Season 8 (2021)

Episode 210: The Next Pandemic
8.0

February 14, 2021 • 30m

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.

Episode 211: Meatpacking
7.5

February 21, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 212: Raids
7.8

February 28, 2021 • 30m

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
7.4

March 7, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 214: Tucker Carlson
8.5

March 14, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 215: Plastics
8.0

March 21, 2021 • 30m

Main story: How plastics are harming the planet, and why recycling isn’t the solution you think it is; plus, the Atlanta mass shoo...Read more

Episode 216: The National Debt
7.8

April 4, 2021 • 30m

Main story: How national debt works and why it might be more helpful than you'd think; plus, Giuliani freaks over Lil Nas X; Amazo...Read more

Episode 217: Long-Term Care
7.5

April 11, 2021 • 32m

Main story: Why nursing homes and assisted living facilities need fixing; plus, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program; Matt Gaetz an...Read more

Episode 218: Bankruptcy
8.0

April 18, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 219: Vaccine
8.3

May 2, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 220: Hair
6.8

May 9, 2021 • 30m

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

Episode 221: Stand Your Ground
7.6

May 16, 2021 • 30m

Main Story: John Oliver takes a look at why “stand your ground” laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don’...Read more

Episode 222: Sponcon
8.4

May 23, 2021 • 30m

John Oliver explains why the integrity of local news is so important, how sponsored content could damage that integrity, and why t...Read more

Episode 223: Asian Americans
7.0

June 6, 2021 • 30m

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term "Asian American", the history of the model min...Read more

Episode 224: Prison Heat
8.0

June 13, 2021 • 30m

John Oliver explains how the failure to air-condition prisons can cause both physical and mental health issues for incarcerated pe...Read more

Episode 225: PACE
7.6

June 20, 2021 • 30m

John Oliver explains how PACE, a program meant to pay for environmentally-friendly home renovations, is fundamentally flawed and c...Read more

Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries
7.6

June 27, 2021 • 32m

Health Care Sharing Ministries, or HCSMs, advertise themselves as a more affordable, faith-based alternative to health insurance. ...Read more

Episode 227: Housing Discrimination
6.8

July 25, 2021 • 39m

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.

Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services
8.0

August 1, 2021 • 31m

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.

Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers
7.2

August 8, 2021 • 32m

John Oliver explains how the Sackler family has been handling lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, how hard they've been fightin...Read more

Episode 230: Ransomware
7.5

August 15, 2021 • 32m

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

Episode 231: Afghanistan
8.0

August 22, 2021 • 32m

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

Episode 232: Lukashenko
8.0

September 12, 2021 • 28m

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

Episode 233: Voting Rights
7.3

September 26, 2021 • 40m

John Oliver discusses the current attacks on voting rights, who's behind them, and what we can do about it. Plus, John enters seve...Read more

Episode 234: PFAS
7.7

October 3, 2021 • 28m

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.

Episode 235
7.7

October 10, 2021 • 29m

John Oliver discusses how misinformation spreads among immigrant diaspora communities, how little some platforms have done to stop...Read more

Episode 236
8.0

October 24, 2021 • 31m

John Oliver discusses Taiwan's history of being governed by other countries, its fraught present-day relationship with China, and ...Read more

Episode 237
8.0

October 31, 2021 • 31m

With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are mak...Read more

Episode 238
8.5

November 7, 2021 • 29m

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
8.5

November 14, 2021 • 39m

John Oliver discusses the mechanics of union busting, why the companies who do it face so few consequences, and what it really mea...Read more