 votes#9 - Brexit
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 6/19/2016
John Oliver on “Brexiting” from the EU: There might be an innate British desire to diss Europe, but Last Week Tonight lays out exactly why it’s a mistake to leave the EU.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.0/104 votes#10 - Paid Family Leave
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 5/10/2015
Many American companies do not offer paid leave after the birth of a child, which means they probably shouldn’t run sappy Mother’s Day ads. Also, the Japanese have some unhealthy obsession with mascots and John proposes to adopt some of that culture in the U.S. government agencies as well.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.0/103 votes#11 - Bail
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 6/7/2015
John Oliver explains why America’s bail system is better for the reality TV industry than it is for the justice system.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.0/104 votes#12 - The Internet
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 6/21/2015
Online harassment is a major problem, but it’s rarely prosecuted. If only we’d been warned about this in the early days of the internet.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.0/104 votes#13 - Transgender Rights
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 6/28/2015
This week’s gay rights victory was historic, but the transgender community still faces staggering challenges. John Oliver focuses on the “T” in “LGBT."
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
8.0/107 votes#14 - Special Districts
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 3/6/2016
Special districts spend more public money than all city governments combined. That's odd considering most of us don't know they exist.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.9/107 votes#15 - Student Debt
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 9/7/2014
John talks about ISIS and student loan debt. Musical group A Great Big World make a special appearance.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.9/108 votes#16 - Voting
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 2/14/2016
John talks about the late Antonin Scalia's love of the Letter of the Law, Chipotle's food safety problems, how Voter IDs laws should be applied to those who write them, and New Zealand's economic development minister Steven Joyce.
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.9/108 votes#17 - Congressional Fundraising
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 4/3/2016
Lawmakers have to raise money to keep their jobs, but a surprising amount of their job now consists of raising money. John Oliver sits down with Congressman Steve Israel to discuss the costs of political spending.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.9/108 votes#18 - Primaries and Caucuses
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 5/22/2016
Last Week Tonight Tackles U.S. Primaries and Caucuses: The United States selection process for presidential nominees is convoluted — to say the least. Nevertheless, John Oliver reminds Americans that the "middle of the game" is the worst possible time to change the rules.
Director: Paul Pennolino
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/106 votes#19 - Dr. Oz
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 6/22/2014
John talks about Iraq, Antarctica tourism and Dr. Oz's "Miracle Drug".
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/106 votes#20 - Nuclear Weapons and the United States
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 7/27/2014
John talks about human rights violations in the Middle East, nuclear disarmament and Russia's science satellite that lost communication.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/105 votes#21 - Shooting of Michael Brown and Police Militarization
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 8/17/2014
Focuses on the shooting of Michael Brown and police militarization in Ferguson, MO. John also discusses the topic of equal pay for equal work.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/106 votes#22 - Scottish Independence Referendum
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 9/14/2014
John talks about the NFL's decision on Ray Rice's contract, the international response to ISIS, Scotland's separation from the United Kingdom and Twitter hashtags that are being misused by corporations.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/105 votes#23 - Sugar
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 10/26/2014
John Oliver talks about a Russian submarine in Sweden, ebola in New York, added sugar in food, Rob Ford's brother and interviews Jane Goodall.
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/105 votes#24 - State Legislatures and ALEC
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 11/2/2014
While midterm coverage is largely focused on the parts of Congress that do very little, vital (and bizarre) midterm elections are going unexamined. State legislators pass a lot of bills, and some of that efficiency is thanks to a group called ALEC that writes legislation for them. It’s as shady as it sounds!
Director: Joe Perota
Writer: Jeff Maurer
7.8/104 votes#25 - Patents
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 4/19/2015
For inventors, patents are an essential protection against theft. But when patent trolls abuse the system by stockpiling patents and threatening lawsuits, businesses are forced to shell out tons of money. Also, CNN produced an actual doomsday video to broadcast when the world is ending and it’s incredibly dull. We've enlisted Martin Sheen to help make humanity’s final moments happier!
Director: Jim Hoskinson
Writer: Jeff Maurer
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The Best Episodes Written By Jeff Maurer
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Jeff Maurer Ratings Summary
"Government Surveillance" is the best rated episode written by Jeff Maurer. It scored 9/10 based on 5 votes. It was directed by Jim Hoskinson. It aired on 4/5/2015 and is rated 0.5 points higher than their second-best episode, "U.S. Territories".