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BoJack Horseman Season 1 Review

BoJack Horseman is an adult animated dramedy series from Netflix that premiered in 2014. The first season consists of twelve episodes.

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“Maybe I just need to stop expecting you to be a good person,

so that way, I won’t get hurt when you’re not“

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Let’s first talk about the overall show and then I will comment upon each episode. The series is very well animated, I really liked the character designs and the mix of humans and animal humanoids created this very crazy, authentic world of Hollywoo. The animal puns are mostly okay, but the show’s most adult jokes make it a success.

Even more so, its dramatic tackling of celebrity culture and nihilism, self-destructive behavior and depression are very emotional and memorably dark. The score and direction are both very good as well. And the dialogue is very strong throughout. The first season definitely started off on a weaker note, though still solid, but later on the season became so good and very promising.

BoJack is a terrific protagonist unlike any other in animation. He is a failed, mostly forgotten actor in his fifties who makes many poor decisions because he is lonely and depressed. He alienates people around him, and his struggles are very real and well realized. But he still remains a douche, and it’s very different for once to have a central character who is deep down a bad man. His development throughout the season is fantastic, and he thus seems so real.

But the supporting characters are also very well developed on this show. Admittedly, Todd is the weakest link as this rather typical unemployed slacker, but Mr. Peanutbutter can be quite amusing in his silliness whereas Princess Carolyn is also strong with her mix of personal and professional lives being so well done. Diane Nguyen is also excellent, and her relationship with BoJack is so well realized and complex.

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BoJack Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Story, Chapter One did not start the show all too strongly, though it’s still a solid enough premiere that establishes the characters and their relationships very well. BoJack Hates the Troops is a much better episode that is quite amusing in its central, escalating conflict.

Prickly-Muffin is solid and fun at times, but overall the Sarah Lynn character does not work particularly well, at least not so far. Zoes and Zeldas overall is quite forgettable, though it has its moments.

Life Fast, Diane Nguyen is an excellent episode that finally gives some development to the Diane character and it moves the action from Los Angeles in a mostly satisfactory manner. The emotional arc here is quite strong. Our A-Story is a ‘D’ Story is an important episode that establishes the creation of Hollywoo through a very romantic, but misled romantic gesture.

Say Anything is such a deep, powerful episode that is very sad and dark in Princess Carolyn realizing that she is all alone and that she lost a lot of her life with BoJack for nothing. This is where the show started to move in an impressively dark and meaningful dramatic direction. The Telescope is quite rushed in that Herb subplot and underdeveloped, but it ends memorably and awkwardly with BoJack kissing Diane.

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Horse Majeure is a strong episode that focuses on Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter’s wedding while One Trick Pony finally has Diane finish her book about BoJack and he is angered because it is too realistic and depressing. This is a very well developed conflict and a powerful glimpse into his life is given in the next episode Downer Ending which is the season’s highlight that is emotional and dark while having a tripping sequence that is actually revelatory instead of gimmicky. Later is a strong, moving conclusion to the season that leaves the show at a much darker territory to be explored later on.

Overall, I really liked the first season of BoJack Horseman. Yes, it started off on a weaker note, but it quickly became better and better, culminating in a couple of powerful, dramatic final episodes. It’s a fine beginning to this potentially strong animated dramedy.

Worst Episodes: Prickly Muffin and Zoes and Zeldas.

Best Episodes: One Trick Pony and Downer Ending.

My Rating – 3.8