Summary: Flashbacks show that BoJack was once very close with Herb and his girlfriend Charlotte. Charlotte moves away and Herb gets a TV show where he makes BoJack the lead. After, they drift apart until Herb is caught and exposed as gay and is on the verge of being kicked off the show. He goes to BoJack to threaten to leave to save his career, but BoJack isn't able to do it after speaking with Angela, the agent in charge of Horsin' Around. He hasn't talked to Herb since. In the present, BoJack picks up Diane and goes to Malibu to see Herb with her and Todd. BoJack and Herb end up hitting it off and when it's time to leave, BoJack tries to apologize to Herb. Herb doesn't forgive him and they end up fighting. Meanwhile, Todd tries to turn the car around but encounters some girls stealing from celebrities. They end up knocking him out. BoJack heads back with Diane feeling upset. Todd is left behind. They take a stop and BoJack kisses Diane.
The Good: The flashbacks told a good story that took a surprisingly intense turn with the end of BoJack and Herb's friendship. The story here was effective, showing the honest brutality of how Hollywood can ruin lives. It's surprising to see BoJack looking so cheerful and kind in the past, contrasting how terrible he is to everyone (especially himself) in the present. Charlotte explicitly points out how Hollywood is a tar pit that destroys people, and it certainly did that to BoJack. It's sad to see how BoJack and Herb seemed to be inseparable, with BoJack being so concerned that Herb would rise and leave him behind. Instead, both of them rose together and they grew apart anyways, a result of the toxicity that comes with becoming a "star". The flashbacks don't get lost in this story either. There are plenty of nice jokes to keep things feeling relatively light even with such serious subject matter. The references to the 80s and 90s as well as mockery of film that references the past was refreshing, and it got some laughs out of me. I also got a laugh out of the general public's horrified reaction to Herb being gay, a nice nod to how much times have changed, while also making me laugh with some of the absurd protest signs. In the present, we got some good content out of BoJack and Herb's meeting. Herb is obviously (and justifiably) resentful of BoJack, holding a grudge against him. The awkward initial meeting is quite funny with Herb being passive-aggressive, attacking BoJack at every turn in between random jokes about his cancer. The scenes are tense since we know from the last episode that something bad is going to happen. But surprisingly, things take a turn for the good as Diane finds some common ground for the two rich has-beens in Vitamix blenders, and from there on the night takes a more positive turn. It goes so well that BoJack is almost able to leave on good terms, the two of them having had a nice night together. But that nagging guilt stops BoJack from leaving without apologizing, and it's here that the episode gets surprisingly profound. Herb rejects BoJack's apology, highlighting a surprising theme for this show: the idea that sometimes it can be too late to make amends, no matter how badly you want to make them. The final scenes of the episode are quite powerful because we can see how much BoJack's regrets are weighing on him. He genuinely does want to be better and that makes us root for him, but in some cases, there is no fixing the mistakes that he has made. It's a sad idea that the episode explores, but very effective. The Bad: Todd's story was again pretty superfluous. It's mildly amusing, but it feels like another filler misadventure that delves a bit too far into absurdity. Todd turning the robbery into something philosophical is ridiculous in a way that it somehow fits perfectly with the Todd character, but the story feels like filler when it's aligned with BoJack meeting Herb. This idea could have made for a good story, but this never felt like anything more than an aimless B-story. BoJack and Herb's fight was a little bit too over-dramatic for my liking. The restrained verbal arguments between them were impactful because they felt real, but their brawl lacked that gritty sense of reality. It tried to parody itself with the Horsin' Around lines, which took me out of the moment, and it felt like it happened for no real reason. Herb's sudden urge to attack BoJack came out of nowhere and I did not buy into Herb deciding to do this. The dialogue between them alone would have been enough, and the physical fighting was a step too far. The Unknown: What happened with Charlotte since she left? Herb brings her up again in the present, so I imagine that BoJack will contact her soon. What will be the fallout of the kiss at the episode's end? Will Diane go through with marrying Mr. Peanutbutter, or will she end up staying with BoJack? Todd got left behind at Malibu. What's going to happen with him? Will he interact with Herb, or is this just another random Todd misadventure. Best Moment: Herb refusing to forgive BoJack was surprisingly intense. Herb made some very understandable points, and it is completely sensible that he does not want to help BoJack ease his guilt. Herb really pokes at the inherent selfishness of BoJack's apology which paints a sad new dimension to BoJack's desire to make peace with the mistakes he has made. The use of the f word in this scene was another unexpected surprise that made Herb's words hit a little harder. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Another impressively profound episode. This episode has some laughs, but it is carried by its emotionally heavy subject matter that offers a realistic and sad take on what it means to make amends and if it is even possible. After failing at the comedy, "BoJack Horseman" is finding some quality through some honest-to-god storytelling, which I was not expecting to get from this show. Score: 67
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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