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I recently finished Season 1 of BoJack Horseman for the first time, and I can agree with most by saying that it was definitely a ride. With this show being so popular among, not only my peers, but what seems like the rest of Gen Z America, I decided on a random day to give it a try. To see if it was truly deserving of its high rating and at the end of the day, I am not disappointed. This show has many good qualities, but the most prevalent is its ability to develop complex personalities with just 12 episodes. BoJack Horseman, the main character, is a previously famous reality show star living his sad life in Hollywood. BoJack is painted as a bad guy who only cares about himself. Still, as the season continues and Diane, BoJack’s ghost writer, learns more about BoJack, the audience sees many reasons why he behaves the way he does. With a tough childhood and a battle with alcohol and drug abuse, BoJack has reasons why he perceives life negatively. Besides BoJack and Diane, we see the development of two other characters: Todd and Sarah Lynn. These characters are people BoJack knew in his past, and both came to him when they had hit some kind of “low” in their lives. Although some of these characters bring comedic relief and show how friendship, especially in the public eye, can be, most of them have experienced a wrong in their lives that makes them have this same feeling of failure shown in BoJack’s life.
Throughout the first season, BoJack is seen admiring his past frequently; he watches his old show, “Horsin’ Around,” for what seems like at least once every episode until the 11th episode in the season. He is obsessed with his past until he sees what Diane, who he thinks knows him the most, has to write about him in his biography. She wrote about how troubled he is and talked about his upbringing. He is a bad guy and doesn’t treat others with respect. BoJack saw this as a wake-up call. He saw how she had perceived him. BoJack hits what feels like emotional rock bottom: he no longer cares.
A show with messages as hard-hitting as BoJack‘s can be hard to execute correctly. Without enough character development, watchers ask, “Why should we care?” If the issues are not appropriately portrayed, viewers won’t have anything to relate to. However, I believe this show has effectively set a base for all the other seasons, while simultaneously allowing the show to end after the first one. Getting through the first couple of episodes was hard when I started watching. I kept thinking, “Why do people enjoy a show like this?” and “What is so special?”. But I had to consider what themes I have yet to see be developed. I connected with these characters. Although I might not relate to them, I formed an understanding, a connection to the world I was watching. Overall, the first season was very satisfying; at times hard to get through, but a great reason to finish the show. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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