BoJack Horseman (SPOILERS)

Everyday it gets a little easier, but you gotta do it every day. That's the hard part, but it does get easier...

2020 has been a very peculiar year...to say the least. In the midst of all the chaos going on at this very moment, I have dedicated this post to being about a show that ended at the tail end of January. To put into words the ways this show has affected me personally is something that could possibly take up a novel's length of thought. To narrow down my thought process, I knew about BoJack, heard great things about BoJack, and had plans to eventually check out BoJack. Of course, planning isn't the same as doing, and it was a while before I actually brought myself to do so. Then, I got it recommended by a friend, and started watching weekly showings of the first season on Comedy Central. It was a pleasant joy to experience, to say the least, so much so that I couldn't keep myself from binging the last two episodes on Netflix before going full speed ahead. It then happened that this viewing experience coincided with a very personal loss...right as the show began to unfold into what made it such a phenomenon in the first place. Never in a million years did I think an animated sitcom about a talking horse could hold such a deep, meaningful, emotionally profound story about a truly broken individual who is doing all he can to be a better person. BoJack Horseman wasn't just a show for me anymore. It became something deeper, something surreal, something meaningful. It has become something I hold near and dear to my heart, possibly being my favorite show of all time. Now that it has ended, I have finally decided to make this post about why that is the case:

UPS

1. Let's start off by talking about the talking horse himself. BoJack is without a doubt one of the most complex, fascinating, and truly greatest characters to come from the realm of fiction, possibly even being my personal favorite. He has so many layers to him that there really is no clear-cut way to feel about him. On the surface, he's quite an asshole, but does have his moments and is pretty funny. It's when the series goes deeper that we realize there is so much more to BoJack, and with that, we have a character that we not only learn to care for, but one that we beg will get the chance to change and earn a happy ending. While it wasn't that clear-cut, it is nice to know that in the end, BoJack seems to be in a better place than he was.
2. The other characters. While BoJack is the glue that keeps everything together and always will be, he's got a great supporting cast to follow up. Starting things off, Diane is the heart of the show, being the one person who brings out the best in others despite struggling with her own insecurities and personal demons. Watching her journey unfold is about as rewarding as BoJack's, and there's the beauty of it all; while the show is primarily about BoJack, it does not push the other characters aside. It gives them room shine so much so that they could even carry the show themselves. Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter start out being standard comic relief characters, but as the show goes on, they become more well-rounded and show off more facets to their characters that make where they end up in the end more fulfilling. Finally, my personal favorite character, aside from BoJack of course, is Princess Carolyn, who is just such a joy to watch and has probably the most fitting and satisfying ending of all the main characters. Other characters like Herb, Charlotte, Secretariat, Sarah Lynn, HollyHock, and Beatrice also manage to affect the show in major (and in some particular cases devastating) ways.
3. The way this show integrates the animation with the subject matter. I know this being an adult cartoon can be offputting for some, but I don't think the show would work as well if it was live-action. For one, there's talking animals, but more importantly, the animation in this show is used in ways that allow the show to express everything that could be used to visually represent the inner thought process of BoJack. The episode "Stupid Piece of Shit" and the penultimate episode, "The View from Halfway Down," are prime examples of that. Overall, the animation is a creative way of allowing the show to express the more surreal elements of the show. 
4. The overall message. As previously mentioned, BoJack starts off the show being quite an asshole who does some pretty terrible things, but it's clear as the show progresses that he is trying to mellow out and be a better person, which makes it all the more devastating when something happens that either messes him up completely and/or he makes one terrible choice that nearly destroys any goodwill he may have gained beforehand. Still, he trudges on, and we're hoping, no, praying that he can change. This show tackles everything that encompasses the way one goes about dealing with the troubles in their lives, and how they rise above their demons to be the best possible version of themselves. It's something truly inspiring to watch and has affected me in a very personal way. 

DOWNS

1. In some aspects, the final season feels a tad bit rushed. Not to say that it wasn't great, because it was, but there are some things about it that keep it just a tad short of perfect. Most importantly, there's some plotlines that are pretty much left on a hanging thread. The two hugest examples of that are regarding Penny and Charlotte revisiting the trauma of BoJack's visit, and HollyHock cutting off BoJack. For me, the plotlines revolving around these three seemed like they were cut short, as if they were only meant to serve a purpose to the main storyline of BoJack being alienated over the incident regarding Sarah Lynn despite the fact that they are left at points where they could have evolved into more. Given that BoJack got closure with almost everyone that he cared about, it would've been nice that even if he never got the chance to patch things up, he (and by extension us) could at least know that HollyHock, his sister, was going to be okay. 

OVERALL

What can I say about BoJack Horseman? This show has impacted me in so many ways. It's funny, it's emotional, it's heartfelt, it's depressing...it's everything. If you haven't seen it yet, please give it a watch. You will not be prepared for what you are about to experience, but my hope is that once you finish, you walk away feeling the same way I did when I reached the end of the journey. 

And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more coming your way and take extra special care till then :)

Be safe out there everyone!