The new decade is here and television has seen the very last of Bojack Horseman. While it may seem odd to praise a weird comedy about talking animals, Bojack Horseman challenges the audience to think deeply about the repercussions of their circumstances and actions.
“Life has its ups and downs. Until it only seems to go down.” This is a mindset the main character “Bojack” tends to gravitate towards. It seems as though he is in a perpetual state of hurting those he loves. Regardless of his dedication and determination to be better, his jaded edges and heavy baggage cloud his judgment until he spirals out of control. Bojack seems helpless. He can never seem to change even though he desperately needs to. This intense struggle to overcome reoccurring bad habits is what strikes audience members into an emotional state of reflection.
Even though the show is a comedy and some of the episodes only serve as a joke, the mask eventually comes off. This reveals a very real portrayal of toxic behavior. Perhaps exaggeration is the key to truly stimulating an intense experience. At least in this case, even though the show may be dramatic or corny at points, the hyperbole serves as a gateway to the “not-so-interesting” real-life examples that we might have ourselves. Bojack’s life is interesting because of his success in the Hollywood industry. This introduces the idea to the audience that we should care about him. All the while, we know that even though Bojack was once successful he no longer holds the same status as he did before. In interviews with different media sources he comes off as arrogant and insecure, but as the central protagonist, we keep coming back to Bojack. His success and personal achievements are all indicators of his potential as a person.
We see this potential rise to the occasion at points in the show. His relationship with supporting characters is integral to understanding Bojack’s potential to be both good and bad. Diane, (one of the few humans on the show) highlights Bojack’s flaws in a variety of manners. In the beginning, Diane is introduced to Bojack as his ghostwriter for Bojack’s upcoming memoir. This eventually leads to a very intimate relationship between the two. Bojack is in a world where he constantly feels misunderstood by those around him. They have no idea what he’s had to deal with to get where he stands. But from an outsider’s perspective, Bojack is a spoiled irresponsible celebrity, working around the system to benefit himself. Diane knows Bojack better than himself. After their friendship developed, Diane’s advice and validation became the most important thing for Bojack. Throughout Bojack’s relationships, we learn more about his bad habits as a person and how he fails to see the pattern in between his actions.
The final seasons of Bojack Horseman seem fitting in the grand scheme. Even if the characters may not end in the best circumstances, there could not have been a better way to say goodbye.
