John Oliver Roasts Netflix-WBD Deal, Stranger Things Ending in 'Last Week Tonight' Premiere

The host also commented on Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show and issues with ICE crackdowns in Minneapolis.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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In the season 13 premiere of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver covered a range of topics, including the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the ending of Stranger Things, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, and issues with ICE crackdowns in Minneapolis. Oliver poked fun at the constantly changing leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery and made jokes about the color grading of Stranger Things and Bad Bunny's music.

Why it matters

Oliver's commentary on the Netflix-WBD deal, Stranger Things, and Bad Bunny highlights his ability to provide sharp, comedic analysis of major entertainment and political news. His critiques of ICE's expansion and impact on worker standards also touch on important social justice issues.

The details

Oliver opened the episode by speed-running through various headlines, from the biathlete drama at the 2026 Winter Olympics to the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. He then spent a majority of the episode discussing the fallout from the creation of the Department of Homeland Security post-9/11, including ICE crackdowns and killings in Minneapolis. Oliver drew similarities between the constantly changing leadership at DHS and his own experience, joking about not knowing which company - Paramount or Netflix - will be his "new business daddy." He also roasted the color grading of the Stranger Things finale and made jokes about Bad Bunny's music, noting that ICE agents' lack of Spanish-language skills means they're "missing out on a lot of joy, plenty of political commentary and a metric ton of blowjob descriptions."

  • The season 13 premiere of Last Week Tonight aired on February 16, 2026.

The players

John Oliver

The host of Last Week Tonight, a political comedy news program.

Bad Bunny

A Latin trap artist who performed the Super Bowl halftime show.

Nicolás Maduro

The president of Venezuela, who was kidnapped by the U.S.

Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Dave Chappelle

Comedians who participated in the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which was criticized as a form of sportswashing by Saudi Arabia.

Warner Bros. Discovery

A media company that recently merged with Netflix.

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What they’re saying

“Having an endless cavalcade of rapidly changing bosses would clearly be a distraction, though I gotta say, you do eventually get used to it.”

— John Oliver, Host, Last Week Tonight (Last Week Tonight)

“Loved the ending of Stranger Things, by the way — very brown.”

— John Oliver, Host, Last Week Tonight (Last Week Tonight)

“which is a bad idea for many reasons, including those agents now won't get to understand even a little bit of Bad Bunny's music, which is sad for them; they're missing out on a lot of joy, plenty of political commentary and a metric ton of blowjob descriptions. There is a lot — it's a rich text!”

— John Oliver, Host, Last Week Tonight (Last Week Tonight)

The takeaway

Oliver's commentary on the Netflix-WBD deal, Stranger Things, and Bad Bunny's halftime show demonstrates his ability to provide sharp, comedic analysis of major entertainment and political news, while also touching on important social justice issues like ICE crackdowns and worker standards.