John Oliver has something he didn’t have heading into the last two Last Week Tonight season finales: a reason for some political optimism in the wake of this month’s midterm elections.
The HBO series wraps its 13th season this Sunday, November 15, with its 30th episode of the year. As usual, HBO isn’t tipping its hand about what Oliver has planned for the occasion, but there’s certainly no shortage of material.
Oliver has spent much of Season 13 delivering hard-hitting takedowns of the Trump administration, from its immigration crackdown and politicization of the Justice Department to the man currently running the Pentagon. That last subject got the full Last Week Tonight treatment last week, when Oliver called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s impeachment and removal from office. (Outgoing Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth earlier this week, but the still-Republican-led House blocked a full floor vote.)
It hasn’t all been doom and gloom, of course. Season 13 also saw Oliver realize his dream of becoming a soap opera actor, landing guest roles on both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. He also picked a trademark fight with gas station giant Buc-ee’s and launched a decidedly NSFW campaign against Liberty Mutual’s Liberty Biberty mascot.
But things have gotten interesting closer to home this season, too, with Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery giving Oliver a new ‘business daddy’ with close ties to Donald Trump.
Oliver appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach to his future at HBO, signing a one-year contract extension that will keep Last Week Tonight on the air through 2027, rather than the multiyear renewals that have been customary in the past.
Whether any of that factors into Sunday’s finale remains to be seen. Oliver has a history of ending particularly trying years with elaborate stunts, most memorably bidding farewell to 2016 and 2020 by literally blowing things up.
HBO hasn’t announced a premiere date for Season 14, though the show is expected to return in February.
