Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Now that we’ve taken down our Christmas trees, picked up the last bit of confetti from that New Year’s celebration you’re not quite sure you remember and (mostly) shoveled our way out of the Jonas Blizzard, there’s still some sense of gloom hanging over us as the days get shorter and the air gets colder. So how best to deal with the official onset of seasonal affective disorder? By admitting that sometimes you just have to steer into the slide. That’s why we’re dealing with the melancholia by bingeing Maron.
IFC’s Maron, which is available to stream on Netflix, stars comedian Marc Maron as a somewhat fictionalized version of himself. Maron has been a comedian for over twenty-five years, but didn’t gain widespread recognition until he launched his podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, which serves as the center of this indie comedy series. With the same autobiographical vibe as Louie, each week Maron‘s episodes swirl around his guest stars that include but are not limited to Sarah Silverman, Ray Romano, Whitney Cummings, and CM Punk. Conducting his interviews from his garage, the underlying personality of Maron leaks through – this show is all about Maron’s own neuroses and how comedy may or may not be his release.
Along with his not so capable assistant Kyle (Josh Brenner), fellow comedians/confidants Andy Kindler and Dave Anthony make regular appearances in Marc’s life on the show, as do his separated but equally crazy parents, played by Judd Hirsch and Sally Kellerman. The voice of Maron is brutally honest. With strong cinematic qualities that pay close attention to lighting, framing and strong plot development that you don’t often see in sitcoms, the show doesn’t trade in cheap laughs.
So why would a show about a fiftysomething guy who lives with a bunch of cats be a remedy for the winter blues? Look at it this way – Maron is a slice of life more than it is a sitcom. While certainly dark in spots, Maron will leave you laughing at very authentic situations the show puts its protagonist into. Through its hilarity, we can also find relief in those sometimes strange, cringeworthy conditions we’ve all been in, whether you’re willing to admit it or not. Really delving into his life as an angry, (recovering) alcoholic, twice divorced and self-involved mess, his sobriety and career turn-around sheds a fascinating light on the life of a comedian. Blending relationship drama, struggles with anxiety, the consequences of being the most cynical person in the room, and his deep roots in the world of comedy, Maron is well worth your time.
