Jordan Patterson 

Contributing Writer

“BoJack Horseman” is a show about a famous horse person who, back in the 90s, was in a very famous TV show.

From the outside looking in this show is ridiculous. Half the cast are anthropomorphic animals and the show is full of animal puns and silly tongue twisters.

However, all this is meant to lighten the mood for when this show decides to be serious because when it decides to get serious it hits hard.

This show, in just its final season alone, has dived into depression, cancel culture, anti-depressants, redemption, closure, the meaning of life, rehab, and even suicide.

This show has never been afraid to go there, but it does so with maturity and wisdom few other shows have.

According to the creator of the show, Raphael Bobs-Waksberg, the show was created from  the thought of, “this guy who’s living in this house, like this, who had every opportunity for success but still couldn’t find a way to be happy.”

That premise remains at the heart of the show as one of the most unlikeable main characters on TV tries to discover what makes him happy.

BoJack’s pursuit of happiness is front and center for the show’s entire run. Watching BoJack Horseman, you’ll hear and see lots of views on happiness and even lots of social commentary.

Yet, it doesn’t just start conversations, it likes to make rebuttals, provide new evidence, and even poke fun at some views in society that they see as off base.

Another thing this show does well is to use the animated medium to the fullest.

It has some of the most experimental episodes in television history with “Free Churro,” an episode composed almost entirely of just one monologue, “Fish Out of Water,” an episode with almost no dialogue, “Stupid Piece of S**t,” an episode dedicated to the infamous voice in your head that insults you more than your worst bully, and so much more.

It has won many awards for its experimentation and animation over the years since its inception, especially when it won back to back Saturn awards for “best-animated series or film on television.”

However, it has also gotten many awards for its voice acting with a stellar cast that fit their characters to a tee and elevates the show’s already great writing.

Part of the reason this show’s scripts are so phenomenal is that it takes its subjects seriously. Yes, it pokes fun at times, but it still handles them in a meaningful way because they’re heavy topics that people must deal with every day.

“People tell me that the show has helped them articulate or identify something about themselves that they’ve never been able to recognize or verbalize before,” says Bobs-Waksberg, “that the show has helped them talk to a therapist, talk to a loved one, realize a truth that has always been there but they’ve never quite had the words for it.”

It’s clear that this is what the creators want. They want you to laugh too, but they want you to recognize your flaws, get help, and then get better.

This show isn’t just about a celebrity, or a horseman, or even depression. It’s about life. The best parts, the worst parts and even the parts that are just parts.

For some life’s better than others, but it’s something we all struggle with. It’s okay to struggle though because WE ALL struggle, but we can all also get better.

Email Jordan at: 

jpatters13@live.esu.edu