TV Retrospective: Maron - Season 2

Marc Maron

In all honesty, I was never expecting high art from Maron. As an enthusiastic fan of WTF with Marc Maron, I felt like I watched the first season oftentimes out of obligation. The episodes were good, but he clearly was playing with the formula and trying to distinguish his grumpy personality to the TV format. It was a mixed bag and it left me greatly unmoved. Even more, I wasn't expecting season two to not only be a vast improvement, but also one of the best seasons of TV in 2014. Maybe it has a lot to do with hour the series progressed, but it felt more confident and even the "Marc Maron as himself" style came into itself rather quickly in the season. Beyond the cameos and the premises, it was a show about a conflicted man with a lot of problems. By allowing the problems to unfold, Maron wasn't just this show about a grumpy comedian, but an analysis of his darker tendencies.

One of the earliest signs of the season's success came in establishing a series of problems in the very first episode. In a strange, alternate universe, Maron was invited onto The Talking Dead and in the process gets dumped by his girlfriend Jen (Norah Zehetner) on air. It is a devastating blow that continues to play out for the next few episodes. What makes it particularly intriguing is that the whole season almost seemed to be based around getting over grief, whether it be his missing cat, a washed-up comic, a dead comic, or even his familial relationships. It wasn't an act of self-pity, but a look at some harder-hitting subjects that in the end, allowed the comedy to come from a more natural place.

The real life Maron has had quite a whirlwind of a life since season one. Since the show is often in many ways autobiographical, a lot of it plays out with personal touches thrown in to emphasize the drama and let the comedy feel more honest. Among the break-ups and losses, his podcast continues to celebrate unprecedented success, even reaching the 500th episode. It is a great time to be Maron, even though he is consistently miserable. In the series' best episode "Radio Cowboy," Maron explores the changing atmosphere between radio and podcasts in a sincere and reverent way with old friend Phil Hendrie. Despite the many insults and feeling of a time forgotten, it manages to convey an even darker depth on how dependent these people are on their careers and the structural format that radio gives them. In a way, Maron is all about an old hat forced to survive in a new world.

In fact, the show not only took away focus from Maron, but created supporting characters of value. Where we had Kyle (Josh Brener) in season one as this awkward intern, we now have an entire cast of recurring characters, specifically Andy Kindler and Dave Anthony. While they aren't consistently there, the show's strengths usually lied in when he would be riffing with people. In particular, Anthony was a great introduction to the season, as his melancholy laziness allowed for a lot of interesting riffs with Maron. Both are cynical and mean, but there's a deeper appreciation. In the finale, there's even a moment where the riffing becomes the essential core of the emotions and the audience understands what the comedy is going for. It is an aspect of grieving. Life is sacred and there's no way to predict its end. All they have is a confusing series of moments to do whatever it is that they do.

Left to right: Maron and Joey Diaz

More than any other IFC series, the show knows how to incorporate the guest stars and make the universe more interesting. In "Boomer Lives," it is essentially a barrage of guest stars interacting with Maron on the search for a cat. Each one has a distinct personality and thus it allows the small neighborhood to feel richer and full of personality. While it is likely that some audience members won't know all of these names, it does feel ingenious of Maron to allow these people to exist in his world and give them some due recognition. That's been a lot of the show's success and a reason that IFC is an invaluable network right now. I can only hope that the series, provided that it comes back, will continue to expand into something far more engrossing.

What's more impressive is that Maron almost seemed to take the torch from Louie in a slight way. After Maron appeared in the finale of the FX series, there was a sense that Louis C.K. was jealous of him for being "popular." After this season, it does raise debate on if Louie has gotten too highbrow for its own good. However, Maron has reached its sweet spot of where the emotional depth and comedy come evenhandedly in each episode. There are some dull moments, but they are overshadowed by a comedian who finally recognizes how to be an actor without relying on tropes. He has gravitas and knows how to translate his life story to TV in intriguing ways. It is something peculiar and exciting and I really hope that the series continues to improve because this season, Maron became great, and with countless memorable moments, definitely becomes the quintessential show on analyzing a podcaster's life.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5