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Season 8

Season 8

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

2021
Episodes: 30

Episodes

Episode 210: The Next Pandemic

1. Episode 210: The Next Pandemic

February 14, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: Jack McBrayer, Ryan Barger

Episode 211: Meatpacking

2. Episode 211: Meatpacking

February 21, 2021

7.5
30 min

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

Episode 212: Raids

3. Episode 212: Raids

February 28, 2021

7.8
30 min

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

Episode 213: Unemployment

4. Episode 213: Unemployment

March 7, 2021

7.4
30 min

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

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger, Rick Scott, Andy Beshear

Episode 214: Tucker Carlson

5. Episode 214: Tucker Carlson

March 14, 2021

8.5
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.

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger

Episode 215: Plastics

6. Episode 215: Plastics

March 21, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: Noel MacNeal, Richard Kind

Episode 216: The National Debt

7. Episode 216: The National Debt

April 4, 2021

7.8
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.

Guest Stars: Emeka Guindo, Cassandra Lee Morris, Ryan Barger

Episode 217: Long-Term Care

8. Episode 217: Long-Term Care

April 11, 2021

7.5
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.

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger, Jen Psaki

Episode 218: Bankruptcy

9. Episode 218: Bankruptcy

April 18, 2021

8.0
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.

Episode 219: Vaccine

10. Episode 219: Vaccine

May 2, 2021

8.3
30 min

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

Guest Stars: Anthony Miale, Noel MacNeal

Episode 220: Hair

11. Episode 220: Hair

May 9, 2021

6.8
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.

Guest Stars: Uzo Aduba, Craig Robinson, Leslie Jones

Episode 221: Stand Your Ground

12. Episode 221: Stand Your Ground

May 16, 2021

7.6
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.

Episode 222: Sponcon

13. Episode 222: Sponcon

May 23, 2021

8.4
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.)

Guest Stars: Erica Hernandez, George Clooney

Episode 223: Asian Americans

14. Episode 223: Asian Americans

June 6, 2021

7.0
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.

Guest Stars: Susan Evans

Episode 224: Prison Heat

15. Episode 224: Prison Heat

June 13, 2021

8.0
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.

Episode 225: PACE

16. Episode 225: PACE

June 20, 2021

7.6
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.

Guest Stars: George Clooney

Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries

17. Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries

June 27, 2021

7.6
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.

Guest Stars: Rachel Dratch, Susan Collins

Episode 227: Housing Discrimination

18. Episode 227: Housing Discrimination

July 25, 2021

6.8
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.

Guest Stars: H. Jon Benjamin

Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services

19. Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services

August 1, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: Mustafa Haidari, Matt Vogel, George Clooney

Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers

20. Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers

August 8, 2021

7.2
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.

Guest Stars: Richard Kind, H. Jon Benjamin, Peter Welch

Episode 230: Ransomware

21. Episode 230: Ransomware

August 15, 2021

7.5
32 min

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

Guest Stars: Connor Ratliff, Faiven Feshazion, J.K. Simmons

Episode 231: Afghanistan

22. Episode 231: Afghanistan

August 22, 2021

8.0
32 min

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

Guest Stars: H. Jon Benjamin, Carolyn Maloney

Episode 232:  Lukashenko

23. Episode 232: Lukashenko

September 12, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger

Episode 233: Voting Rights

24. Episode 233: Voting Rights

September 26, 2021

7.3
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.

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger, Jen Psaki

Episode 234: PFAS

25. Episode 234: PFAS

October 3, 2021

7.7
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.

Guest Stars: Danny DeVito, Jen Psaki

Episode 235

26. Episode 235

October 10, 2021

7.7
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.

Guest Stars: Ryan Barger

Episode 236

27. Episode 236

October 24, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: Tsai Ing-wen

Episode 237

28. Episode 237

October 31, 2021

8.0
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.

Guest Stars: George Clooney

Episode 238

29. Episode 238

November 7, 2021

8.5
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.

Episode 239

30. Episode 239

November 14, 2021

8.5
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."

Guest Stars: Marina Franklin, Moujan Zolfaghari, Zach Cherry

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