“Bojack Horseman” is a show about a talking horse with a human best friend, a cat manager and a golden retriever co-star. One of the most ridiculous shows I had ever heard of until I found out that these cartoon characters deal with deep human issues like depression, heartbreak, death, addiction and so much more.
The six-season Netflix show with Will Arnett and Aaron Paul was completed in 2020, and Bojack Horseman is a series of complexity and sarcasm, to say the least. On the surface, it appears to be an immature adult cartoon. But after giving in to my own curiosity and binge-watching the entire show, I discovered that it is so much more than just that.
Bojack Horseman, the main character voiced by Arnett, is a famous actor wrestling with alcoholism and depression. He makes some terrible, unforgivable decisions throughout the series, much as a result of a bad childhood. Bojack’s character shows the unfortunate truth that some people never change, or when they finally do change, it’s too late to save their past relationships.
Diane Nguyen, voiced by Alison Brie, is one of my favorite characters. She is an introverted writer with relatable insecurities and depression. Diane plays a constant game of tug of war with her friendship and professional relationship with Bojack as she works behind the scenes in Hollywood. Diane is Bojack’s ghostwriter for his memoir, and soon after the memoir’s release, Diane finds herself feeling guilty for allowing people like Bojack to think they can continue as they are, rather than taking accountability for their actions. The same feeling of guilt washes over Diane as she helps write for a movie about a problematic detective named Philbert who is played by Bojack. As the audience of Philbert comes to adore him, despite his problematic actions, the audience of “Bojack Horseman” is able to realize the parallels to the character of Bojack and their experience of watching the character in the Netflix show.
Bojack Horseman sarcastically displays the toxicity of Hollywood, or “Hollywoo” in the series, and makes fun of just about every aspect of it. It is, what I believe to be, one of the most witty ways to expose a toxic environment.
Bojack’s desire in life is to be loved by everyone. Yet, when he receives love and praise, he pushes it away. Towards the end of season two, Bojack’s friend and roommate, Todd Chavez, who is voiced by Paul, realizes a hard truth. He tells Bojack, “Maybe I just need to stop expecting you to be a good person so that way, I won’t get hurt when you’re not.” This early in the series, the audience can already see how Bojack has constantly let down the people in his life, throwing them on the back burner and often getting into inappropriate relationships with them.
I find this show to be humorous, depressing and profound all in one. As I watched the series and saw what others had to say about it, I found myself frustrated at those who said Bojack’s behavior should be excused because of the hardships and emotional abuse he endured as a child. This creates a sort of moral questioning for not only the characters in the show but also the audience. The concept of someone being a good person versus being a bad person is debated in everyday life, media and cancel culture, but there is not always a simple answer.
The series features a constant play on words and references to actual celebrities and pop culture. It includes a variety of different episodes, featuring one that is entirely underwater, titled “Fish Out of Water,” with no words and one that is solely a eulogy given by Bojack, “Free Churro.”
The second to last episode, “View from Halfway Down,” is by far a fan favorite and one of the most introspective in television that I have ever seen. The very last episode, “Nice While It Lasted,” completes the entire experience of watching the show and wraps it all together. This is a series that I believe to be full and complete from beginning to end, no more and no less is needed. Although Netflix is constantly canceling widely loved shows and disappointing users with abandoned series, I believe that Bojack Horseman makes up for it and it is a must watch for everyone.
