Episodes

  • Nate Bargatze

    Nate Bargatze
    Mar 23 2026
    Nate Bargatze (The Breadwinner, Hello World, Your Friend) is a standup comedian, writer, and actor. Nate joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up with a father who was a preacher/clown/teacher/magician/motivational speaker, working as a water meter reader before finding his way into comedy, and what it’s like reentering reality after being celebrated on an arena stage. Nate and Dax talk about how his decision to always be a clean comic affected his career trajectory, the time he was heckled by a parrot, and realizing that his comedy tribe were all the dirtiest standups. Nate explains that a big aim of his comedy is to not make others feel bad or uncomfortable, his belief that one-on-one we can all relate to one another, and why watching a comic for 20 years is observing a life. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ Head to turbotax.com to find a store location near you and get matched with a TurboTax expert — with real-time updates in the iOS app. This episode is sponsored by AppleTV. Learn more at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2caw2c
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    1 hr and 53 mins
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  • Armchair Anonymous: Wild Card XII

    Armchair Anonymous: Wild Card XII
    Mar 20 2026
    Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story.
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    50 mins
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  • David Sussillo (on foster care and neuroscience)

    David Sussillo (on foster care and neuroscience)
    Mar 18 2026
    David Sussillo (Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind) is a technologist, neuroscientist, and professor at Stanford University. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up with two parents that were addicts, experiencing extreme poverty throughout his childhood, and the joy of finding a best friend during that time. David and Dax talk about how the immersion and rules of video games amid the chaos of his life became the precursor to his research today, ending up in a series of group foster homes for several years, and his dream of going to college functioning as a protective shield for his future self. David explains being orphaned by the living while in foster care, the elation of receiving a full ride to Carnegie Mellon to study computer science, and the deep learning neural network research he now leads at Stanford.
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    1 hr and 59 mins
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  • Zach Braff Returns

    Zach Braff Returns
    Mar 16 2026
    Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State, Bad Monkey) is an actor, writer, and director. Zach joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his storied doppelgänger switcheroo, coming up with a special camera rig to shoot the game play scenes in Ted Lasso, and the responsibility he feels directing seasoned actors. Zach and Dax talk about how exciting it was for both of them to play rare dramatic roles in Bad Monkey, his belief that longevity in show business is dependent on how you ride the wave, and the fun of returning to direct the first episode of the Scrubs revival 25 years after it first aired. Zach explains how his confidence in his looks and skills as an actor have evolved across his career, surprising results from his year without beer, and navigating romance and relationships at 50. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ Head to turbotax.com to find a store location near you and get matched with a TurboTax expert — with real-time updates in the iOS app. This episode is sponsored by AppleTV. Learn more at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2caw2c
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    2 hrs and 5 mins
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  • Armchair Anonymous: Funny Pregnancy

    Armchair Anonymous: Funny Pregnancy
    Mar 13 2026
    Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a funny pregnancy story.
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    46 mins
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  • Kathryn Paige Harden (behavioral geneticist)

    Kathryn Paige Harden (behavioral geneticist)
    Mar 11 2026
    Kathryn Paige Harden (Original Sin On the Genetics of Vice, the Problem of Blame, and the Future of Forgiveness) is a psychologist, professor, and behavioral geneticist. Kathryn joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why psychology is not a solved problem, studying the essential question of why we do things we don’t want to do, and how her religious upbringing was fundamentally at odds with her desire to study psychology. Kathryn and Dax talk about what living in a culture that embraces the concept of original sin means for our morality, genetic predictors of misdemeanor versus felony behavior, and our active human inclination to break stuff. Kathryn explains her belief that holding each other accountable is not a supernatural condition but a social one, why we can aim to be better in our institutions than in our worst moments, and the scientific fact that there’s no evolution without diversity.
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    1 hr and 56 mins
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  • Amanda Peet Returns

    Amanda Peet Returns
    Mar 9 2026
    Amanda Peet (Fantasy Life, Your Friends & Neighbors, The Whole Nine Yards) is an actor, writer, and producer. Amanda joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being a serial monogamist during her dating years, what relation she has to the designer of Radio City Music Hall, and going from a hippie Quaker school in Manhattan to a stuffy private school in London. Amanda and Dax talk about recognizing a pattern of existential thinking when her kids turn seven, undergoing psychoanalysis at age 13, and contending with the cultural mores of Something’s Gotta Give. Amanda explains relishing the opportunity to play a high functioning character with mental illness in her new film, exploring a complicated relationship with wealth in Your Friends and Neighbors, and recently finding a new gear in acting. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ Head to turbotax.com to find a store location near you and get matched with a TurboTax expert — with real-time updates in the iOS app. This episode is sponsored by AppleTV. Learn more at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2caw2c
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    2 hrs and 14 mins
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  • Armchair Anonymous: Remodeling Disaster

    Armchair Anonymous: Remodeling Disaster
    Mar 6 2026
    Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a remodeling disaster.
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    45 mins
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