5 Reasons to Watch BoJack Horseman

As you may have read or watched, BoJack Horseman, Netflix’s very own alcoholic horse returned for his fourth season last week. Now, did I watch it within a day? Yes. Was it good? Yes.

But instead of reviewing it, we’re going to go through a short list of the main reason to watch the show. This season was by far the best so far, so here’s why you should watch everything up to this point too.

BoJack is a complicated character. His mannerisms and personal issues all focus on the fact that he just wants people to like him. From spending, egregious amounts of money to impress people, or using his celebrity status from his 90s TV sitcom Horsin’ Around, to try to get people on side. Ultimately, however, despite his efforts, a lot of his plans for success shatter around him. Leaving him spiralling down a path of no return.

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The secondary characters are something of a marvel too. From Todd, BoJack’s roommate, to Dianne Nygeun, the ghost writer hired to write BoJack’s memoirs becomes a driving force in the series, with her marriage to BoJack’s rival/friend Mr Peanutbutter, slowly descending into a very real place. The way the show deals with things like marriage and relationships is incredibly mature. No relationship is perfect. Even the ones that look it. The entire show goes through each character’s experience with romance individually, really fleshing out each character, making them more than props to further the plot of the main character.

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Characters have motivations. They are driven by things. By the desperate need for attention, by the approval of your peers and superiors. At one point, it’s sandwiches, as big as your head. There is a depth to each storyline, a point to it all. The subplots serve the main characters very well, with things cropping up from earlier seasons to bite our characters in the behind.

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It’s very funny. This alternate world where animals are people (yeah, it’s weird), creates some clever puns and predictable laughs. But while they’re predictable, you need that, given how heavy the show can be at times. Plus, the satire practically drips off each character. From straight up pointing a finger at how society sexualizes but also represses younger women in the industry, to gun violence and even politics. There are never jokes that target people either. It’s never because someone is someone, it’s because of what that person has done. That’s where the humour comes from. A very genuine place.

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The realism. Again, this is a show about an alcoholic, addicted horse, trying to find some purpose in his dwindling life, so how real can it get? Well, given the fact that season 4 had me hooked the entire time, it can get very real. The show tackles depression, substance abuse, sexism, death and packages it within this façade of a quirky looking cartoon. BoJack is as real as any character could be.

And that’s the important thing. We want him to be happy. To redeem himself of his past blunders. Because anyone who has suffered through similar things will probably want to do the same. Plus, look how good he looks when he smiles.

A good boy.