Overview

• Episode No. 1,686 was released Oct. 13 with Barack Obama, recorded at the former president’s Washington office after Maron kept the guest’s identity secret until the drop.
• Obama urged Maron not to rush into a next act, telling him to take a beat, reflect on his body of work and trust that there are more chapters ahead.
• The pair discussed eroded norms and institutional guardrails, with Obama saying people should stand up against abuses of power to give others courage.
• Maron had announced the decision in June with producer Brendan McDonald, citing fatigue and satisfaction with the work, and he offered an emotional farewell to listeners in a solo penultimate episode.
• Launched in 2009 from Maron’s Los Angeles garage, the podcast helped define long-form interview audio, with Obama’s 2015 appearance widely viewed as a milestone that elevated the medium.