John Oliver’s final 2016 episode of Last Week Tonight did not end like any other broadcast year for the funnyman. As he states in the above clip, he and the crew ordinarily play their favorite bits and pieces from the year and dance around in the studio. Unfortunately, Oliver couldn’t think of enough positive moments from the past eleven months to make this tradition happen.
From the election of Donald Trump to the constant airstrikes in Syria to the spread of the Zika virus to “Ryan Lochte being a douche,” Oliver feels this year has been far too dreadful. He then alluded to the many celebrity deaths before packing this “uncommonly sh*tty year” in as “the f*cking worst.” Is he correct? Hell, yeah. From Brexit to the water crisis in Flint and the many officer-involved shootings, it’s no wonder Oliver couldn’t find any cheer to spread. Although we’re still sitting seven weeks away from 2017, surely, things have got to improve next year, right? Or at least be a little less sh*tty.
The clip ends with several familiar (and some not-so-familiar) faces telling 2016 where to stick it. If there’s one positive aspect we can take from this year, it’s that John Oliver’s acerbic wit was on hand to make the whole ordeal a little more tolerable.