Summary: BoJack tries to win over Kelsey, and they ultimately end up bonding as the episode foes on. Diane babysits Irving, Kelsey's daughter. Mr. Peanutbutter goes to a spa so Todd looks for something to do. He finds a chicken that escaped from Chicken 4 Dayz and grows attached to her. When the police go looking for her, he ropes in Diane and Irving to help bring her back to Gentle Farms. After doing that, they realize it doesn't feel right so they save all of the chickens and free them. They are arrested, but BoJack has a celebrity connection and frees them.
The Good: I loved the thematic exploration of consumerism throughout the episode. This episode covers the fantastic concept of how eating meat works in this universe, which is detail-work that I really appreciate. The world feels so much more real in all of its absurdity when little things like this are addressed. Anyways, the handling of food-chickens in this world is a brilliant opportunity to explore consumerism problems in this world, and I like that the episode lightly examines how painful and unethical these slaughterhouses are, a problem which is exacerbated by the fact that animals are humanoid beings in this world. We see Diane and Todd realize this and attempt to make a change, celebrating what they have done by the episode's end. But, in a delightful twist, the whole ordeal was used as marketing by Chicken 4 Dayz, who are profiting more than ever from what happened. Diane and Todd may have done what they felt was right, but the real evil still lives on in the world in spite of their efforts. Lovely storytelling. Thematic storytelling is not all that is offered. This episode pushes Mr. Peanubutter and Princess Carolyn to the side (but still incorporates them with two funny jokes) in order to focus on the rest of the cast in meaningful ways. Todd is the star here, and the show does well to acknowledge his wacky hijinks in a way that very nearly breaks the 4th wall. Todd has found his groove in this season as someone who has a good heart and always goes with the flow, often ending up in the most random situations. His personality has been far more consistent than season 1, and he is far easier to enjoy because of that. BoJack isn't as prevalent throughout this episode but he has a love story where he slowly breaks through to Kelsey and ultimately gets her to open up and has a short moment of connection with her. It goes to show that BoJack can be a good and caring person as long as he gets out of his own head. I'm pleased to see that Kelsey is growing as a character. We learn a lot about what makes her tick in this episode. Lastly, there's Diane who sees a bit of herself in young Irving, the sassy rebellious teenager. Diane has grown up, but as we saw in previous episodes, she's terrified of being unhappy and without purpose, so she takes Irving as a personal challenge to prove that she's still young and can change the world. This arc was incorporated nicely in the episode, and even led to some funny jokes ("you wouldn't understand"). Furthermore, Diane has a nice moment with Todd where she gets to see that her inherently negative opinion of herself is not necessarily shared by the others who know her. The police subplot aged brilliantly and has some terrific jokes. Meow Meow Fuzzyface (incredible name) is wonderfully realized as a loose cannon, and the jokes about the incompetence and lack of responsibility in the police department were brilliant ("we'll probably make the right call"). I also very much enjoyed the parodying of police ideas, like the dramatic sunglasses scene, "we know the chicken crossed the road, but the question is why", and Fuzzyface's dramatic realization that Todd's wife was a chicken. The humour was top-notch in this episode overall with several genuinely funny moments throughout. MSNBSea returned from season 1 and was as fun as ever with Tom's feud with Randy, his ex-wife joke followed by a haphazard attempt to not get cancelled, and a hilarious graphic saying "Yolk Go Oh No!". Todd hiding Becca's identity was funny and it led to some cleverly written dialogue to allow for Becca to communicate (almost) naturally. There's even a bit of slapstick here with the hilariously over-the-top racket that Todd causes after sneaking into Gentle Farms. The Bad: This is a cheesy episode at times, and those who are more enthused by the emotional stakes of this series may be more disappointed. It's fun harmless comedy, but not a significant episode by any means. This is much more of a character-centric and comedy-centric experience, which has its downsides. I wish that this episode had gone further in its themes a little bit. There was a golden chance to tie in with vegetarianism which was unfortunately not capitalized on in this episode. It's a shame not to see vegetarians even acknowledged in this episode. The Unknown: Will we hear from Chicken 4 Dayz or Gentle Farms in the future? How was Gentle Farms affected by Todd and Diane's actions? Best Moment: I loved the irony of the ending. Diane saying they really made a difference contrasted with nothing having changed at all. Brilliant comedy that fits with the theme of consumerism. Character of the Episode: Todd. Conclusion: A surprisingly good episode. This was funny, explored the characters and their relationships nicely, and tackled interesting themes through a clever concept. I doubt that this is anyone's favourite episode, but it does enough right to be another quality experience. Score: 68
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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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