Ep 24. September 24, 2017

John Oliver is back again with the 24th episode of the fourth season of his award-winning show, "Last Week Tonight." In this episode, which aired on September 24, 2017, Oliver tackled a range of topics, from the ongoing refugee crisis to President Trump's recent comments about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.

The episode kicks off with Oliver addressing the ongoing protests in St. Louis, which erupted following the acquittal of a police officer accused of killing a black man. Oliver is critical of the way the media has covered the protests, pointing out that they have largely ignored the root causes of the unrest and instead focused on the violence that has erupted in some areas. He also takes aim at the way politicians have reacted to the protests, arguing that their calls for "law and order" ignore the systemic issues that have led to the protests in the first place.

The next segment of the show focuses on the ongoing refugee crisis, specifically the situation in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Oliver is highly critical of the government's handling of the crisis, arguing that it has been purposefully slow to respond to the violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. He also takes aim at Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the de facto leader of Myanmar, but has been largely silent on the crisis. Oliver argues that Suu Kyi should be using her platform to condemn the violence and work towards a solution, but instead has remained largely silent.

In the next segment of the show, Oliver takes on the issue of gerrymandering, which he describes as a "systemic issue" in American politics. He explains how gerrymandering works, and why it is a problem, arguing that it allows politicians to choose their voters, rather than the other way around. Oliver argues that gerrymandering has contributed to the polarization of American politics, and that it undermines the democratic process as a whole.

The final segment of the show focuses on Donald Trump's recent comments about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Oliver argues that Trump's response to the protests has been highly divisive, and that his use of inflammatory language has only made the situation worse. Oliver also takes aim at the way the media has covered the protests, arguing that they have largely ignored the root causes of the protests and instead focused on the spectacle of athletes protesting during the national anthem.

Overall, the episode is classic Last Week Tonight: highly opinionated, meticulously researched, and incredibly entertaining. Oliver covers a range of topics, from the serious (the refugee crisis) to the absurd (Trump's comments about the NFL), and manages to do so with his trademark wit and humor. Despite tackling some heavy topics, the episode is never overly preachy or didactic, and Oliver maintains a light touch throughout. Fans of the show will definitely not be disappointed by this episode, and newcomers will likely be hooked by Oliver's charismatic delivery and insightful commentary.