Skip to main content

John Oliver uses soap opera stars to make his point about the Syrian refugee crisis

john oliver syrian refugee crisis jon refugees still
LastWeekTonight/YouTube
John Oliver made magic happen for 16-year-old Syrian refugee Noujain Mustaffa on the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight: He reunited her favorite soap opera couple, EJ and Sami, for a scene that highlighted the heartbreaking crisis and the mistreatment of refugees. There was even a shoutout to the amazing teenager — and Days of Our Lives Fan — who journeyed for 20 days from her hometown to the border of Hungary, a trek made all the more difficult by the fact that she’s in a wheelchair.

Along with her sister and a family friend, Mustaffa has been trying to reach Germany, where her brother is already seeking asylum, according to the BBC. Oliver was clearly touched by her story and used it as an example of the struggle that many refugees have faced, from not being to get an appointment to register with the government till five years from now to being kicked by members of the media.

He didn’t stop there, though. In a brilliant move, Oliver enlisted the help of actors James Scott and Alison Sweeney and had them reprise their Days roles to drive the message home.

Fans of the soap, like Mustaffa, know that the reunion was complicated by the fact that Scott’s character, EJ, was killed off, but fortunately, a little thing like that didn’t prevent the reunion from happening. In the skit, EJ explains that he was resurrected by witch doctors. “It was nothing,” he adds. “Coming back from the dead, that’s not hard. You know what’s hard? Getting from Syria to Germany.”

Sami agrees, asking her long-lost love, “Have you seen what those migrants are going through?” The two continue to discuss the crisis, with EJ finally adding, “You know, there are some amazing people coming through that border. I read about this incredible 16-year-old girl from Kobani named Noujain Mustaffa.”

Simply put, the skit is gold. Watch the segment below. The hilarious yet thought-provoking reunion comes around the 15:35 mark.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Migrants and Refugees (HBO)
Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Deadpool & Wolverine’s new trailer shows more profanity and MCU action
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine.

During the Super Bowl, the first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine had a notable lack of Wolverine. The reveal of Hugh Jackman's iconic comic book movie hero was saved for another time, which has now arrived. Marvel Studios has released the second trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, which features Wolverine almost immediately coming face-to-face with Deadpool. And he's not happy to see him.

Deadpool & Wolverine | Official Trailer | In Theaters July 26

Read more
The best Netflix original movies right now
Micheal Ward and Bill Nighy in The Beautiful Game.

Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver and Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp may currently have higher places on the list of the most popular movies on Netflix, but they're not among our picks for the best Netflix original movies. Instead, our choices for the month of April are the sports drama The Beautiful Game and two biographical dramas: Scoop and Shirley.

Thankfully, Netflix offers fans more than just dramas. The streamer's vast library of original movies has a number of comedies, thrillers, sci-fi films, animated flicks, horror stories, and more. You can find them all in our roundup of the best Netflix original movies right now.

Read more
The best stand-up comedy on Amazon Prime right now
The actor-comedian Joel McHale.

If you’ve been experiencing littel laughter in your life of late, we’ve got a remedy for your lack of guffaws. It’s called stand-up comedy, and if you don’t feel like journeying into the city for an evening with local talent, Amazon Prime Video is a fitting replacement for the commute. As the home to hundreds of comedy specials from seasoned vets and new comics alike, there’s definitely no shortage of entertainment here. 

We’re big fans of stand-up at Digital Trends, so we’ve put together this rotating roundup of the best stand-up on Prime Video. Be sure to check back soon to see what gut-busters are in store for summertime.
Looking for even more laughs? Check out our other streaming guides, including the best stand-up comedy on Netflix, as well as the best comedies on Amazon Prime and the best comedies on Hulu. 

Read more