BoJack Horseman

[on:]

Why don't we already have a thread for this amazing show?

Season 2 just came out today, and I've just watched the first two episodes. Really impressed with it so far and there were several lines that made me laugh audibly, which is rare for most comedies, even Futurama.

"That'll be $6000. Good thing you're getting a free sandwich, huh?"

If anyone hasn't seen this Netflix show, I'd highly recommend it.

[Reply #1 on:]

I don't understand how this show has largely slipped under the radar when most of Netflix's output gets insanely widespread coverage.

Frankly, it's criminal that BoJack didn't get an Emmy nod in the animated category this year - especially when that lurching, festering zombified corpse of a show that is The Simpsons continues to rake in nominations year after year.

Anyway, I re-activated my Netflix account purely for season 2 of this today and I'm now starting episode 6. Season 1 took a while to get going but season 2 is off to a running start, picking up from the quality where season 1 left off.

[Reply #2 on:]

Definitely agree that season 2 has had a much stronger start than the first.

[Reply #3 on:]

Agreed. I honestly think the show didn't begin to really start justifying itself until about halfway through the first season. But season 2 so far seems to completely understand what makes the show work right from the get-go.

[Reply #4 on:]

So, I just sort of didn't stop watching and that means that I've now finished binged watching the entire second season in one sitting...

Overall, I'd say season 2 is slightly less good than season 1 because it felt like season 1 had more of a coherent, serialised tale to tell whereas season 2 felt a little bit more aimless and episodic. That said, season 2 didn't suffer from the same shaky start as season 1 and, overall, the quality of each episode on their individual merits was pretty much identical, so it's not like I'm complaining.

I hope they announce a third season right away.

Also, I'm sure this was announced as a 13-episode order but only 12 episodes have been added, so I think it's safe to assume we're going to get another surprise BoJack Horseman special at some point in the next year like that Christmas episode that came out of nowhere. My money's on a Halloween special, but it could be anything.

[Reply #5 on:]

If it's Halloween episode, that probably means it's coming in January.

[Reply #6 on:]

Becca is my soul mate.



Only a few episodes in, but I'm enjoying season two so far. The humor is hitting me better, and the quality is better than that of the season one beginning. What everyone else has said.
I enjoy that anthropomorphic animals are as common among the background characters as in the main characters.

Does this show make you feel better or worse about yourself? Or does it not go that deep?

[Reply #7 on:]

I wouldn't know, I'm not a horse.

Episode 3 spoiler:

I really liked seeing the Horsin' Around cast (beyond just Sarah Lynn) get an episode to themselves. Also, use of the work "cunt" took me by surprise, given the show usually seems quite tame with language.

Edit: finished the season; loved it. The episode "Let's Find Out" was absolutely amazing.

[Reply #8 on:]

I really liked the "It's OK in England" joke that followed.

[Reply #9 on:]

Yet another show that you all love that didn't do anything for me. Sigh...

Oh well, I might try it again when I have access in a few months.

[Reply #10 on:]

I was hoping to binge watch the new season but it's been rather crappy timing (Naomi's beginning some new studies as of tomorrow and has spent most of the weekend preparing for that), so we've only managed to see the first four episodes so far, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The show's more consistently hilarious than it's ever been, and the profoundly sad philosophical musings that made season one resonate so strongly with me are still present, and are still just as hard-hitting.

Having said that, I am missing the pairing of Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter so far - here's hoping they team them up some more over the last two thirds of the season.

[Reply #11 on:]

I actually kind of like that they're mixing up the pairings a bit; especially how they had Todd and Princess Carolyn pair up in "After Party".

Yet another show that you all love that didn't do anything for me. Sigh...

Oh well, I might try it again when I have access in a few months.

How far did you get through? I didn't think much of the first third of season one (a popular opinion, might I add), but after a while it just... clicked with me. I'm not even sure of the exact moment, but it eventually just came to the point where I had a newfound appreciation for the show, and they way it handles topics such as loneliness and depression.

[Reply #12 on:]

Yet another show that you all love that didn't do anything for me. Sigh...

Oh well, I might try it again when I have access in a few months.

How far did you get through? I didn't think much of the first third of season one (a popular opinion, might I add), but after a while it just... clicked with me. I'm not even sure of the exact moment, but it eventually just came to the point where I had a newfound appreciation for the show, and they way it handles topics such as loneliness and depression.

I completely agree with this. It's only about half way through season 1 that the show seems to find its own voice rather than being an awkward imitation of the Family Guy style of writing animated comedy with animals arbitrarily thrown in.
But the back half of season 1 onwards is excellent.

[Reply #13 on:]

I don't remember how far I got, but it was definitely not past the first third of season 1. I watched it on Netflix during my trip home for Christmas and New Year's, which meant limited time for the many pieces of media I wanted to enjoy. So, I wasn't going to stick with anything that wasn't working for me.

[Reply #14 on:]

Hmm, that's a shame. I found the show amusing right from the start but it didn't really hit that sweet spot for me up until about episode 5 or so (whenever they had that whole "Boreanaz House" sub-plot, which is still one of the most absurdly inspired comedic bits I've seen on a tv show). But the deep emotional stuff doesn't kick in until the second half of the first season. That's when the show really starts operating on a really unique level.

[Reply #15 on:]

Okay, I've watched a little more of season 2 now. Hank After Dark is an utterly amazing (and devastating) piece of satire. When this show lashes out at the media, it's absolutely remorseless. Probably my favourite episode of the season so far.

[Reply #16 on:]

I'm nearing the end of season 1 and I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far. One, I love the opening credits so much, I could watch it on loop forever. Two, once it gets to the middle of the season and any time there are flashbacks, it's just opening these big emotional wounds that are so damn dark but kind of horribly funny. Three, EEE! Olivia Wilde is the voice of Charlotte the deer, I'm hoping she pops up again before the season's out.

"IN YOUR FACE DAD. IN YOUR FACE...FOREVER..."

[Reply #17 on:]

Okay, I've watched a little more of season 2 now. Hank After Dark is an utterly amazing (and devastating) piece of satire. When this show lashes out at the media, it's absolutely remorseless. Probably my favourite episode of the season so far.

Oh yes. That episode was very well-done. I particularly like how it's made the ridiculous priorities of the news-whale a running gag.

[Reply #18 on:]

I really like Wanda and the episode about all of the couples. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter's fight was very real and it's been interesting to see the fallout from that fight. I don't want Diane to be his third ex-wife but I also want her to be happy.

EDIT: Damn. "Escape from LA" is the bottom of the barrel and it's teetering on the line where I strongly questioned whether BoJack could redeem himself. His life is a constant fuck up, that I know, but that was pretty fucking dark and hopeless even for him.

[Reply #19 on:]

Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter's fight sealed them as a couple for me. I wasn't a big fan of their relationship, but seeing how they acted at the end of "Out to Sea" was... nice. I need another word to describe it.

I'd like for Penny to reappear at some point. She was an interesting character, and it'd be neat to see how BoJack would act upon seeing her again. Probably devastating, but neat.

[Reply #20 on:]

Okay, so I tried giving this show a shot. I did some research, and since Season 1 seemed to have been a mixed bag for most, I decided to watch "Hank After Dark" first, looking at how Beamer and most fans I've met seem to love that episode so much. And honestly..... I don't find the show that great. I think it's pretty good, yeah. But nothing spectacular. Now before you get out your pitch forks... Hear me out.

Now, let me begin with the fact that I find the opening intro to be really, really good. It reflects how empty BoJack's life must feel, despite living the life of a Hollywood Superstar. And from what I can tell, each character is based on an animal that fits their ego or personality. Like, how Mr. Peanutbutter is very loyal and loving to almost all of the characters in the show, fitting the personality of a Golden Retriever. I honestly love that aspect of the show as well, their personalities almost perfectly fit their animal roles. The one thing I found to be extremely weak, was the comedy. I didn't exactly laugh.... Not even once. I maybe chuckled a few times here and there, but that's about it.

I did like the pacing of the episode, though. It was about as good as pacing in a show can get. Although it didn't really have a very unique way of storytelling, felt a bit too much like Archer's way of writing. Not enough really captivated me to keep watching or to not get distracted. Maybe it's just me though.

Now, maybe the biggest thing I don't like about the show as far as I've seen at this point, the point I'm probably going to get the most flack for, is that I don't really like BoJack's character. I mean, I'm going to assume he's supposed to represent The Simpsons circa now, since he appears to be someone who's been in the business for a while and isn't really held in high regards like he was, say years ago. Maybe it's because I started at some random ep, but there's not really many redeeming qualities to his character to make me like him or care about him. It kind of felt like it was mainly about the side characters. But that could have just been because the episode I watched was focused on the side characters, and not so much BoJack.

But quite frankly, the show feels like a blend of Archer and Family Guy. Archer's storytelling, and Family Guy's kind of humor. For me, it doesn't really work. Maybe over time I will grow to like that kind of blend.

So..... That's kind of what I felt after watching "Hank After Dark". Maybe I'll come back around to giving this show a shot, but probably not anytime soon.

[Reply #21 on:]

I'm not really sure if this is a show where you can just pick any old episode and enjoy it fully. A lot of my enjoyment comes from the dynamic between characters and the overall progression of the story (which was probably a bigger thing in season 1, mind you). Even though it doesn't have the strongest start, I'd still strongly recommend watching it from the beginning just for some extra context (and honestly, the early episodes aren't even that bad. I quite like "BoJack Hates the Troops".)

And I don't think BoJack is meat to be likable, or even relatable. Half the story is about him trying to be a better person even though deep down he knows he's a total shithead.

[Reply #22 on:]

Now, let me begin with the fact that I find the opening intro to be really, really good. It reflects how empty BoJack's life must feel, despite living the life of a Hollywood Superstar. And from what I can tell, each character is based on an animal that fits their ego or personality. Like, how Mr. Peanutbutter is very loyal and loving to almost all of the characters in the show, fitting the personality of a Golden Retriever. I honestly love that aspect of the show as well, their personalities almost perfectly fit their animal roles. The one thing I found to be extremely weak, was the comedy. I didn't exactly laugh.... Not even once. I maybe chuckled a few times here and there, but that's about it.

Mr. Peanutbutter is a Labrador. That may seem like an innocuous detail, but I remember it and won't forget it because that fact came from a very important conversation he and BoJack have that probably wouldn't work so well if you only watched that episode and conversation without really knowing these two characters. I've now seen all the current episodes and in all honesty I didn't laugh at a lot of it. But this show is one of the finest representations of depression that I've ever seen. I am horribly depressed and it is scary how accurate a lot of what BoJack and the other characters say and feel about themselves and their worth in the world. There is a hopelessness to BoJack's character at this point, but it would be easy for the show to just have him commit suicide. Instead he keeps going. And the progression he made from season one to season two is actually amazing (even if in season two he fucked up his own happiness even worse than he could have possibly done).

But in short, URL is right. You really can't watch this show out of order, it's not a Family Guy/Archer kind of show where there's a loose story arc for each season, there is a lot of progression in each episode that builds up to many different things. Even really silly throwaway lines and jokes come back for bigger importance later.

[Reply #23 on:]

Yeah, it's probably the most serialised animated sitcom around, in all honesty.

[Reply #24 on:]

Spacedal11 hit the nail on the head perfectly. That post pretty much made every point I was about to make.

But quite frankly, the show feels like a blend of Archer and Family Guy. Archer's storytelling, and Family Guy's kind of humor. For me, it doesn't really work. Maybe over time I will grow to like that kind of blend.

Other than having frequent cutaways (particularly in the first few episodes of the series) and talking animals, I don't think the show has much in common with Family Guy at all. Many of BoJack Horseman's jokes may be of an absurd/surreal nature, but they're rarely ever just in there for the sake of it. The show builds upon each weird-ass joke, sometimes over multiple episodes, and relentlessly commits to each one, leaving the bizarre world it creates for itself to feel very fully realised. Family Guy's humour, on the other hand, rarely amounts to more than just throwing a bunch of things at the wall and seeing what sticks (and then beating it into the ground accordingly).

If I had to compare the show to anything, The Comeback and Eastbound & Down would definitely rank high on the list. Both shows are about has-been celebrities - delusional about their level of fame and how well-liked they are - trying to revive their careers. BoJack's personality is definitely closer to that of Kenny Powers than Valerie Cherish... The former shares his self-destructive tendencies and the generally shitty way he treats people, while the latter is much easier to root for, despite of behaving in a very naive/annoying manner (The Comeback wants us to root for Valerie while the entertainment industry keeps repeatedly shitting on her, whereas Eastbound & Down takes what should be an unlikeable character and makes you want him to succeed, despite every part of you knowing that you shouldn't. Though BoJack's backstory is more similar to Valerie Cherish, given that they were both the stars of shitty 90s sit-coms and have had minimal work since. The way BoJack Horseman handles its emotional moments is also far closer to The Comeback - both shows, at their core, are surprisingly dark and depressing dramas masquerading as comedies.

I'll take the Archer comparison though, at least in terms of the pacing of each show's dialogue and the way they handle comedic beats. Though I'd also tip my hat to Arrested Development as well, given both shows' proclivities towards freeze-frame gags, background jokes, comedic bits that build up over several episodes and/or don't pay off until much later, and humourous moments of foreshadowing that don't become funny until you've watched subsequent episodes.

Yeah, it's probably the most serialised animated sitcom around, in all honesty.

The Venture Bros?

[Reply #25 on:]

The Venture Bros. is pretty serialised as far as animation goes, but the vast majority of the episodes feel a lot more standalone to me than BoJack Horseman ever did.

It's definitely a solid contender for the title, though.

[Reply #26 on:]

The Venture Bros has a larger emphasis on mythology, particularly in the later sesaons, whereas BoJack Horseman structures its episodes more like a serialised drama - each one usually picks up where the previous episode left off. But, BoJack does have plenty of episodic elements as well (namely whatever Todd's b-plot is in any given episode), and I'd say it's a little easier to jump into at a later point, whereas The Venture Bros would require a lot of explaining as to who's who and which side they're on.

[Reply #27 on:]

I can't really disagree with any of that.

[Reply #28 on:]

I've watched perhaps four episodes of Venture Brothers.  And yes, I was thoroughly confuzzled but it was still entertaining

Last night whilst cooking today's lunch I did a search for Bojack on my cable box, but there were no hits.

So, no Bojack for me at this time...

[Reply #29 on:]

[Reply #30 on:]

Doh!

* Tachy slaps forehead *

[Reply #31 on:]

Hooray!... question mark?

[Reply #32 on:]

So, I finished the second season last night. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Hank After Dark, Let's Find Out, and Escape From L.A. (which may have been the most emotionally devastating episode yet). Really happy to hear the show's been renewed, as it's probably just behind Rick and Morty as my favourite animated series right now.

[Reply #33 on:]

Has anyone here brought up the hilarious running joke with the bad signs? I love them.

[Reply #34 on:]

This show has so many great background jokes. I absolutely lost my shit at all the framed pictures of tennis balls in Mr. Peanutbutter's house when I first noticed them.

[Reply #35 on:]

I've now seen all the current episodes and in all honesty I didn't laugh at a lot of it. But this show is one of the finest representations of depression that I've ever seen. I am horribly depressed and it is scary how accurate a lot of what BoJack and the other characters say and feel about themselves and their worth in the world.

I've now seen all of the current episodes.

Also, now I know where URL's avatar comes from, and I've been thinking about getting a Bojack as Mr. Peanut Butter avatar, so I can compete with URL and be jealous of him in all of the ways of how he's happy with his life or whatever.  I think that would be a good episode twist.  Huh?

Also, this only describes a few aspects of depression.  Seriously though, why are any of the characters depressed in these episodes?  They all go on adventures and they pretty much do whatever they want... even Princess Catherine was dating 3 12 year olds.  :cough:

It's an okay show, I enjoyed it.  The End.

[Reply #36 on:]

Here's a pretty interesting interview with Raphael Bob-Waksberg (creator/head writer of the show) that goes into the writing process, along with an update and a few hints about the upcoming third season.

Unfortunately though, it doesn't look like we're going to be getting another special between now and then.

[Reply #37 on:]

I'd rather they put their efforts toward season 3 anyway. The Christmas special they did last year wasn't particularly amazing.

[Reply #38 on:]

I thought it was hilarious the first time around, but it definitely doesn't hold up on repeat viewings like the rest of the series.

[Reply #39 on:]

yo, season three is set to air July 22nd.



from variety.com:

In Season 3, per Netflix’s release, “BoJack is grappling with his legacy while trudging through an increasingly turbulent Oscar campaign for his star-making turn in the Secretariat biopic. BoJack struggles with how he’ll ultimately be remembered by his fans and what lasting impact he’s made on those closest to him. Also, there are lots of silly puns and talking animal jokes and celebrity cameos and all the other stuff that everybody loves about BoJack Horseman. It’s a very funny and good season of television. Don’t worry.”

season two had a strong ending, so I'm excited to see how they'll pick up from it.