Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Season 13
Season 13 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 12.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 13 Progress Shield
February 15, 2026: ICE
Feb 15, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses ICE's repeated atrocities over the past months and explores the massive entity overseeing it all: the Department of Homeland Security. How it started, who run
February 22, 2026: Twitter
Feb 22, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses how an already flawed Twitter got worse under Elon Musk, how it continues to impact us all, and what it has to do with the 30-40 trillion cells humans are com
March 1, 2026: Police Body Cameras
Mar 1, 2026 · 39 min
John Oliver discusses why police body cameras can be useful, or useless, depending on whether they're used properly, and yeah, he also discusses what it looks like to arrest a gian
March 8, 2026: USAID
Mar 8, 2026 · 50 min
John Oliver discusses the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran, why the Trump Administration has gutted the United States Agency for International Development, and why John is jealous
March 15, 2026: J.D. Vance
Mar 15, 2026 · 40 min
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
March 22, 2026: Police Stings
Mar 22, 2026 · 39 min
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
March 29, 2026: Hungary
Mar 29, 2026 · 40 min
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
April 19, 2026: Prediction Markets
Apr 19, 2026 · 40 min
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
April 26, 2026: AI Chatbots
Apr 26, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses AI chatbots, why they're flirting with users unprompted and encouraging people to open soggy cereal cafes, and how their flaws can be genuinely hazardous to t
May 3, 2026: Gas Station Drugs
May 3, 2026 · 40 min
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-re
May 10, 2026: Shadow Docket
May 10, 2026 · 39 min
John Oliver discusses the shadow docket – a shortcut to the Supreme Court which is rapidly advancing the Trump administration's agenda. Plus, some fun and unexpected facts about tu
May 17, 2026: Structured Settlements
May 17, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses structured settlements – the incremental payments designed to sustain victims of injury or wrongful death over long periods of time.
May 31, 2026: Presidential Pardons
May 31, 2026 · 48 min
John Oliver discusses who Donald Trump has pardoned since he's been in office, and what it would be like to have sex with a cartoon character who has your voice. Not a cartoon char
June 7, 2026: New College of Florida
Jun 7, 2026 · 40 min
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
June 14, 2026: UK Elections
Jun 14, 2026 · 40 min
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 l
June 21, 2026: Feral Hogs
Jun 21, 2026 · 40 min
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
June 28, 2026: Congressional Maps
Jun 28, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses how the Supreme Court has paved the way for the redrawing of congressional maps across the country, and what it means for the midterm elections. Plus, an urge
July 26, 2026: Trump Cryptocurrency
Jul 26, 2026 · 45 min
John Oliver discusses how the Trump family's cryptocurrency ventures have overshadowed their other businesses, how they've created massive conflicts of interest for the Trump admin
August 2, 2026: Police Tools
Aug 2, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses the tools police are using to keep track of civilians – whether or not they're suspected of a crime – and some creative ideas about how to use wigs.
August 9, 2026: Department of Justice
Aug 9, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses how the Department of Justice has changed since Trump took office for his second term.
August 16, 2026: Fetus Rights
Aug 16, 2026 · 40 min
John Oliver discusses how some states in the U.S. have given rights to fetuses, where the idea came from and where things could be headed next.
August 23, 2026: Subscription Model
Aug 23, 2026 · 39 min
John Oliver discusses why more and more companies are shifting to a subscription model, how it's impacting consumers, and what could possibly be more embarrassing than liking Madam
September 20, 2026: UnitedHealth Group
Sep 20, 2026 · 40 min
With Luigi Mangione's upcoming sentencing, John Oliver devotes the full episode to covering UnitedHealth Group: Why customers hate them, how they got so profitable, and why doctors