Summary: BoJack decides he will write a better book within a week. He struggles to focus and ends up doing drugs with Todd and Sarah Lynn, getting them to help him. He ends up on a drug trip where he faces his own insecurity and regrets with where his life has gone. He has a vision where he lives with Charlotte in an alternate life, but is forced back to reality. Upon waking up, he learns he submitted the book to Princess Carolyn who says it was gibberish. BoJack visits Diane at a ghostwriter convention, apologizes to her and asks if she thinks he is a good person. She doesn't respond.
The Good: This was a strong immersive experience that got to the heart of who BoJack is. The episode is interested in telling this story from the very first scene. We open with immediate follow-up of the events in the last episode. BoJack is still furious about Diane's book, and the scene does a great job of exploring why BoJack is so angry. This opening scene tells us that BoJack's big issue is that he wants his book to reflect the person he wants to be, rather than the person he actually is. Diane is too good of a writer to spin such lies, so she paints an honest picture of who BoJack is, and BoJack detests her for being astute enough to see who he really is. It's a bit tragic since BoJack's mean-spirited words towards Diane in this first scene come as a result of him wanting her to like him, but he's hurt by the realization that she perceives him in the same way that he perceives himself. And this is problematic because BoJack hates who he is, so he feels that Diane must hate him too. There's a lot of depth here, and I really appreciate that. The rest of the episode commits to exploring BoJack's inner dilemma and it does that in a compelling way. It doesn't take long before the episode turns BoJack's attempts to write a book into an excessive drug sequence. At first, this sequence is just amusing fun, and it does that well. The editing is clever, there are some signature witty jokes, and Todd and Sarah Lynn are typically fun characters which give this sequence a lighter tone. But then BoJack's inability to accept who he is starts to rear its head when he asks Todd if they are cool, and Todd says that he no longer expects anything from BoJack other than the worst. It's a damning moment for BoJack because Todd is essentially admitting that BoJack is a bad person and it isn't realistic to expect him to be anything but a bad person. Following this, BoJack's drug trip gets worse and worse and he gets stuck reliving some of his worst memories, biggest insecurities, and biggest regrets. This is such a powerful experience that makes you understand the depth of BoJack's pain, and how much regret and sadness he carries in his daily life. His life is built on mistake after mistake, and it's so sad to see him dreaming of a life where he could have avoided the Hollywoo tar pits and instead lived a quiet family life with Charlotte. But it's far too late for that, and Charlotte telling BoJack "I wish you had chosen this life" was a brutal way to end that sequence. Horrified and unsettled by his experience, BoJack goes to make things right with Diane and hope for the validation that he can change things around because he's still a good person. What follows is the season's crowning moment, a real downer ending where BoJack essentially begs to Diane and bares his soul, but still does not get the answer that he was hoping for (see: Best Moment). This scene is absolutely brutal. It's such an accurate portrayal of depression with BoJack's desperation for external validation that he's good and that he isn't doomed to be the awful person that he thinks he is. BoJack's words to Diane here go from an introspective apology, to begging real quick, and it's brutal to see Diane unable to confirm that BoJack is a good person after all that he has done. Her silence speaks volumes, and it is especially impactful in a series with so much dialogue that it rarely pauses for long enough for there to be silence. It's a dagger into BoJack's heart, made even worse with the random guy shouting "hey aren't you the horse from Horsin' Around", a gutwrenching reminder that this is likely all that he will ever amount to being. Absolutely brutal storytelling. Emotionally, the episode was terrific. But let's not take anything away from the terrific production that went into the drug sequence. The art and animation in this sequence was outstanding, and it captured the feeling of a trippy fever dream to perfection. I loved the way that BoJack's past memories were integrated into this sequence, as well as his relationships with other characters. The show does a good job of making everything come full circle. The season started with BoJack struggling to write his book, and now it comes back to him in the same position. The writers have fun with some procrastination jokes, and they throw in some other good laughs in the episode. The reveal of "Doctor Who" actually being "Dr. Hu" was really funny, and I love what was done with the character. I also quite liked the brief moment where BoJack tries to burn Diane's book, fails, and simply kicks it over instead. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. This was easily the most consistent episode of the show. The Unknown: Is it too late for BoJack? Is it possible for him to change his ways after so many years of being the same? Best Moment: The ending of the episode was really something. Who would have ever expected this show to have a moment that was so emotionally resonant? BoJack's begging to be validated as a good person is the type of ugly emotion that TV shows very rarely portray. I was surprised to see an animated TV show paint such a realistic and meaningful portrayal of mental health struggles and inner conflict within a character. Just a stunning scene overall. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: This was unexpectedly fantastic. "BoJack Horseman" has struggled for consistency up until now, and with average comedy and some good ideas, I expected that the show would not be able to hit that next level. Shockingly, this episode took an evocative turn to give us a very real and impactful look at how BoJack views himself and his life, and that made for a vivid and harrowing experience that was far better than anything else the show has attempted thus far. Who would have thought that this animated comedy would find something special in an exploration of mental health? Well done. Score: 76
3 Comments
Joe Y
11/14/2022 08:22:38 pm
I still wish the show had better looking animation (there's plenty of anime out there with truly jaw-dropping art and animation), but I appreciate that the show makes good use of the medium anyway. "Downer Ending"'s a truly exceptional episode. It's creative and heart-wrenching in all the right ways. And hilarious too, which too many S1 episodes weren't. It's clearly the best episode in an ok first season. It's a shame that so many great shows start off with sustained stretches of weak episodes like this. So many people will pass on "Person of Interest", "Halt and Catch Fire", and this show just based on the opening run. Which is understandable, and a shame at the same time.
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Aaronic
11/20/2022 10:47:12 am
Slow-starting shows are such an interesting enigma. Some remain as mediocre TV shows all the way through, but others end up becoming some of the best TV shows out there.
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Joe Y
11/20/2022 12:08:26 pm
It's very frustrating when you recommend them to people, lol. Because Bojack's absolutely worth it, but at the same time it's perfectly reasonable to say that you don't want to sit through a bunch of weak material to get to the good stuff. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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