“Yes I ate them all in one sitting …because I have no self-control and I hate myself”
For a cartoon about a horse, BoJack Horseman transports you deep into the emotional psyche and ultimately delivers many insights into what it means to be human. Surprisingly, it is one of the most intelligent shows on television in that it masterfully deals with hard hitting real life truths like chronic depression and the sporadic meaninglessness of life itself. All the while breaking this up with moments of dry, sarcastic humor that don’t always have you liking the characters, but sure as hell gets you relating to them. Here are 9 times the show got seriously deep man…
- The intro
Let’s start at the beginning. The intro to BoJack perfectly sets out the tone for the entire show, depicting a numb uninvested BoJack simply going through the motions of each day. Surrounded by drugs, booze and women, it quickly becomes apparent that BoJack longs for more. His life is shallow, lacking substance. The music was composed by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys.
- Diane’s identity crisis
Diane existing as the quintessential 30 something, starts out ambitious and driven but after being offered the job she thought she wanted she soon realizes she actually has no idea who she is. Breaking down and not dealing anymore she contemplates life, wondering if it’s too late to do things differently.
- BoJack’s self-deprecating personality
Sometimes our harshest critics are ourselves and BoJack, being a whole medley of fucked up, is no exception to this. Throughout the show, it is made evident that he lacks self-confidence and is totally insecure. Often, he doubts his ability to better himself and constantly self-loathes.
- When Caroline discovers her own vulnerability
After Caroline gets her heart broken, she comes to the conclusion that the best way to deal with this is to put up a tough front and never let anyone else in. You can never be hurt by your mistakes if you never take any risks right?
- When Mr Peanut Butter bleakly summed up life
This is a surprisingly negative view from someone who is by far the most positive character on the show. However, he does seem to have happily come to terms with it. Sometimes you just get so jealous of how blissful he is in his ignorance, if he wasn’t so God-damn lovable you’d hate him.
- When this picture summed up life
I think it is safe to say that this is an accurate depiction of life. Sometimes it’s trying and you have to work so hard just to stay afloat. Just when you think you’re getting ahead it turns out you’ve
been treading water the whole time. Fun fact: this image is based off of a painting by artist David Hockney.
- When BoJack and Diane realize what it means to be an adult
Being an adult can suck, suddenly you’re thrown into the deep end with responsibilities and enormous expectations. Gone are the days where you can just do nothing and have everything worked out for you.
- BoJack’s failure to move on
We all know that Bojack desperately clings to the past in an attempt to relive the glory days. He thinks that if he can just get back to the height of his career he will finally be happy. The lyrics to the outro (written and performed by Group Love) drive this message further. The fake family Bojack had in Horsen Around is the closest thing to normal he has had in his life, so it is no surprise he clutches on to it.
- When this monkey told it like it is
This is probably the realest moment in BoJack. It so accurately outlines the difficulty of life, but at the same time gives you a little glimmer of hope for the future. Life is not always easy but trying can never make it any harder.