John Oliver Recruits George Clooney, Cardi B for Last Week Tonight Finale

Last Week Tonight didn't end its eighth season with a bang, as it did last year, but host John Oliver still had something special up his sleeve for his final episode of 2021. While the LWT team had a "tricky year," which began with filming from a COVID-safe "white void," they did manage to "have some fun," particularly with a recurring bit that saw George Clooney appear on the show every time Oliver snapped his fingers.

So, with Oliver feeling "down" about the seemingly-endless pandemic, he snapped his fingers to summon George Clooney, who gave the host the power to call on other celebrities, as well. Over the next few minutes, Oliver brought a host of celebrities on air, including Jennifer Coolidge (who thought he was Jimmy Kimmel), Will Ferrell, RuPaul Charles, The Office alum Brian Baumgartner, Leslie Jones, and even Cardi B.

When Oliver reached the limit of his newfound power, Clooney returned to offer an important reminder. "Just because this year didn't work out like you thought it would, that doesn't mean that shamelessly bringing in celebrities for the finale wouldn't cheer you up because," said the actor, "Say it with me, 'Celebrities make everything better except in the many situations where they do not.'"

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will return to HBO for its ninth season in early 2022.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.