"Obama's 2015 appearance is central to WTF's mythology and to podcasting lore in general, so bringing him back provides a neat poetic echo to end the show. But Obama is no longer the most captivating guest, nor is he a particularly dynamic one for Maron. As he held court on feeling out of touch with contemporary digital culture and the sorry state of modern politics, I found myself wishing for a conversation more in tune with the fact that this would be Maron's final interview."
"closing on Obama was Maron's call, and that's the point. It's rare these days to see a cultural institution end on its own terms. In an environment in which so many talents and shows don't get the chance to leave the stage the way they want, and when control over speech seems more precarious than ever, WTF 's choosing to bow out simply because it felt right comes across as almost radical. There's real power in Maron and producer Brendan McDonald simply deciding it's time."
Barack Obama returned to WTF With Marc Maron for the finale, providing a poetic echo of his 2015 appearance. Obama feels less dynamic and less captivating than before, and the interview often read like two Gen‑X peers commiserating about digital culture and modern politics. Maron and producer Brendan McDonald chose to end WTF on their own terms, valuing the act of bowing out when it felt right amid precarious control over speech. The penultimate episode features a long solo monologue in which Maron reflects on 16 years of WTF, offering searching, vulnerable, and honest catharsis. Across nearly 1,700 episodes, WTF traced Maron's search for self and hard‑won self‑acceptance.
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