Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Best of Wednesday 2025 (December 24, 2025)

Overview

This "Best of Wednesday 2025" episode features Armchair Expert’s hallmark moments from the past year, drawing on rich and revealing interviews with a diverse array of guests—including undercover FBI agents, pop culture luminaries, psychologists, doctors, activists, sports legends, and more. Dax Shepard and Monica Padman revisit some of 2025’s most captivating, insightful, and human stories, focusing on vulnerability, transformation, and the universal messiness of life.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Undercover Terror: Scott Payne’s FBI Experience

[08:30–23:00]

• High-adrenaline Undercover Work
  Scott Payne recounts the harrowing experience of being strip-searched by outlaw bikers to prove he wasn’t wearing a wire.

  • Sheer panic, time slowing down, sensory overload—Payne describes a high-stress encounter where experience and training override conscious thought.
  • The reality of undercover work: Fight, flight, or freeze responses; instinctive actions; and the ever-present risk of fatal exposure.

• Notable Quote:

  “If I had not seen me do these things on the video, I would have never known I did them. But just like I can show you, cops and military first responders in shootouts, they have no idea how many rounds they shot. …They just do it because they’ve trained it so much, and it’s instinctive.”
  — Scott Payne [10:20]

• Moments of Black Humor
  Even amidst life-or-death tension, Scott jokes about shrinkage and Seinfeld references.

2. Showbiz Upbringing: Mark Ronson’s Wild Childhood

[23:10–38:30]

• Behind Glamorous Doors
  Mark Ronson talks about his “fantastical” upbringing among London’s rock royalty and West Side Manhattan’s elite.

  • Surreal stories: Robin Williams waking him up as a child and giving the iconic “nanu nanu” from Mork & Mindy.
  • Childhood friendships with Sean Lennon and sleepovers with Michael Jackson during the Bad tour—including mischievous pranks like pelting soggy toilet paper from high-rises.

• The Duality of Privilege and Isolation
  Despite such a unique life, Ronson describes learning to keep these wild experiences private, knowing that the extraordinary could invite ridicule rather than admiration.

• Notable Quote:

  “I knew it was crazy. I also knew to keep as much of it to myself. So that was a very specific part for me.”
  — Mark Ronson [36:30]

3. Psychology and Self-Hatred: Dr. Blaze Aguirre on Borderline Personality Disorder

[38:45–52:50]

• Defining Mood vs. Personality Disorders

  • Mood disorders are episodic, personality disorders are traits that interfere with function, particularly under emotional stress.

• Borderline Personality’s Hallmarks

  • Profound, pervasive self-hatred and unstable relationships; emotional reactivity; a desperate fear of abandonment.

• Notable Exchange:

  “I’m not upset with myself in this moment. I hate myself across the board.”—Aguirre quoting a patient
  “It’s a little inconceivable until it’s detailed for you. Yeah. What does it mean, really?”
  — Dax Shepard [51:00]

• Therapeutic Insight

  • Interpersonal triggers activate symptoms; therapy is challenged by how deeply-rooted these beliefs can be.

4. Menopause Real Talk: Dr. Mary Claire Haver

[52:55–1:10:50]

• Redefining Menopause

  • Estrogen impacts every organ, not just hot flashes—perimenopause is a turbulent period affecting mind and body.

• Hidden Symptoms and Poor Medical Training

  • Frozen shoulder, vertigo, dry mouth, tinnitus: Many symptoms were long unrecognized as menopause signs, and few doctors are trained in this area.

• Grassroots & Social Learning

  • Dr. Haver and her followers crowdsourced menopause experiences, highlighting gaps in medical education and spearheading a movement toward better care.

• Notable Quote:

  “Again, we’re doing a terrible job of teaching, but I was literally learning alongside my followers… women on HRT have a lower incidence of frozen shoulder. They do better.”
  — Dr. Haver [1:07:50]

5. Teenage Exile: Malala Yousafzai on Loneliness and Fame

[1:11:00–1:21:00]

• Startling Vulnerability
  Malala recalls the cultural shock and deep loneliness upon moving to the UK. Once extroverted and popular, she became self-conscious, hesitant to smile (due to facial nerve damage from being shot).

  • Even after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, her classmates regarded her with indifference; she wasn’t included socially or invited to McDonald’s after school.

• Notable Quote:

  “When you are supposed to be this strong brave courageous girl, you feel you cannot complain about not having friends… I never really shared it with my parents. I would just go home and talk to my best friend in Pakistan.”
  — Malala [1:17:30]

6. The Dark Side of Gambling: Michael Lewis

[1:21:05–1:40:50]

• Gambling as Systemic Exploitation

  • Explores how legalized sports betting preys on male overconfidence and fan irrationality; describes a system designed to eliminate sharps but foster addiction among the vulnerable.
  • The psychological profile of sports fans: Socially engaged but inherently irrational about their teams.

• Notable Quote:

  “It’s like a bar that’s only letting alcoholics in. You got to prove they’re an alcoholic, literally. And then anyone who can manage their drinking, you get the fuck out of here.”
  — Dax Shepard [1:35:30]

• Policy History

  • Traces the legal changes post-2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed widespread sports betting, with negative social consequences in some states.

7. Corruption and Military Crime: Seth Harp

[1:41:00–1:52:00]

• Theft Within the Ranks

  • Unveils rampant theft of cash and supplies by US soldiers in war zones, with minimal accountability and oversight.

• Notable Quote:

  “Hundreds of millions of dollars get thrown around… There’s billions of dollars. A lot of it we know was stolen directly by the soldiers who are entrusted with these stacks of cash.”
  — Seth Harp [1:41:30]

• Unbelievable Facts

  • Largest cash transfer in Federal Reserve history (343 tons) flown into Iraq—whole pallets vanished without a trace.

8. Emotional Justice: James Kimmel Jr.

[1:52:10–2:00:20]

• Role-Play for Conflict Resolution

  • Monica role-plays a tenant-landlord dispute using Kimmel’s “miracle court” framework, switching perspectives to build empathy and challenge attribution errors.
  • Explores how punishment and empathy interact in judgment, especially gender differences in revenge versus understanding.

• Notable Moment:
  Dax suggests reciprocal sentences (the landlord should have to endure the same discomfort)—highlighting the human tendency to seek fairness or retribution.

9. Narco Reality: Chris Faisal & Dave Mitchell on the Cali Cartel

[2:00:30–2:15:00]

• DEA Ops and Latino Corruption

  • Two DEA agents tell the tense story of negotiating with the head of security for the Cali cartel.
  • Vivid descriptions of paranoia, corruption, and literal hidden compartments masking cartel leaders (nearly captured, but saved by inside information).

• Notable Quote:

  “There was a list of… 2,800 corrupt officials just in those briefcases.”
  — Chris Faisal [2:07:00]

10. Tennis Secrets & Serve Evolution: Andy Roddick

[2:15:10–2:23:00]

• An Uncoachable Serve

  • Andy Roddick discusses the birth of his legendary serve—a result of teenage frustration and experimentation, kept secret even from coaches.

• Sports as Social Theater

  • The US Open’s evolution into a social event—the "Met Ball of sports"—and the enduring appeal for players and fans.

• Notable Quote:

  “Had I won that day, been doing well with Marty, I wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”
  — Andy Roddick [2:18:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-------|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |10:20 | Scott Payne | “If I had not seen me do these things on the video, I would have never known I did them… They just do it because they’ve trained it so much…” | |36:30 | Mark Ronson | “I knew it was crazy. I also knew to keep as much of it to myself. So that was a very specific part for me.” | |51:00 | Dr. Blaze Aguirre | “It’s a little inconceivable until it’s detailed for you… What does it mean, really?” —Dax Shepard | |1:07:50| Dr. Mary Claire Haver | “Women on HRT have a lower incidence of frozen shoulder. They do better.” | |1:17:30| Malala Yousafzai | “When you are supposed to be this strong brave courageous girl, you feel you cannot complain about not having friends…” | |1:35:30| Dax Shepard | “It’s like a bar that’s only letting alcoholics in. You got to prove they’re an alcoholic…” | |1:41:30| Seth Harp | “Hundreds of millions of dollars get thrown around… There’s billions of dollars. A lot of it we know was stolen…” | |2:07:00| Chris Faisal | “There was a list of… 2,800 corrupt officials just in those briefcases.” | |2:18:15| Andy Roddick | “Had I won that day, been doing well with Marty, I wouldn’t be here having this conversation.” |

Final Thoughts

This “best of” episode is a testament to Armchair Expert’s philosophy: explore the messy, often chaotic realities beneath people’s public faces. From high-stakes undercover operations to private struggles with identity, every segment reinforces Dax’s thesis: vulnerability, honesty, and curiosity are the sources of human connection and growth.

Whether you’re seeking laughter, empathy, or mind-blowing true stories, this episode captures the magic of the past year on Armchair Expert—all delivered in Dax and Monica’s warmly irreverent and inquisitive tone.