John Oliver Mocks Queen Elizabeth II (And All of Britain, Basically) Following Her Death

John Oliver isn't shedding any tears for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Last Week Tonight host, who has never been shy about mocking the monarchy, opened last night's show with very little fanfare surrounding the Queen's death. "We need to start with the U.K., which is clearly still reeling from the shocking death of a 96-year-old woman from natural causes," he joked. He then poked fun at the online reactions of Crazy Frog and Domino's Pizza to the monarch's passing before taking aim at new Prime Minister Liz Truss, or "Margaret Thatcher if she were high on glue". 

Oliver dragged Truss's awkward speeches and her politics, particularly her declaration that "profit" has become a "dirty word in our society". "Look, I’m just gonna say this, and you may not like it, but it doesn’t make it any less true: the nicest thing the Queen of England ever did for anyone was die the week that woman became prime minister," said Oliver. "Because for at least a week, she’s not going to get justifiably destroyed for answers like that."

"Things are pretty f*cking bleak in the U.K. right now," Oliver went on. "This f*cking guy is about to be on all the money," he joked, referring to the newly crowned King Charles III. "But don’t worry, Britain! Your future is now securely in the hands of dollar-store British Leslie Knope here," he continued. "Everything’s going to be fine!" 

While he got in a few good jabs at his home country, Oliver spent most of last night's show eviscerating the Law & Order franchise and its creator, Dick Wolf. The host never denied the entertainment value of the franchise, but ripped into the show's "complete fantasy" of a depiction of law enforcement, arguing that it "makes a lot of choices that significantly distort the big picture of police." Oliver also discussed the impact the series has had on public perception (and even on cops and lawyers themselves), but saved most of his criticism for series creator Dick Wolf. 

"Law & Order is never going to grapple with the reality of policing in a meaningful way..." said Oliver. "Because fundamentally, the person who is responsible for Law & Order and its brand is Dick Wolf." Wolf, who has called himself "unabashedly pro-law enforcement", has created a world where "the cops can always figure out who did it, defense attorneys are irritating obstacles to be overcome, and even if a cop roughs up a suspect, it’s all in pursuit of a just outcome." 

Law & Order's 22nd season premieres September 22.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.