"No, he loves treading water."
November 9, 2015 12:32 PM   Subscribe

This talking horse is a brutally honest and accurate portrayal of all of us, and the struggles and suffering we face in life. The Zen of Bojack Horseman
posted by litleozy (23 comments total) 36 users marked this as a favorite
 
BH is a bit uneven, but it's definitely better than I figured it would be when I threw it on as a 'what the hell, let's give this a shot' situation during a night of insomnia. It's also much, much darker than I expected. I'd told my wife all of this, but one night she happened to be sitting with me while I was watching a season two episode (I can't remember which one) and she said "Whew...you were not kidding about this show."
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:43 PM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


If you like BoJack Horseman, you might enjoy this talk by Lisa Hanawalt at XOXO this year. She's the production designer / producer of the show. And she's hilarious in a lowkey way. Also really thoughtful. I'd never heard of the show before seeing her talk. Her love for the details of the production design intrigued me, and now it's one of my favorite things on TV ever.
posted by Nelson at 12:57 PM on November 9, 2015 [7 favorites]


yay! I just started watching this show and was waiting for MeFi's take on it!!
posted by bitteroldman at 12:57 PM on November 9, 2015


I've known about this show for a while (following Will Arnett and others on Twitter), but I just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago. Waiting was a total mistake, except that I got to go right into the second season.

I just saw an episode that starts out (?) with a commercial addressing the distinction between sentient animals and meat animals. Brilliant.
posted by supercres at 1:00 PM on November 9, 2015


This is probably my favorite show right now. It is precisely the right mix of absurdity and nihilism. It's the only show on TV where the main character is clearly, clinically, profoundly depressed. It's only watchable since he happens to be a talking horse. There's a lot you can learn about yourself by watching Bojack.
posted by miyabo at 1:01 PM on November 9, 2015 [3 favorites]


Also, nice interview with Bojack's creator.
posted by litleozy at 1:03 PM on November 9, 2015


I started this show at a bit of a loss of what else to watch, and at first it was just fine, and then it was really really good, and then at the end of the first series, I cried. The second series seemed to split opinion, but I loved it even more.

That goddamn horse, man.
posted by ominous_paws at 1:36 PM on November 9, 2015 [7 favorites]


There are episodes of Season 2 I don't even know if I'll be able to watch again, because they were so profoundly...Resonant? Disturbing? Humiliating?

That is some damn good television, and I don't even know anyone in real life who's watched it. I like reading the FanFare threads, though.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:13 PM on November 9, 2015 [5 favorites]


It's the only show on TV where the main character is clearly, clinically, profoundly depressed.

There are more (contains spoilers!), like "You're the Worst", which I can definitely recommend if you like Bojack.
posted by KMB at 2:19 PM on November 9, 2015 [4 favorites]


I wouldn't describe the show as being especially funny (though it does have its moments). It is however a far more subtle and humanistic character study than one would expect, given the concept. It's hard to depict depression and self-loathing in a character without making them seem pathetic and unlikable, but in the case of Bojack, his flaws make him more relatable. The writers give the character room to be depressed and unfulfilled without rushing to explain or resolve it, and that in itself is pretty remarkable.

Also, I've heard friends say that they basically feel like Vincent Adultman, which turns a ridiculous gag into something that, perhaps unintentionally, has some conceptual depth.
posted by dephlogisticated at 2:33 PM on November 9, 2015 [5 favorites]


The show floats on its background of ridiculous animal puns and sight gags. It's Naked Gun/Police Squad/Top Secret level absurdity, but it's just the reality of the world Bojack lives in. It shows how far you can get when you take a gag seriously, and how much weight comedy can hold when balanced right.

A+++ can't wait for season 3.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:45 PM on November 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


I've been a BoJack evangelist since not long after the release of the first season. I watched it so many times that I started getting "BoJack Horseman's favorite shows" as a category on Netflix, and kept trying to convince pretty much everyone I knew that they needed to give it a chance.

Most of those folks would look at me like I was crazy or stoned (or both) when I told them that this cartoon about a talking horse was among the most legitimately heartbreaking things I'd ever seen on television.

Since the release of the second season (and the accompanying reviews and articles), a lot of those same people have gone out of their way to apologize for doubting me.
posted by dersins at 2:49 PM on November 9, 2015 [4 favorites]


Yeah, it's the balanced mix of melancholy and goofiness that really makes the show work for me. There are quotable lines, but it's not as dialogue-driven as most comedies, which when combined with the depression angle, really makes it stand out.

I was somewhat annoyed during season one that Todd (Aaron Paul's character) was little more than a foil for Archer and an Instant B-Plot device, but season two gave he and the other supporting characters a lot more depth.

It's pretty much my favorite comedy running right now.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:59 PM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


I.... really felt underwhelmed by most of season 2. It felt really haphazard and scattershot. I know this isn't a show about Resolutions, per se, but.... two could have been better. More meaningful in its ennui.
posted by Jacen at 3:04 PM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


There's a lot you can learn about yourself by watching Bojack.

"I spend a lot of time with the real me, and believe me, nobody's gonna love that guy."
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:12 PM on November 9, 2015 [8 favorites]


Bojack... i am not sure i can forgive the new mexico episode. I just... I don't know. I'll probably watch season three. But, I can't forget what happened. I saw it coming. I saw it happen and hated it. It was just the worst thing, because the characters were so important to me. And now, I don't know if I can forgive them, him, the show, the creators.
posted by rebent at 3:22 PM on November 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


Came for the nihilism and depression, stayed to make the assertion that 3 of the 5 main characters ended Season 2 in what is (on balance) a positive place.
posted by psoas at 5:05 PM on November 9, 2015


This show is absolutely amazing. When I first watched it, it took awhile for me to get into it. You basically have to power through the first 3 or so episodes but then I was hooked. It's great to see a show explore darker themes and to not be afraid of that. This show always hits close to home and tugs at my emotions. I'm so very much looking forward to season 3. Also I've had similar experiences as you guys - when I suggest people watch it they think I'm crazy. The problem is people assume it's a comedy but it's really not. It's a dark drama with bits of comedic relief in it.
posted by FireFountain at 5:33 PM on November 9, 2015


A cartoon about a talking horse turns out to be one of the most profoundly humanistic shows around right now.
posted by bumpkin at 6:58 PM on November 9, 2015


I've discovered you can't explain BoJack to anyone, all you can do is tell them to watch it.
posted by tommasz at 6:30 AM on November 10, 2015


Great show, I agree. It makes Mr. Ed look like Francis the Talking Mule.
posted by Liquidwolf at 6:43 AM on November 10, 2015


Love the opening credits of this show and Mr. Peanutbutter and his problem with mail trucks & mail men.
posted by Gwynarra at 3:13 PM on November 12, 2015


I love that they have taken the HOLLYWOO thing and it's just an accepted part of the universe at this point. Everyone easily just switched over to "Hollywoo" once the D was missing.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:45 AM on November 16, 2015


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