5 Reasons to Watch BoJack Horseman
Come for the stoner jokes, stay for BoJack’s unexpected wisdom
Shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black really put Netflix on the map when it comes to original programming. That doesn’t leave too much love for BoJack Horseman, the streaming giant’s first animated series — and that’s a real shame. While it initially appears as a bizarre and random attempt to draw in adults with a childish sense of humor, the series quickly becomes a darkly funny portrayal of depression, narcissism, loneliness, and celebrity culture. Season two hits Netflix in a couple of weeks, so now is your perfect chance to see what this utterly enjoyable series is all about.
The show follows BoJack, a washed-up, lonely, and self-absorbed horse who starred in a successful sitcom in the ’90s, but his career has gone south ever since. He tries to recapture some of his glory years by hiring a ghostwriter to help with his memoir, because he’s too busy watching reruns of Horsin’ Around, the show that made him famous, and abusing alcohol and drugs to get through the day. BoJack Horseman features a world where animals and humans coexist, giving the creators the opportunity to really charm the audience with their brilliant personification of animals.
Still not convinced BoJack Horseman is worthy of your attention? Here are five good reasons to tune in.
The cast is great
Whoever was in charge of casting did a great job. Will Arnett plays BoJack, supported by Alison Brie (as the ghostwriter), Amy Desaris (as BoJack’s agent), and Aaron Paul (as BoJack’s friend).
Paul F. Tompkins is also in the mix, playing a friendly dog named Mr. Peanutbutter, also known as BoJack’s nemesis. Mr. Penutbutter was a star in the ’90s as well, and he loves to disrupt BoJack’s life as the worst possible moment. He also appears to be BoJack’s opposite, since he’s a deeply optimistic and positive fellow. As we learn more about him though, he becomes more and more compelling, as he’s also familiar with the deep sadness that totally took over BoJack’s life; he’s just better at concealing it.
Besides the main cast, the show also showcased some notable guest stars — Olivia Wilde, Keith Olbermann, Margo Martindale, Stanley Tucci, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, to only name a few.
The show is funny
Despite the fact that it eventually gets dark, BoJack Horseman is really funny. The writers make great use of puns, meta jokes, and wordplay. Moreover, they sometimes give the humor a stoner vibe, but they do so smartly, so the jokes don’t end up being idiotic. Quite the opposite — the show turns out to be laugh-out-funny on numerous occasions, leaving viewers aching for more. The personification of animals alone is highly enjoyable, leading to some absurd and whimsical situations. Plus, the series’ Hollywood parodies are spot on.
The opening credits are a work of art
I’m a big fan of well-crafted opening sequences, and we haven’t had many of those in the past few years. In this case, the theme kicks in with a swirling mix of synths and drums, immediately transporting the viewer in show’s peculiar universe. The visuals are excellent — we have a time-lapse showcasing the title character drifting as life takes its usual course in the background. He sports a sad and almost apathetic expression, giving fans a hint of what’s to come.
It realistically depicts depression
It seems pretty ridiculous for an animated series to tackle depression, such a deep and complicated subject. However, the show does a great job at making viewers understand what depression truly is and how it manifests. BoJack Horseman doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects — the characters deal with lifetime regrets, painful realizations, and disturbing downfalls.
Add in the fact that the series questions whether or not we really feel anything deep down and that BoJack’s commentary is generally filled with dark and convoluted wisdom, and you’re definitely going to ponder upon life’s greatest mysteries yourself. As most critics accurately observed, BoJack Horseman is the funniest show about depression ever.
It’s totally bingeable
When the entire first season of House of Cards hit Netflix in 2013, it forever changed the way in which we consume television. The move was game-changing and raised plenty of discussions about how people consume television in the digital age. What’s surprising though it that BoJack Horseman may just be the first Netflix show that is totally bingeable.
Sure, you could watch an entire season of House of Cards or Orange is the New Black in one sitting, but you’ll only end up exhausted, and probably forget any details about the plot in a couple of weeks. These shows are complex and could actually benefit from a one episode per week release, since it would give fans the chance to really digest what just happened. The fact that we like to binge-watch them is influenced mainly by our habits as consumers, and not necessarily by the way in which these shows’ are constructed.
That’s not the case with BoJack Horseman. This series is meant to be binge-watched — only three or four episodes in will you be able to recognize its awesomeness; and only by watching the entire season at once will you begin to truly appreciate the series as a whole. The first half basically sets up the scene for what’s to come, while the second half gives the characters much more depth and allows small gags to turn into bigger punch lines.
If you like animated series, savour dark (really dark, guys!) humor, and have a few hours to spare, you should definitely give Bojack Horseman a shot. Make it past the third episode and there’s a good chance you will be hooked for good. The entire first season is currently available on Netflix, and the second installment will hit the streaming service on July 17.
