Bojack Horseman

Premise - Back in the 90's, Bojack Horseman was the star of Hollywood's most popular family sitcom, "Horsin' Around." Twenty years later, he's a washed up depressive drunk, drug addict, and old has-been who is too arrogant and selfish to confront the failure of his present career. Oh, and this all takes place in an animated world all animals are anthropomorphic and live alongside humans, so Bojack is quite literally a horse.

Review - I think this is the most iconic piece of television in the 2010's. Funny how something like the fictional "Horsin' Around" is such a timepiece for the 90's (alongside the likes of "Friends", "Full House", and "Seinfeld"), just as "Bojack Horseman" is incredibly representative of its own time. Sitcoms have historically been simplistic. Each episode presents you with a simple conflict (often way over-dramatized) and then a simple resolution by the end of the 20 minutes. It's a formula that has been milked to perfection, and "Bojack Horseman" fights to subvert any preconceptions about how we think stories should be told through the television medium. The episodes are messy, often unresolved, and the conflicts are not just played out for laughs. They hit so much harder, and feel far more grounded, than a sitcom.

Everything about this show is ironic when placed in comparison to its expectations. How can an animated show about a talking horse feel more grounded than a sitcom? But that's what is so profound. The show draws you in with simple cartoon animals and then hits you over the head with drama, philosophy, and sometimes even psychological horror. The irony is taken even further when Bojack's life is shown in direct juxtaposition with the life of his happy-go-lucky on-screen character “The Horse.”

The darkness, surreal absurdity, and subversion of expectations are all what make the show feel fresh today and presumably in future will mark its time in the 2010's. This has been an era of entertainment that criticizes the fantasy of Hollywood. With so much that feels wrong with society, and the complacence that people have historically had with it, people are looking for authentic entertainment that calls out our world for what it is – problematic. Issues are explored such as drug addiction, mental health, social media, toxic relationships, and prejudice. These are just hidden under the guise of a comedy cartoon, which is also a mark of the 2010s. With other dark, adult cartoon shows (i.e. "Rick and Morty"), animation has become a means through which the most unique and absurd of concepts can be explored. Especially when the characters are not human, animation allows for powerful allegory.

When I say the show is dark, I truly mean it. Not just in the sense of black comedy (though there is PLENTY of that too), but I mean the show is also tear-jerkingly, gut-wrenchingly depressive. And when put in combination with such bright colors and fuzzy animals, it's so surreally beautiful. I read somewhere that the rules around TV critic ratings actually changed due to "Bojack Horseman." Many critics watched the first four episodes or so, dismissed it as a raunchy and shocking comedy, and then gave it a mediocre review. Those that finished the entire first season, however, witnessed the show in its full depth and critically hailed it. The drama doesn't work right if it starts in episode 1 - you have to work your way up to it. And now, there are rules about needing to watch an entire season before publishing a review for a television show.

At the heart of the show is Hollywood (aka Hollywoo or Hollywoob). It is one of the most common settings to write about to the point of being overdone (same as like, EVERY superhero movie taking place in New York). Television writers, producers, and directors live in Hollywood, so write about what you know, right? Other depictions of Hollywood by writers can feel quite self-indulgent (i.e. La La Land, which I still love). This instead feels like a very personal exploration of what Hollywood is actually like in all its toxicity, except with animals. Even if it’s not self-indulgent though, it makes the show very self-focused on the experiences of actors, writers, and directors. There are a lot of inside jokes about very specific actors/directors that are likely funnier for people either working in Hollywood or who are very familiar with the industry.

Even though the vast majority of the world does not live in Hollywood, we all have our preconceptions about it. We also are all familiar (and fascinated) with celebrity culture. We also have a sick fascination with celebrity scandals. Sarah Lynn’s character mimics the lives of Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, with the sweet young, female child actor turned overexposed, drug-using sex symbol. It’s difficult to think of a comparable example to Bojack Horseman, but the story that comes to mind is Bill Cosby’s, especially in this last season when the media picks up on a pattern of exploitation of women that spans decades. Unlike Cosby, Bojack was not a rapist. But he was a family-friendly father figure revealed to be incredibly problematic. All of society is collectively fascinated by these scandals because it’s like lifting the curtain on a fantasy.

I just compared the protagonist of the show to Bill Cosby – are we supposed to have sympathy for him? And, in fact, it’s really hard not to. We do share immense empathy for Bojack and his suffering, his drug addiction, his depression, even when he’s terrible. And there are a few reasons why that could be. One is that he seldom has bad intentions. The other is that his self-destruction often seems worse in comparison to the negative impact he had on others. Unfortunately, neither of these make him a redeemable character. He does terrible things and has lasting, traumatic impacts on people he cared about, including death. In response, he does get sued for a lot of money and goes to prison. I think the empathy we share for Bojack and the understanding that he needs to face consequences for his actions can exist simultaneously. Therefore, I still love Bojack, but if I knew him in reality, I would cut him out of my life as well. What I find most disturbing is anybody who looks up to Bojack, sees themselves in Bojack, and uses Bojack as an excuse to seem “cool.” If you can identify with Bojack’s struggle with addiction and depression, I feel for you. Even better if you can use the show as motivation to get help and keep working at recovery.

Most fans of the show presumed that it would end in Bojack’s suicide. Seasons 4 and 5 had oddly optimistic endings that made me think perhaps the show was aiming for a more hopeful message about people who seem “beyond help.” I thought the same during most of Season 6 when Bojack had gone to rehab and become a college professor. But, like real life, the good and bad moments ebb and flow. The penultimate episode was perhaps my favorite of the series. Bojack had taken a turn for the worse, relapsed, and drowned in a pool. The entirety of the episode is spent in a sort of dreamlike purgatory where he talks with people in his life who have already died. And I kept thinking, “Wow, if this is how they actually kill Bojack, I actually think it hits harder than a suicide.” The entire episode, Bojack fiercely wanted to live, but he couldn’t pull himself out of the pool. He was at the mercy of his drug addiction.

Spoiler alert – he doesn’t die. He does get pulled out of the pool (and then sentenced to over a year in prison). I loved the ending. I loved how it was neither optimistic nor depressive. It just… was. Life goes on. Some of these people he will never see again. Some of them maybe he will. Personally, I loved it so much, that if it were my choice, I would keep the ending exactly as it is. However, a large part of me wishes there was one extra season between the penultimate and the last episode. We skip over a year ahead in time (from the day he was pulled out of the pool, to after he’s spent over a year in person). That gap in time seems like it would have been perfect for a Season 7. Can you imagine how great this show could have handled a criminal trial/political commentary on prisons??? It would have been hilarious.

I have focused much of this review on the show’s darkness because it isn’t what the average audience either expects or seeks out. But it is important to note that this is also one of the funniest animated shows I have ever seen in my life. The show therefore maintains an incredible balance between comedy and drama. Many adult animations use the same tactics – super raunchy, uncomfortable comedy. Bojack has its fair share of that. But what it has a lot more of is lighthearted tongue twisters, animal puns (both visual and verbal), and feel-good comedy. The animal puns are at the core of the show and never get old. The animals are all anthropomorphic, but share the same qualities of actual animals. For example, the dogs are often extra happy and easily distracted (ala Mr. Peanutbutter) and the mice have been historically oppressed by cats (ala Ralph and Princess Carolyn). The writers must have had the best time coming up with ridiculous animal puns both in the forefront and hidden in the background as Easter Eggs.

Personally, I was introduced to the show in a couple of ways. When Daniel Radcliffe’s episode of Season 2 aired (when he guest stars as himself on Mr. Peanutbutter’s game show), I really wanted to watch it but needed the context. A close friend of mine in college had binge watched the entire first season by himself, and they RE-BINGED the entire first season MULTIPLE TIMES so he could show to his close friends (me included). He loved it so much. And it was my quick way of getting introduced to the series and caught up so I could watch the DanRad episode! From Season 3 onwards, I watched the episodes as soon as they were released. In traditional Netflix fashion, entire seasons are released at once and then you have to wait a whole year for more.

In the time in between, I have watched countless video essays on Bojack Horseman that articulate the value of the show far better than I can. Some are episode by episode breakdowns, others focus on specific characters or themes, and others are about the show generally. You know it’s a good show when so many people are passionate about intellectually exploring every little detail.

I have seen so many words and phrases attempt to define this show. "Groundbreaking," "Profound," and "Genre-defying" come to mind. They are all accurate. But none of them can truly capture its brilliance. It also has 6 seasons of some of the best edited trailers I have ever seen and will give you a fantastic taste of the tone of the show in addition to the many phenomenal video essays. (98/100)

Quote - There are so many iconic ones, but the most poetic to me has always been, "When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."

What to watch for - My favorite characters are Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter (preferably together!), but I also love Princess Carolyn (I have a Funko Pop of her in my room!). Some stand out favorite episodes are the underwater one, The Old Sugarman Place, Free Churro, The View From Halfway Down, and that one with Todd pretending to be married to a chicken.

If you liked this show, I'd recommend "Rick and Morty"!

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Distributed by Netflix