By Ethan Royce
BoJack Horseman, brainchild of Raphael Bob-Waksberg, had just finished its fifth season and has been renewed for a sixth. The show has been acclaimed for its depictions of mental illness and substance abuse in the past, but this season has highlighted that while it is still able to do that in stride, it is also able to tackle effectively and with great nuance the issues that American society is faced with today.
This season follows BoJack, the eponymous anthropomorphic horse, as he goes through the shooting of his newest show, Philbert, which he had unknowingly been signed onto from the previous season. Along the way, he clashes with director and creator Flip McVicker, who, in BoJack’s eyes, is using his position of power to exploit his co-star, Gina, and is also interested in only making an exploitative, shallow detective series, and not something of genuine meditation on the human condition.
BoJack goes through his own meditations on mortality in the episode “Free Churro,” in which BoJack goes on a monologue that lasts over 20 minutes without any significant cuts, something that is genuinely unique in the field of animation, and something that should be appreciated as such. The rant, a eulogy for his late mother, never feels burdensome or incoherent in its writing, and it is tied together by themes of acceptance and wanting “to be seen.”
The animation department clearly is aware of its strengths as well, however, as the very next episode, “INT. SUB,” re-imagines the show’s characters as ridiculous caricatures of themselves, something that can only really be consistently done in animation. The stylistic choices of this season feel more pronounced than ever, and each episode feels like its own microcosm of a much larger universe. From Diane traveling to Vietnam in an attempt to reconnect with her heritage, juxtaposed with the article she’s writing about why to come to Vietnam for her job, to the montage of Mr. Peanutbutter’s attempts to have a normal, functioning relationship with each of his four partners at BoJack’s Halloween parties over the years, the stories are all told with unique and fresh perspectives and choices which help vitalise the show as a whole.
One thing that BoJack has always done but this season it has done exceptionally well is the issue of sexism in Hollywood, or, in BoJack’s world, Hollywoo. BoJack ultimately is, in the eyes of many, beyond the point of redemption after he nearly strangles his co-star Gina to death in an opioid fueled rage, but he is quickly forgiven by the Hollywoo community at large, to the point that Gina defends BoJack’s actions so that she isn’t tied to him and the event. In this way, the show critiques the often easy path that celebrities (and especially male ones) have to societal redemption when they mess up, or, even worse, as is indicated here, apathy.
BoJack struggles throughout the narrative this season because he conflates himself with Philbert, the hard-ass detective he plays who is generally a miserable mess of a person, but in a way, it doesn’t matter: audiences eat the character up and people even identify with him to an extent. In this way, the show initiates a meta-critique of itself and with people who identify with BoJack. The show ultimately tries to frame Diane as its soul: she is the one who holds BoJack accountable for his actions, whether it be the day to day or larger, somewhat irreversible harm, such as the incident with Penny and Charlotte in season 2, which she is now acutely aware of.
The season ends with BoJack checking into rehab, and although nothing in BoJack’s redemption quest ever seems to be permanent, this does seem like the most legitimate attempt he’s gotten to try and help himself, and it feels appropriate and timely.
Although the future of the narrative is unclear, one thing that is for certain is that BoJack Horseman has once again proven it is a poignant, intelligent drama that is easily worth investing your time into, which explores American media culture and its effects on the relationships we struggle to find with each other.
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