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| Left to right: Marc Maron and Troy Ruptash |
Welcome to a new recap series on the IFC series Maron in which comedian/podcaster Marc Maron lives life and tries to learn how to be a better person. To pay homage to the series, these recaps will be released on Fridays and chronicle the various life lessons that are presented in the 30 minute format on a weekly basis as well as a meter that determines just how angry our protagonist seems to be. Join us as we tackle the psyche of the popular angry man and pray that he doesn't lose it entirely.
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| Sally Kellerman |
Plot: After Josh (Troy Ruptash) runs away from home, it is up to Maron to try and get his dysfunctional family to bond.
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| Ruptash |
A Line That Sums Up the Episode: "A family dinner. We haven't had one of those in 30 years."
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| C.M. Punk |
Guests Review: In a rare occasion, Maron has two podcast recordings in one episode. First up is C.M. Punk, whose brief talk of diets leads for some humorous moments while bonding over each other's tough regiment as performers. Along with another appearance by the always great and aloof Dave Anthony, the family is back and quite possibly the highlight of the episode. We haven't seen Judd Hirsch and Sally Kellerman get too much shared screen time, and it makes for some of the best moments in the season. Whether it is Kellerman's desire for her son to lose weight or Hirsch's desire to scam people, it is a brilliantly dysfunctional family dynamic. With David Cross rounding out the list with his lax take on smoking weed, this is a family affair that hits all of the right notes. It covers Maron's frustration and puts faces to everything with an unassumingly great cast.
Anger Meter: 7 (out of 10)
Where "Boomer Lives" gave us a look into Maron's desires, this episode gives us a peek into his frustrations. The sheer existence of his family is beyond baffling, especially when he somehow has become the sane one. He may play it cool, but with his mother throwing out ice cream and his brother causing all sorts of havoc, there is no choice but for him to let loose. It is a performance that may seem nuanced, but he is slowly bubbling and wanting to finally yell at everyone. He may not go entirely crazy, but you can sense that underneath the calm demeanor, he is really frustrated with how dysfunctional his family really is.
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| Left to right: David Cross, Kellerman, Judd Hirsch, and Ruptash |
Overall Thoughts: A really solid episode and possibly the best of the season so far. The real success is that it isn't an episode specifically about Maron, but the people in his life. Thanks to a cast of great performers, and a great turn by David Cross, we get to watch the havoc play out in hilarious detail while each one battles with their own idiosyncrasies. The jokes come fast and the tone is aligned brilliantly in ways that the show has been striving for in its existence. If Maron manages to turn out episodes that look into Maron's psychology as vividly as this one does, there is a chance that the series could be something more than a primitive-Louie (which it actually is doing better than this season).
Rating: 5 out of 5
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