“Stories Are Webs, Interconnected Strand To Strand, And You Follow Each Story To The Center, Because

warts and all

Bojack Horseman starts out as a show about a writer trying to write a nuanced portrait of a very fucked up guy, warts and all.

In truth, that biography ends up being nothing more than the beginning of Bojack’s story. In the first season, Bojack is a washed-up sitcom star who didn’t know how to move on from that. The entire first season of the show is just setting up the world and the characters of the show. I think the first season is great, and there are some really powerful episodes, that show that it’s a lot more than just some family guy type thing about some pathetic dude who revels in his own self-destructive behavior.

By season 6, we see the real nuanced portrait of this character. In a lot of ways, I enjoyed the first half of season 6 better than the second, because the first half gave me what I wanted to see. I like Bojack as a character. He is smart, and he’s witty, and he is blunt in the best way possible. He calls bullshit when he sees it, which is something I can respect, and he does care deep down about the people in his life. Mr. Peanutbutter is a great example of this. He is constantly annoyed by the guy and really doesn’t agree with lots of what he says or does, but there are plenty of scenes throughout the series where the two of them just,,,,, talk, and he’s real and honest and seems like a good friend.

At the same time, we all know the horrible things he does; getting a bunch of teens drunk, leaving them when one gets alcohol poisoning; attempting to sleep with a 17-year-old girl despite knowing how messed up that is; ruining the first project he has ever seen his friend be passionate about; being constantly petty; going on a bender with an addict who’s been sober for 9 months; being a constant enabler to people who need him; always covering his own tracks before helping people who need him; strangling his girlfriend; the list goes on. at his core though, the issues most of Bojack’s friends have with him are that he is self-centered, unreliable, and hurts everyone around him by knowingly self-sabotaging instead of doing what he knows the right thing is.

Bojack is not a good person because he generally isn’t a good influence on the people around him. Bojack going to prison is how he finally, for the first time ever, fully accepts responsibility for his actions. When he tells Mr. Peanutbutter that his prison sentence was about more than just the breaking and entering, it tells us as an audience that he finally understands that this is not an isolated instance. He has always given a half-hearted apology for a single thing for which he is criticized. I’m glad to have seen him finally accept responsibility for who he is as a person.

I guess my main point here is this; Bojack Horseman promised a nuanced portrait of a troubled man in his book “One Trick Pony”. It took 6 seasons to actually get this portrait, and I am so so so thankful for that. The ending paralleled the season one ending. Diane tells Bojack that she doesn’t believe in deep down and that all you are are the things that you do. Bojack finally understands that. No more excuses. The end of Bojack Horseman shows that Bojack finally accepts who he is, warts and all. 

Community + top 10 highest-rated episodes on IMDb

#turns around to ogle the royal bottom some more #(￣︶￣)

bojack thoughts that i need to get out there before i forget and will likely expand upon later

Diane: diane realizing that she doesn’t need to do something intensely personal or ‘deep’ to make a genuine difference. sometimes being happy and making people happy is the deepest thing there is.

Princess Carolyn: pc and judah!! but honestly it’s about so much more than that it’s about pc finally letting herself be taken care of for the first time in her life. so much of her character arc is about doing it all herself, and the reason she fires judah in the first place is because he TRIED to take care of her. that growth is perfect for his character.

Mr. Peanutbutter: i LOVED mr pb’s story! i always kinda hated him since the beginning, not because he was annoying, but because he forced so much on people who just wanted him to be genuinely himself (obviously diane is the main example but i think this applies to bojack and pc as well). seeing him actually take the time to define himself as an individual rather than letting himself be defined by a relationship is HUGE.

Todd: todd’s connection with his family this season was so real, because we’ve seen his life in just the way it is throughout the series, but examining where that comes from was pretty awesome. ALSO him and maude make my heart happy. he deserves someone who understands him, and he’s never had that until now.

Bojack: god i don’t even know what my thoughts are on his story this season holy shit. i think seeing him get caught up and eventually relapsing from being embraced by genuine toxic masculinity was so powerful. it really illustrated that that’s who he is to so many people. however, seeing the subtle but important differences between him and vance wagner really showed who he is as a person. because in truth, his actions proved that he was that kind of person, but we know that he has a very real goodness in him. also, the view from halfway down was so fucking raw and insane and it tore my heart out. the whole episode fucking broke my heart because i KNEW bojack deserved better than to die like that. at the same time, i had no idea about what i thought was right. bojack going to prison was perfect. he deserves it. he really really deserves it. ALSO seeing him actually try to influence people through art while in prison really moved me, and proved that he has his morals in check. ALSO when he talks to someone (i forget who rn) and he says that the routine is good for him, that was super powerful. he has always been a good person, but has never known how, and has hurt so so so many people in his attempt to ‘find himself’ unsuccessfully over the years. but at this point, i think the ending was perfect. the season showed us that bojack CAN be a good person, and can make people’s lives better when he’s sober and honest with himself and others. at the same time, it’s not happily ever after, and he has to pay for,,,,, everything i guess.

LASTLY: i really like that the characters who have often been characterized through their being alone (PC, Todd, Diane) all ended up with someone and were allowed to explore how having someone to support and understand you can improve your life. at the same time, the characters who have often been defined by their relationships with others, especially the negatives of their relationships with others, (mr PB and Bojack), ended up on their own, and were asked to examine themselves as individuals.

anyways, i still don’t really know what to think at this point, so here are my ramblings about the show that literally means the world to me ending. i think i’ll make a video on it soon. i know for sure that i’m going to make a bunch of posts as i let myself process it more. if you actually read all this, thank you. this show means so so so much to me, and the challenges this show has brought me personally were so deeply intimate and they have really truly impacted me. hard. i’m sad to see such an amazing show go, but i’m glad it got its time.

BoJack Horseman S06E06 ‘The Kidney Stays in the Picture’

“If I wasn’t a prince…I think we’d probably get on.”

“It pains me to admit it but I do enjoy your surly retorts.”

some scorching hot tea brought to you by mr. peanutbutter

I think you’re the only person I know that actually likes me.

                                                               I love him.