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The Best Episodes Written By Josh Gondelman

Every TV Episode Written by Josh Gondelman Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    undefined Season 2 Episode 8 - Government Surveillance
    9.2/10(8 votes)

    S2:E8

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  2. undefined Season 2 Episode 15 - FIFA II
    8.8/10(8 votes)

    S2:E15

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  3. undefined Season 2 Episode 17 - Torture
    8.8/10(6 votes)

    S2:E17

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  4. undefined Season 2 Episode 18 - The Internet
    8.7/10(6 votes)

    S2:E18

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  5. undefined Season 2 Episode 19 - Transgender Rights
    8.7/10(6 votes)

    S2:E19

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  6. undefined Season 2 Episode 5 - U.S. Territories
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    S2:E5

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  7. undefined Season 2 Episode 10 - Patents
    8.5/10(6 votes)

    S2:E10

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  8. undefined Season 2 Episode 13 - Paid Family Leave
    8.5/10(6 votes)

    S2:E13

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  9. undefined Season 2 Episode 16 - Bail
    8.5/10(6 votes)

    S2:E16

    John Oliver explains why America’s bail system is better for the reality TV industry than it is for the justice system.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  10. undefined Season 2 Episode 21 - Food Waste
    8.4/10(7 votes)

    S2:E21

    Producers, sellers, and consumers waste tons of food. John Oliver discusses the shocking amount of food we don’t eat.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  11. undefined Season 2 Episode 11 - Fashion
    8.3/10(6 votes)

    S2:E11

    John explores the concept of changing and cheap fashion and some of the ugliest truths of the manufacturing process.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  12. undefined Season 2 Episode 12 - Standardized Testing
    8.3/10(6 votes)

    S2:E12

    American students face a ridiculous amount of testing. John Oliver explains how standardized tests impact school funding, the achievement gap and how often the kids are expected to throw up while taking one.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  13. undefined Season 2 Episode 20 - Stadiums
    8.3/10(6 votes)

    S2:E20

    Cities spend massive amounts of public money on privately-owned stadiums. Cities issue tax-exempt municipal bonds that — wait, don’t fall asleep!

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  14. undefined Season 3 Episode 11 - Scientific Studies
    8.2/10(15 votes)

    S3:E11

    John Oliver on Sticking to the Facts: Media outlets often report new findings from scientific studies, but how many are true?

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  15. undefined Season 2 Episode 3 - Elected Judges
    8.1/10(7 votes)

    S2:E3

    The vast majority of US judges are elected, forcing many judges to pander to the electorate and accept campaign money in order to keep their jobs. This seems slightly troubling... The UK's Labour Party has painted a campaign van pink in an attempt to attract women voters. We are glad they didn't keep going with that strategy.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  16. undefined Season 2 Episode 7 - Municipal Violations
    8.1/10(7 votes)

    S2:E7

    If you have money, committing a municipal violation may pose you a minor inconvenience. If you don’t, it can ruin your life. Also, the New Hampshire legislature refused to make the red-tailed hawk the official raptor of their state... so Last Week Tonight made it the official raptor of the show.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  17. undefined Season 2 Episode 22 - Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws
    8.1/10(8 votes)

    S2:E22

    Mandatory minimums require fixed prison sentences for certain crimes. John Oliver explains why we treat some turkeys better than most low-level offenders.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  18. undefined Season 2 Episode 34 - Daily Fantasy Sports
    8.1/10(7 votes)

    S2:E34

    John talks about the recent Paris attacks, China's Singles Day, the Koh-i-Noor diamond and Daily Fantasy Sports.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  19. undefined Season 2 Episode 35 - Refugees & Pennies
    8.1/10(7 votes)

    S2:E35

    John reflects on the aftermath of Paris attacks and how it affects refugees worldwide. Plus, he questions the usefulness of the U.S. penny, since minting the coins costs more than they're actually worth.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  20. undefined Season 2 Episode 14 - Chickens
    8.0/10(6 votes)

    S2:E14

    John Oliver explains how chicken farming can be unfair, punishing, and inhumane. And not just for the chickens!

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  21. undefined Season 3 Episode 16 - Brexit
    8.0/10(12 votes)

    S3:E16

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  22. undefined Season 2 Episode 33 - Prisoner Re-entry
    7.9/10(8 votes)

    S2:E33

    John Oliver discusses problems that prisoners face when re-entering the society after they're released from prison. A quick interview with Bilal Chatman shines a light on one such case. Plus, a law proposed in the United Kingdom advocates for a mass surveillance of citizens' online activities, how Department of Defense is paying huge sums of money to professional sports teams to honor veterans during their events, and Washington Redskins file a lawsuit to defend their poorly chosen trademark name by naming other terrible examples.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  23. undefined Season 3 Episode 13 - Primaries and Caucuses
    7.9/10(11 votes)

    S3:E13

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  24. undefined Season 2 Episode 2 - Tobacco
    7.8/10(9 votes)

    S2:E2

    Thanks to tobacco industry regulations and marketing restrictions in the U.S., smoking rates have dropped dramatically. John Oliver explains how tobacco companies are keeping their business strong overseas and how Phillip Morris International in particular is employing some unethical legal practices while suing some of the world's poorest countries. Plus, we've noticed that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue still exists but can’t quite figure out why.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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  25. undefined Season 3 Episode 1 - Voting
    7.8/10(11 votes)

    S3:E1

    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:N/A
    Writer:Josh Gondelman

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Josh Gondelman Ratings Summary

"Government Surveillance" is the best rated episode written by Josh Gondelman. It scored 9.2/10 based on 8 votes. It was directed by N/A. It aired on 4/5/2015 and is rated 0.4 points higher than their second-best episode, "FIFA II".