What started as an alternative way of getting his voice out there, unfiltered and unbeholden to the usual talk-show protocols, has turned into an industry, and the saturation of comedians turned podcasters Maron felt were “just lowering the bar for all entertainment every day” signaled it was time to gracefully say goodbye. The final months were still highly personal, with Maron weighing in on his father’s declining health, fretting over his cats, and caustically commenting on the state of the nation. But you could feel an energetic shift. “I think I felt lighter,” he says. {read}