Life Lessons from Maron: "White Truck"

Left to right: Marc Maron and Elaine Hendrix
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.


Plot: After buying a tube amp, Maron meets Laurne (Elaine Hendrix) and starts a relationship with her that features an unruly past of characters.


A Line That Sums Up the Episode: "I should have spent the money on sex rehab."

Left to right: Andy Kindler, Jonah Ray, and Maron
Guests Review: For starters, the deed has been done and all three hosts of the Nerdist podcast have officially on. With this episode we see Jonah Ray (my favorite) appear as a record store worker. He doesn't get much, but his line delivery is excellent. Andy Kindler returns for some fun conversation about tube amps. However, the real star of the episode was Elaine Hendrix as the self deprecating woman whom Maron begins having sex with. She is strange and wildly offensive in her actions. If nothing else, this Maron episode goes into some dark directions, and all for the sake of a great culmination of a tube amp gag.


Anger Meter: 3 (out of 10)
If nothing else, Maron is working more on instinct and fear this episode. He is enthusiastic about a tube amp and it puts him at peace. We haven't actually heard him talk at this long of a length about music before. It is clearly cathartic and puts him at ease, even when he's facing violent exes and other debacles. He is scared of being destroyed by his enemies and this episode is more about trying to bond over a tube amp than anything else. If anything, is is Maron at his happiest to date in the series.

Jamie McShane
We Good?: If there is one surprising thing about Maron season two, it is how dark the show is allowing its stories to go. In a world that was already full of dysfunction, it has delved deeper into madness and the decaying presence of careers based on addictions and romance. This episode is just plain weird and goes in some strange directions. However, the real beauty of it is that it all wrapped around to Maron finding someone who could appreciate his tube amp and it being the person who should have been least deserving of sharing that time with him. It is kind of beautiful in the creative way that this story about aging music fans lead to new found kinship.


Rating: 4 out of 5

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