Summary: Philbert's first season receives great reviews from critics, and the crew go to the red carpet screening. BoJack makes a brief speech about how Philbert makes it feel like it's okay to be awful, which horrifies Diane who doesn't want this to be the show's message. Diane and BoJack have a long and tense argument afterwards. Diane storms out and is driven home by Mr. Peanutbutter, who was abandoned by Pickles at the screening, and she invites him inside. BoJack kisses Gina publicly. Todd's sex robot Henry Fondle ends up becoming the next CEO of What Time is it Right Now. Princess Carolyn resolves a dispute between two comedians who Flip plagiarized.
The Good: The Philbert premier story is superbly executed. The event takes over the episode, and it's engaging to find out what exactly is going to happen here. The centerpiece ends up becoming the pay-off for the tensions that BoJack and Diane have had all season. After their latest arguments and a long break where they did not talk with each other, the blowout finally comes and it is glorious. Diane's respect for BoJack has dropped massively, and hearing him use Philbert to excuse his own actions is horrifying for her. Diane has always wanted to make positive change in the world, so it's very fitting that she would go into crisis mode upon realizing that awful people may be getting a pass because of their show, and this leads to her heated confrontation with BoJack where she finally dives into the problem she has with him: what happened in New Mexico? The ensuing scene is absolutely fantastic. We've seen heartbreaking dissolutions of relationships in this show before, but none have been as messy as this with BoJack and Diane venting at each other about BoJack's actions and if they can be justified. Diane's approach may not be the best, but she absolutely has a point in that BoJack should be seeking help and needs to be held accountable for what he's done. Horrifyingly, BoJack seems to be blissfully ignorant of all of this, hammering in that he really hasn't changed like we thought he did. Hearing him argue that he is the biggest victim of his own actions is disgusting, and while you can see how he may think that, it requires a devilishly narrow mind to completely ignore the effects he has had on the lives of others. This scene ended up being fantastic, and I enjoyed everything that it had to offer. The brutality of the sequence also made it far easier to accept BoJack and Diane both turning to sexual acts to feel better with BoJack going public with Gina and Diane inviting Mr. Peanutbutter into her studio. The side stories in this episode had problems (see: The Bad), but they had aspects I enjoyed. The popsicle guys were neatly set up as we did see Flip eating these popsicles in previous episodes. It's no surprise that he blatantly plagiarized. Watching Todd's sex robot take over a company through innuendos is so stupid, but also quite amusing. The storyline didn't add much, but it made me chuckle at a few points.\ There are lots of little bits I enjoyed in this one. The "sixty days earlier" followed by "fifty seven days later (three days before the thing with the nuns)" transition was fantastic. It was a great example of subversive humour as I started to grow excited by the prospect of an episode that would take place across sixty days, only to have that completely nullified literally five seconds later. Hilarious. I got a chuckle out of Princess Carolyn's coffee having her name spelled as "Pringles Cartilage". Flip had a good episode as he said some absolutely outrageous things that neatly highlighted the flaws within the film industry (especially how one person often ends up with full credit for a team's performance). I was entertained by the dark joke with Flip saying "well who's hung now mom". The Bad: Side stories have been an issue throughout season 5. So many of these storylines have not been memorable, have felt like filler, and haven't developed characters in interesting ways. This trend continues in this episode, and the side stories were underwhelming. Princess Carolyn dealing with the two comedians was a poor story. The characters weren't funny or interesting, and Princess Carolyn didn't add anything to that story either. It felt like a waste of time by the time it was over, especially since nothing became of the copyright story in the end anyways. Todd's sex robot taking over as CEO is mildly amusing, but it feels too ridiculous for me to fully believe it. It's also disappointing that we spend so much time with a robot instead of with Todd. I appreciate that the show tried to keep the Diane/BoJack argument light by having some light comedic moments where they get interrupted. But I can't help but wonder if these interruptions ultimately detracted from the sequence by breaking our immersion at key thematic points in the argument. I almost wish that "BoJack Horseman" had fully committed to serious storytelling just for this sequence. The Unknown: Are Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter about to get back together? What happens when Pickles finds out? BoJack has rashly decided to make his relationship with Gina public. Where is this going to go? I don't imagine this will have a happy ending for both of them. So Margo Martindale is alive on some island. Is this the last we will see of her? Best Moment: The argument between Diane and BoJack is tremendous. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: A couple of underwhelming B-stories prevent "Head in the Clouds" from being one of the show's best efforts, but the main story, especially the argument between Diane and BoJack, is fantastic and ensures that this episode is still high quality. Score: 70
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Summary: Hollyhock stops in LA to visit BoJack. She gets nervous in his house and ends up dumping all of his pain meds. BoJack can't go without them and tries numerous methods to get more pills, accidentally continuing his relationship with Gina in the process. Hollyhock realizes BoJack isn't in much pain and is likely abusing drugs. BoJack drops her off at the airport, and then intentionally crashes his car to get more drugs. Princess Carolyn meets with Ralph to get rights for a movie Mr. Peanutbutter wants to make. She is called by her adoption agent to get a baby and Ralph comes with her. Ralph wants them to get together again but Princess Carolyn doesn't want to. She doesn't end up getting the baby. Emily returns to Todd and Todd builds a sex robot to fulfill her needs so they can be together, but it doesn't work out in the end.
The Good: I really like the idea behind this episode. "Ancient History" is not only a line that BoJack says, but it ties into the fact that BoJack, Princess Carolyn, and Todd all end up meeting with characters who used to be prominent parts of their lives. This gives the episode a slightly nostalgic feel, and highlighted the theme of moving forward, especially in the Princess Carolyn/Todd stories. Diving into the individual storylines, it is BoJack's that is the most effective. Having Hollyhock back is a treat, and her presence immediately leads to several fun capers, like their trip to Gina's house, and the drug deal gone wrong. It's a blast to see these two together, and you can tell that it's good for BoJack to have her in his life again. But it's not necessarily a good thing for Hollyhock, and while she cares for BoJack, it's clear that she is unsettled by his apparent drug abuse. This reveal came as a surprise, but it has been quietly built up in previous episodes. BoJack appears to be falling off the wagon, and I thought that the show highlighted this admirably well, with the intentional car crash at the end being the final step for BoJack. This episode has a few lovely details, like the reveal that BoJack has a bottle of alcohol for each day of the week (in the season premier he has one bottle for the week), and the increasing evidence that BoJack's drug use is not for his pain. BoJack's angry rant when Hollyhock suggests that he doesn't need the drugs is exactly what you would hear from a junkie, and it's sad to hear him claim that he's been in pain his whole life as if that justifies him abusing drugs and making his life worse. It's sad that he's quietly relapsed in the background, and this episode excels in how it makes you realize the reality of BoJack's situation. The Todd and Princess Carolyn stories are quite good too. Princess Carolyn ends up face to face with Ralph again, and the story they have is quite sad. We are quickly reminded of how well they work with each other and how much they still do care for each other, but things just didn't work out. The episode does a good job of exploring how two people who loved each other ended up falling apart permanently. Todd's story is a bit sillier, especially with that obscene and ridiculous sex robot, but it contains the sad reality of Emily and Todd trying to find a solution to be with each other since they don't feel like they connect with anyone else. But because their needs are different, it was never going to work. A few little things and jokes throughout the episode amused me, as ever. I laughed at Flip telling everyone "I'm proud of what I've done here". The character's ridiculous ego is amusing to watch. BoJack wearing his Philbert costume everywhere has been pointed out a few times (see: The Unknown), and I appreciate how the show handles it. The drug deal scene is especially funny with Meow Meow Fuzzyface making a fantastic cameo return as the most blatant undercover cop imaginable. Princess Carolyn having a "La-Z-Baby" car seat is pretty funny. Dr. Hu's return is also quite fun, and it's amusing that he doesn't believe the completely true story BoJack tells him about how he lost his pills. I also quite liked how Dr. Hu threw Sarah Lynn back in BoJack's face, highlighting that BoJack's personal plan for improvement hasn't worked perfectly and that he would do well to seek outside help. But of course, BoJack can't admit that he needs help and he won't see that he's relapsing again in spite of his personal plan. The Bad: Nothing bad about this one. The Unknown: Why is BoJack in his costume all the time? This is the second episode in a row where he has been wearing it, and even the show's intro has BoJack in his costume now. Is BoJack relapsing? He is drinking more alcohol and is clearly dealing with substance abuse issues. Will he be able to get back on track, or is he on a downward spiral again? Is this the end for Princess Carolyn's relationship with Ralph? I can't see her getting back with him. Best Moment: BoJack's goodbye to Hollyhock is very well done. Hollyhock is feeling a bit upset by how things went, but she still cares for BoJack, and is happy when she hears him admit that he might have been abusing his pain medications, and she gives him some advice. This seems like a good moment for BoJack, but based on what happens right after, it's clear that the pain of Hollyhock going back is enough to prevent him from taking her advice to heart. It's also sad to see Hollyhock express her love to him, but he's still so tragically unfamiliar with wholesome interactions that he doesn't know how to respond, even though it's clear that he wants to express back. Great stuff here. Character of the Episode: Hollyhock. It was great to have her back for an episode. Conclusion: A solid episode with three good storylines and a nice overarching theme of characters interacting with other characters from their past. Another good effort from this fifth season. Score: 68 Summary: The episode takes place across four different Halloween parties at BoJack's house. In 1993, Mr. Peanutbutter takes Katrina to BoJack's house for his first Halloween party. Mr. Peanutbutter gets caught up in the excitement and leaves Katrina alone, causing her to freak out and angrily leave. In 2004, Mr. Peanutbutter takes Jessica Biel to the Halloween party, but she freaks out after seeing a mummy and angrily storms out. In 2009, Mr. Peanutbutter takes a nervous Diane to the party. She meets BoJack but ends up being very awkward. She runs out of the house, feeling uncomfortable in the party. In the present, Mr. Peanutbutter takes Pickles to the party but she ends up drinking and gets upset with Mr. Peanutbutter, especially when Diane gets stuck at the party as well. Mr. Peanutbutter is confused by why he makes women less fun but Diane explains that they are just maturing while he does not mature. Diane talks to Pickles and gets them to reconcile. Everyone goes home as the party ends.
The Good: Once more, we get an excellent concept episode. Season 5 has been very creative so far, with an episode where Diane writes a blog post detailing the episode's events, an episode that's a 20 minute monologue, an episode told by a random couple who interacted with the main characters, and now an episode split across four different timelines that tells a cohesive story. These episodes have used their gimmicks very well to be highlights of the season. This episode is no exception as its exceedingly fun to see 4 different time periods in one episode, and the transitions between the time periods are consistently delightful. The comedy is a standout in this episode. The amount of cut away gags referencing events in other time periods are terrific, and they all pretty consistently made me laugh. Mr. Peanutbutter's costumes are a blast as well, and there are plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes about what will become of his relationships. I also enjoyed how the supporting cast were handled. BoJack growing frustrated by the parties, drinking heavily, and demanding they do another one by the end is quite funny. Diane having her car boxed in, making her unable to leave is also really funny. Princess Carolyn being stuck on door duty is a funny twist, and it's amusing that she gets to interact with kid Todd, telling him to come back when he's older (the cut to an older Todd arriving is a nice touch as well). The star of the show is obviously Mr. Peanutbutter. This episode is all about him, with the show taking some time to critique its (arguably) most lovable character. We've always known that Mr. Peanutbutter gets lost in his love of parties, and that has worked against him in his relationships. We see Katrina getting frustrated by being abandoned by Mr. Peanutbutter as the most direct consequence of his actions, and we also see Diane being extremely uncomfortable in her first party which Mr. Peanutbutter ends up completely forgetting time and time again as he continually arranges parties (as an aside, I got a good laugh out of him saying that it's good they discussed Diane's feelings so they never have to have this argument again). But this aspect of Mr. Peanutbutter's character is something we already knew. The episode needed to go deeper, and thankfully it did. As Mr. Peanutbutter starts to reflect on how the women in his life seem to grow more miserable around him, he makes the connection that he ruins women. But that's not the case at all and Diane hits the nail on its head when talking with him: the reason for Mr. Peanutbutter's failed relationships is his inability to mature as he grows older. He stunted his development in his mid 20s, and now 20+ years later he hasn't changed or grown as all. Meanwhile all the women in his life have matured into fully formed adults, and that's where Mr. Peanutbutter gets left behind. This is a nice bit of character exploration as it informs us more about Mr. Peanutbutter while also providing some humous with how Mr. Peanutbutter completely fails to grasp what is going wrong without Diane's help. The episode also offered some lovely bits of storytelling with the side characters. Diane meeting BoJack awkwardly at the Halloween party is perfect, and it's amusingly fitting that BoJack would forget that he ever met her and Diane would be too embarrassed to ever bring this up. But it's also sad that BoJack was affected at this party by learning about what happened to his dad at the duel, which was heartbreaking and it seemingly got in the way of BoJack connecting with Diane at an earlier point. Another sad moment is BoJack telling Todd he can stay as long as he wants. It was nice to see how Todd originally ended up at BoJack's, but it's also sad considering that Todd has long since moved on and doesn't often interact with BoJack anymore. Princess Carolyn wearing a pilot costume to every party, a reference to her love for Amelia Earhart, is a lovely character detail. The Bad: If there is a major flaw with this episode, it's that there isn't really a standout moment in all of this. The one moment that could have been great was when Diane spoke with Mr. Peanutbutter. Diane explaining to Mr. Peanutbutter why his relationships all fall apart explores the episode's central idea well, but it felt too straightforward and lacked subtlety. Diane just spelled it out for him without any real nuance. I feel like this should have been the episode's big emotional moment, but instead it felt surprisingly simplistic, lacking most emotional resonance. This episode is also very heavy on reference humour. I got most of the jokes, so I got a good laugh out of it. But I understand that these jokes will be a complete miss for some people, and that will weaken this episode for them. The Unknown: Will Mr. Peanutbutter's relationship with Pickles last? Or is this one also doomed to fail, just like his previous ones? Best Moment: I'll go with the cuts between all of the awkward freakouts at the Halloween parties over the years. It's remarkable how Mr. Peanutbutter consistently pushed all of his significant others away at these parties, and I thought that this sequence of repeated arguments showed the flaws in his character far more effectively than Diane's words. Character of the Episode: Mr. Peanutbutter. Conclusion: This is the best character exploration we have ever got for Mr. Peanutbutter. It was fascinating to learn more about how and why his relationships all fall apart, and in typical "BoJack Horseman" fashion, this was all done in an exceedingly funny episode, possibly the funniest of the season. The episode didn't ever threaten any all-time great moments, but it was a fun experience that offered up plenty of entertainment for me. Score: 71 Summary: The story is framed by a married couple telling stories of their clients to each other. BoJack is distressed by his mother's death but is struggling to express it. He wants to talk with Diane, but she needs space from BoJack after hearing the tape. Diane tells BoJack her therapist says she shouldn't talk to him so BoJack storms off to see the therapist and ends up becoming her client unintentionally. Diane is furious and leaves, but BoJack also leaves when he realizes this is therapy and not just a new friend. Diane and BoJack argue and Diane writes a scene into Philbert that mirrors what happened to BoJack in New Mexico. Princess Carolyn and Todd have a disagreement when Todd accuses her of stealing his cheese string. After some drama, they end up working it out and Todd gives Princess Carolyn a new office.
The Good: This episode has such a creative concept behind it that makes it so much more interesting. This could easily just be a normal story exploring two separate conflicts but instead the episode goes the extra mile and tells a vast majority of the story from the perspective of a married couple swapping stories in a restaurant. This is a breath of fresh air, and it leads to several hilarious jokes involving the characters who are now alternate versions of themselves. The new intro with "BoBo the Angsty Zebra" is fantastic, and the rest of the episode is filled with similarly comedic characters. Flippy the dolphin is really funny, Todd being "Emperor Fingerface" for some reason is really amusing, and I got a real laugh out of the simplicity of "Mr. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread". I also like that the character of each of the wives is established with how they name the characters. Indira isn't particularly creative and just makes character names sound laughably similar to what they actually are, while Mary-Beth comes up with outrageously left field ideas to describe everyone. It's consistently entertaining and I got a lot of laughs out of seeing what variations of existing characters we will get. The storytelling is pretty good too. I thought that BoJack and Diane's conflict was very realistic. BoJack's way to handle problems has always been to clamour for attention without outright asking for it, leading to nobody actually caring. So he just ends up complaining to whoever will listen to him, which is usually Diane. However, Diane wants to stay away from him this time and that puts BoJack in an awkward place. He desperately needs to talk to someone but his one friend he usually relies on is unavailable. To make matters worse, Mr. Peanutbutter continues to make him feel bad about himself because of how BoJack is unable to connect with people like he does. It's amusing to see everyone console Mr. Peanutbutter on a loss that doesn't ring true like it does for BoJack, and it's easy to understand his frustration. Meanwhile, Diane just needs some time to process what she heard on the tape and collect her thoughts regarding BoJack. But he doesn't give her the opportunity because he ends up going to her therapist (courtesy of some awful advice from Indira) and even steals her therapist away. Indira is pretty deplorable here to cause all of this chaos, and you can't help but feel bad for Diane who has now lost her safe space to BoJack. Their eventual argument at the end of the episode feels earned, and it makes sense that Diane would lash out angrily at BoJack considering what she knows and how her morality will not let her stand for BoJack's awful behaviour. This was a well written story that perfectly captures how frustrations can lead to a divide in friendships. The end of the episode is a perfect catharsis for everything. Diane is fed up by BoJack relating with her and thinking they are the same because she knows that he crossed a boundary that she never will cross. And his stubborn refusal to do therapy pushes her over the edge, doing something that will most certainly hurt BoJack and could potentially undo all of the progress he has made to become a better person. Diane writes a scene for Flip and makes it so that the character BoJack is playing will be struggling with the very same past mistake that BoJack is dealing with, forcing BoJack to relive his nightmare every single day. It's a cruel and vindictive thing to do, and it's heartbreaking to see BoJack realize what Diane has done and that she knows about what happened. We know BoJack has been trying to get better, and it's sad to see that he is unable to escape from his past mistakes, even if he justifiably should be condemned for what he's done. This is a dark and complicated moment that really made me think about what is justifiable and who is in the right in this fight between BoJack and Diane. Princess Carolyn and Todd's B-story doesn't add much (see: The Bad), but it's a decent way to flesh out their relationship more. I was especially amused by the cheese string reveal at the end of the storyline, which had been subtly set up by some dramatic drumrolls any time Todd reached for his pen earlier in the episode. There are some little things as always. The various iterations of our main characters were quite funny, and I love that the show went all out with making a new intro featuring BoBo instead of BoJack. I enjoyed Mary-Beth quite a bit because her mediation tactics were laughably simplistic. Her flowchart in the background called "Mary-Beth's mediation map" is laughably simplistic and utterly useless. I also quite liked the 4th wall breaking joke as Mary-Beth and Indira talk about how it will be better to intertwine their stories as a tongue-in-cheek reference to how TV shows handle A-stories and B-stories. Lastly, I really liked the jab at cliched action movies with the "barf me a river fartbags" line during the intense submarine shootout. The Bad: The Todd/Princess Carolyn story feels completely pointless. It has been a pattern in this season where the side stories don't go anywhere interesting and only serve to provide a comedic B-story. Previous seasons had more substance to their side stories, but this season has not offered the same storytelling depth. Instead we get what is basically a typical animated comedy storyline that doesn't offer much outside of the novelty of the episode's main premise. The Unknown: I imagine that BoJack will tell Diane the full story of New Mexico at some point. What happens when Diane finds out? Will they reconnect, or will this destroy their friendship? Best Moment: The final scene is done very well as BoJack slowly realizes that this submarine scene has been maliciously inspired by his most shameful moment in real life. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: Another creative episode, this time one that is rooted in the compelling developing conflict between BoJack and Diane. The story was good and I got some of the biggest laughs of the season out of this one. Score: 73 Summary: A flashback shows Butterscotch picking up BoJack late after soccer and ranting to him about Beatrice and life in general. In the present, BoJack gives an extended eulogy for his mother but it turns out he was at the wrong funeral.
The Good: It was a genius idea to have this episode be one long monologue. Well technically two if you count the flashback sequence as well, but it's still the same brilliant idea. A whole episode of listening to BoJack speak and process his mother's death as a way to dive into the character deeper than we have ever gone before. This concept is basically the inverse of season 3's fantastic "Fish Out of Water", and it is every bit as effective. The whole premise is BoJack giving a eulogy, in which he amusingly uses his stand-up comedy skills to make it more entertaining. Throughout this self-indulgent, emotionally messy speech, we get to learn more and more about BoJack's past, unearthing new details we never knew, while also exploring his current mental state and why it has been so hard for him to deal with his parents dying even though he never even liked them. The episode handles this stuff superbly well and I can't wait to dive into what this episode had to offer. First and foremost, BoJack's grief for his mother is crushingly sad. What makes it so impactful is that the episode doesn't outwardly show his pain, instead it subtly reveals it underneath the surface of a man who is trying to stay put together and explain this pain that he can't seem to understand. The loss of an abusive parent is so much more complex than just losing a parent, and I love that this episode cared to address the contradictory feelings that one experiences in this situation. It's the accuracy to reality which makes this so affecting and so painful. So many little things are perfectly accurate. BoJack's jokes about his dead mother scream defence mechanism to save himself from hurting too much. I also absolutely loved seeing BoJack ranting about the bad parts about his mother, and yet still finding solace in one of the few beautiful memories he had: when his father would come out to watch her dance at parties. The only moment when the monologue stopped all episode was for a brief bit of recollection in this moment as BoJack remembers the one hopeful memory he had. And just like in real life, it's gone in a flash and we see him snap back to reality and the eulogy he is giving. Brutal stuff. The obvious highlight of the episode for me is BoJack trying to attribute meaning to his mother's "I See You" (see: Best Moment). He dwells on this for a long period, going through the rational and emotional aspects of his brain in trying to figure out what it all meant, before discovering the truth towards the end of the episode in a heartbreaking moment. This is all outstanding storytelling, and a compelling dive into the character of BoJack and the episode's theme of the complicated grief after losing family members. The episode started away from BoJack's monologue in an interesting flashback sequence where we get another horrifying snapshot of BoJack's life when his father comes to pick him up. The sequence is horrible as Butterscotch rambles on and on, somehow saying worse and worse things every sentence while a hurt and angry BoJack cowers, looking outside the car window. Anyone who has experienced similar ravings from a parent can understand and connect to BoJack, and the scene is fantastically written. It does hold some storytelling weight to it as well since Butterscotch advises BoJack that he can never rely on other people and that he's all alone. It's an awful thing to say to your own kid, but ironically, Butterscotch telling this to BoJack accomplishes the opposite. Instead of believing he is alone, BoJack lived a life in denial of this fact, waiting for it to be proven wrong because he so desperately wanted some sort of affection from his awful parents. But as BoJack repeats Butterscotch's dialogue about how good it is that he learned not to rely on others at Beatrice's funeral, it's clear that BoJack has finally been defeated by this lesson. That's a tragic overarching theme for this episode, and it's told naturally with such great attention to detail to make it all the more devastating. More on Butterscotch, we learned quite a bit about him. We never knew how he passed away, but now we get the half-funny, half-sad reveal that he died after tripping and falling during a duel because people didn't like his novel. It's painfully ironic and exemplifies all of Butterscotch's worst character traits, but you can only imagine how this would have affected BoJack and Beatrice. It also stemmed one of the episode's best lines: "my husband is dead and everything is worse now", a line that is explored in great depth by BoJack throughout the episode. Before I ramble on about every little thing I loved about this episode, I'll go ahead and talk about the ending. After BoJack finally finds some clarity and closure for saying goodbye to his mother, he decides to do an open casket and honour the one thing he knew his mother wanted. It's here that we're given a fantastic gag to close out the episode as BoJack realizes he was in the wrong funeral parlour and gave this heartfelt eulogy to a dozen lizards who don't even know Beatrice. This is a hilarious and excellent closing joke, but it also reflects BoJack's character perfectly. This eulogy is incredibly self-indulgent, which is what we expect of BoJack who has always struggled to see things outside of his point of view. Him not even noticing that he might be in the wrong room is perfectly in-character with someone who is so self-obsessed that he doesn't think a single thought about the audience members, failing to even realize that he's at the wrong funeral. It's fantastic, it's fitting, and it ends the episode on the right note. I've got a few other small bits that I want to touch on before finishing this review. I loved the gag with the musician, who always seemed to do the wrong thing at the wrong time. It was amusing and added to the feeling that BoJack was using his stand-up skills to get by with this eulogy. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing BoJack reference his attempt to save Todd back in "Out to Sea" when he's talking about how a grand gesture of love isn't enough to make up for consistent failings. It's clear that BoJack has taken the incident to heart and regrets what happened with Todd, but he understands that he failed as a friend, which is a beautiful detail to include. The story about how he got a free churro was a good way to kick off the speech since it's BoJack contemplating something odd he couldn't quite explain (getting a free churro because your mother died). It sets the right tone for the contemplative nature of his eulogy, and it also gets called back brilliantly at the end with BoJack referencing the kindness of the stranger giving him a free churro in contrast to his mother's cruelty. Lastly, as a writer I couldn't help but chuckle when Butterscotch talked about his unique sentence that went on for pages and pages. If only we could have a chance to read his novel, I'm sure it was awful. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: Will BoJack ever find peace after his mother's passing? How will this affect him going forwards? Best Moment: BoJack's realization that "I see you" was actually "ICU". This is a crushing realization for BoJack who had blissfully tries to use this final line as closure, perhaps just one moment where his mother recognized him. But it was false, and the realization launches BoJack into a heartfelt rant where he gets to address his disappointment and frustration in his mother and why it still hurts to lose her. Consistent with how BoJack learned everything from TV, he compares his feeling for her passing to his feelings for the TV show "Becker", a profound way for him to communicate his feelings in a way we don't usually see from him. In an incredible and profound monologue, this small section stood out the most to me. Character of the Episode: BoJack obviously. Conclusion: One of the best episode's of the show yet, easily. The premise behind this one was creative and unique, and the result was a focused and emotional deep dive into BoJack with some brilliant writing and voice acting. You don't get episodes like these from every TV show. This is a rare gem, and it will go down as one of the most memorable experiences from this show. Score: 86 Summary: Loki puts in every effort to prevent the Temporal Loom from exploding but he fails at every turn and it is simply not possible. Loki goes back to stop Sylvie from killing He Who Remains, but is also unsuccessful. He realizes he may have to kill Sylvie to save everyone but doesn’t want to do it. After talking in the past with Mobius and Sylvie, Loki decides to destroy the Temporal Loom and keeps the timelines in balance with his own power, choosing to remain at the End of Time himself to govern the multiverse.
The Good: So many MCU shows have had awful season finales, opting for a basic and predictable action climax with zero twists, turns, or emotional character moments. “Loki” stunned me by refusing to adhere to conventions, crafting a terrific finale that celebrates the character of Loki and all he achieved throughout the show. I was invested in this show and the characters, and that paid off beautifully by the end. As Loki climbed to the throne with a far more honourable motive than anything we’ve ever seen from him before, I felt genuine catharsis, evidence that this show succeeded with the story that it was telling. The episode earned this ending by having Loki do everything in his power to fix the Temporal Loom without resorting to this. The early parts of the episode are terrific, editing Loki’s attempts to save the world in increasingly comedic ways as the character grows more and more frustrated by his failures. Even after studying time for literal centuries, he was unable to save the world, a fantastic reveal and a terrific twist in this finale. I appreciated that the story went back to the season 1 finale with He Who Remains, and forcing Loki to negotiate with someone who is basically another god was highly compelling stuff. But the show did not get lost in plot. The final act of this show is determined by two emotional conversations with Loki and his two closest companions, Mobius and Sylvie. Loki knew he would have to kill Sylvie to save the world, and couldn’t bear to do it. But he knew he had to make the hard choice to save the world after a great talk with Mobius. But after speaking with Sylvie, Loki understands that he needs to preserve free will, and so he makes the ultimate sacrifice; instead of sacrificing Sylvie, Loki sacrifices himself, using magic to create an ideal universe for everyone to live the lives that they want. It’s a beautiful bit of character development with Loki opening his mind to accept the truths that others have told him throughout the show, finally achieving the glorious purpose he was hunting in the series premiere, albeit in a way he never would have imagined. The storytelling is brilliant, and it leads to a beautiful and satisfying conclusion that thematically fits the show, and achieves everything that the show set out to achieve involving its main character. I was very pleased by this ending. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: Will Loki ever be able to leave the End of Time, or is this his fate forever? Will his new TVA be able to stop the Kang variants from starting a multiversal war? Best Moment: Loki stepping up to his new throne and finally achieving his glorious purpose. Character of the Episode: Loki. Conclusion: This was an immensely satisfying finale, closing out Loki’s character arc in a beautiful and dramatic way, while making every event in this show feel like it had weight. Now this is how you do a finale episode. Score: 73 Summary: Loki starts time-slipping again as the TVA is destroyed. He keeps teleporting to alternate variants of his friends in various universes. After talking with OB, he realizes he needs to reunite them to save the TVA. While OB builds a TemPad, Loki recruits everyone else, but he fails to get Sylvie. Sylvie changes her mind and joins him when her timeline is destroyed. Everyone is assembled, but the TemPad disappears and the universe is destroyed. Loki manages to control his time-slipping and moves to before the Temporal Loom’s destruction.
The Good: I enjoyed this. It felt like an old-fashioned sci-fi movie with Loki jumping around through time with OB playing the role of an intelligent scientist who can help the protagonist deal with a situation that’s almost impossible to navigate. This was simple entertainment, and it felt different from anything else we’ve seen on the show. It was also enjoyable to see Loki going from friend to friend, recruiting them for his mission to save the TVA. It was great to finally see Mobius’ alternate life, and his role as a salesman fits the character perfectly. B-15 being a doctor is also fitting with her sharp desire to start saving lives in the TVA, Casey being an escaping inmate is pretty funny, and OB’s alternate life as a fiction writer is pretty entertaining too. I enjoyed getting the chance to see all of these alternate lives. The centerpiece scene of the episode is Loki speaking with Sylvie, and it works to an extent (see: The Bad). I like that this scene was used to ignite the Loki/Sylvie conflict one more time, and the exploration of how Loki has become attached to his new friends was nice. The end of the episode provides a fun cliffhanger as Loki’s extreme frustration seems to lead to him mastering time-slipping. The Bad: Loki’s scene with Sylvie has one huge flaw: why does he not bring up that all timelines will be destroyed if she doesn’t help him? He practically couldn’t shut up about this earlier, so why didn’t he mention it here? Especially since Sylvie does change her mind when her timeline is destroyed. Clearly this was only omitted because the show wanted Loki’s hidden motivation reveal to be more dramatic, but it’s always unsatisfying when the writer’s fingerprints are so plain to see without much thought. The Unknown: Did Loki control his time-slipping at the end? Can he use the time-slipping to go back in time and save the Temporal Loom? What can he do to save it? Best Moment: Loki’s frustration when things fall apart for him once again at the end of the episode. Character of the Episode: Loki. Conclusion: This was an atypical, but fun episode paying homage to older sci-fi films. I enjoyed it for its simplicity and found it to be an engrossing set-up for the finale. Score: 66 Summary: Ravonna learns that she commanded He Who Remains’ army but he erased her memories. Ravonna kills Dox and her people, recruiting Brad in the process. Timely works to help solve OB’s problem but he is captured by Brad while taking a break. Sylvie uses Brad to prune Ravonna, while OB reboots the system to deactivate Miss Minutes. Timely decides to help fix the Temporal Loom by using the Throughput Multiplier, but he is immediately killed by the temporal radiation. The temporal loom explodes.
The Good: The fourth episode was a climactic and surprising episode in the first season, and the same rings true for the second season. This episode had a lot going on, and it was interesting to see where the story went next. It was challenging to predict, and there was plenty of tension with Ravonna’s impending presence, the failing Temporal Loom, and Timely being captured. I especially enjoyed the scenes with the Temporal Loom. There was still a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, but it’s grounded in the amusing mutual respect between Timely and OB. Timely has another great episode with his entertaining interactions and fascination over the TVA. The importance of saving the Temporal Loom is communicated well, so I was invested in seeing if OB and Timely could save it, even if I did not fully understand why. The twist at the end is terrific as Timely is immediately disintegrated against all odds and the Temporal Loom seems to collapse at the end. It’s difficult to see what comes next, and I’m excited to see what twists “Loki” has in store for the final two episodes. The Bad: The Dox storyline is over, and it all feels completely pointless. They didn’t end up doing anything for the plot, and the resolution with all of them being killed by Ravonna was underwhelming. I was also disappointed with how things were resolved for the Ravonna/Miss Minutes storyline. I expected them to play a bigger role and have a more climactic finale. Instead, the story fizzled out after a very simple enchantment by Sylvie, and one technical adjustment from OB. The reveal that Loki pruned himself in “Ouroboros” fell flat because it didn’t really add anything interesting to the story. The Unknown: Is this the end for Ravonna and Miss Minutes? What will become of Brad? Is the TVA going to be destroyed now that the Temporal Loom has exploded? Can Loki do anything to stop this? What will come next? Best Moment: Everything going up in smoke at the end. Character of the Episode: Timely. Conclusion: This is a fun and climactic episode, but some disappointing aspects of the story prevent it from reaching the highs I expected. Score: 62 Summary: Loki and Mobius hunt for Miss Minutes to try to help OB. Miss Minutes is with Ravonna and they are meeting Victor Timely, a Kang variant. Loki and Mobius arrive and the two parties fight over Timely, each trying to use him for their own ends. Ravonna and Miss Minutes betray each other, Sylvie arrives, and Timely ends up being taken to the TVA successfully by Loki and Mobius. Sylvie sends Ravonna to the End of Time, and Ravonna allies with Miss Minutes again to fight against He Who Remains.
The Good: I thoroughly enjoyed this episode’s mad scramble to get to Victor Timely. There were almost countless different groups all hunting him down, and this led to a momentous and thrilling chase episode. Timely is the star of the whole process. He’s much more than just a smart man as he exhibits a feigned innocence to sell his act of being a con-man that profits off of the stupidity of rich white men. On top of that he’s incredibly prideful and arrogant, so it’s fun to not only see him try to grasp what is happening around him, but to pick an choose who he wants to support because of how they treat him. It’s amusing to see him betray Ravonna for the crime of viewing herself as an equal, just as fun as any other exciting chase sequence in the episode. The Bad: I’m disappointed that there was virtually no follow-up on the end of the previous episode. It’s quite convenient how quickly Loki and Mobius find Ravonna and Timely in an enormous fair. Motives are once more a problem. I’m not sure what Ravonna and Miss Minutes are after with Timely. Are they trying to make another He Who Remains? How will they do that, and why do they care to do that? These are important questions, but they aren’t addressed throughout the episode. After, we get a twist that their motives changed and they no longer need Timely, which just confuses me more. Sylvie’s motives are even worse. She’s a wild card, but I fail to understand why she wants to kill the HWR variants when she is the reason for their existence. I don’t understand why she cares so much. That’s the issue with this episode, it’s fun on the surface but the muddled motivations make this harder to enjoy. The Unknown: What will Timely do now that he’s in the TVA? Will he comply with Loki and Mobius or does he have other aspirations? What is Ravonna’s secret? Best Moment: Timely’s introduction on the stage is a brilliant moment, and Johnathan Majors’ performance is electric. Character of the Episode: Timely. Conclusion: The mad chase for Timely was fun to watch and it gives this episode a unique premise. Unfortunately the muddled motives get in the way and damage the episode’s quality. Outside of that, this was a good episode. Score: 59 Summary: Loki and Mobius track down X-5 to find Sylvie. They find him living normally as Brad and they capture him. Together they wear him down and convince him to reveal where Sylvie is. Loki meets with Sylvie but she doesn’t want to help him save the TVA. OB works to repair the Temporal Loom, but is stumped when he needs a scan of He Who Remains, who is now dead. Brad reveals that Dox plans to prune all branching timelines, which she does, causing mass casualties.
The Good: I’m thankful that this season is giving us plenty of scenes with Loki and Mobius together as they were one of the highlights of the first season. The whole section where they had to get the truth out of Brad was very well done and made good use of the characters. Loki got to show his development by using his mischievous nature with some restraint, Mobius got some much-needed direction as we explore how his character has handled learning about the real life he has, and Brad was entertaining as a sleazy villain that they needed to break down. This was fun stuff, and the heart to heart over pie between Loki and Mobius was especially compelling. The Bad: Unfortunately things start falling apart when we look at the bigger picture. Loki and Mobius spend the episode hunting for Sylvie, and I can’t quite figure out what they want to accomplish with her. When Loki and Sylvie finally meet, all he wants is answers but surely he knows that she won’t have any for him! It’s Brad who knows what Dox is up to, which should be a more urgent issue for Loki and Mobius right now. I was also very confused why Brad didn’t reveal anything to Loki and Mobius, surely giving up Sylvie’s location won’t interfere with Dox’s plan. I was also confused why Dox seemingly didn’t make any contact with Sylvie after the last episode established that she was going after her. The end of the episode completely falls flat. The TVA being able to prune entire timelines came out of nowhere, and everyone’s horrified reaction at what happened did not have any impact. I’m not sure how this will affect the story at all (what’s stopping more timelines from popping up), and I struggle to believe that the TVA will be so horrified about all this death when they have been killing variants for centuries, which is surely a bigger tragedy to process than this. It also felt redundant to have Sylvie return to the TVA, only to leave again immediately after what happened. I also found the episode’s pacing to be inconsistent. We sped through the opening and ending scenes without giving any context to what was happening, yet we spent an eternity on the Loki/Mobius/Brad storyline. It felt wrong. The Unknown: What will be the consequences of the timeline destruction at the end? Why isn’t OB allowed into the Temporal Loom? Did Miss Minutes change this? Where has Ravonna been found? Best Moment: Mobius and Loki having a heart to heart over pie. It was nice to see Loki diving into Mobius’ psyche to help him process his meltdown against Brad, a nice inversion of season 1. Character of the Episode: Mobius. Conclusion: Loki and Mobius do their best to make this enjoyable, but the episode is weighed down by strange pacing, murky character motivations, and a confusing ending. Score: 55 Summary: Loki is time slipping, constantly jumping uncontrollably between timelines. Mobius and B-15 meet with the TVA judges and convince them to stop killing branched timelines with help from a manic Loki. General Dox doesn’t agree and sends out X-5 to find Sylvie. Mobius takes Loki to Ouroboros (OB) to get help. Mobius and Loki learn that Loki has to prune himself while Mobius uses a Temporal Aura Extractor on the Temporal Loom with risk of death if they fail. Mobius uses the TEA properly but Loki is unable to prune himself in another timeline. However, he is somehow pruned anyways and survives. Meanwhile, Sylvie starts a new life in 1982.
The Good: The time-slipping concept is a lot of fun, and it’s executed well in this episode. It’s simultaneously dramatic and terrifying, while having an amusing comedic timing that works very well. Loki being stuck with this condition immediately gives this season momentum as there is a rush to get him back to normal, and healing him also puts the lives of Mobius and Loki in danger. This makes the premiere episode unexpectedly climactic and intense, and this works to make season 2 immediately exciting and interesting. I really enjoyed the presence of OB, played by the talented Ke Huy Quan. OB is instantly charismatic, and his way of talking is quite funny. He seems like a good addition to the cast while also offering some important information about how the TVA functions with the Temporal Loom. The Bad: This episode missed the mark a few times. There is a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo thrown into the exposition scenes, which has the unintended side effect of making it hard to engage with the plot since it does not make sense. I’m also quite certain that OB’s explanations will not hold up to scrutiny if you think about it, making the convoluted exposition feel like a plot device whenever I hear it. I enjoy this show’s mix of comedy and drama, but sometimes it was too much. For example, a joke about a random TVA lady overhearing Loki’s crazy explanations breaks my immersion because this is information that Loki and Mobius should be keeping to themselves to prevent a panic; we should not be laughing at the fact that someone else is learning this stuff. The Unknown: Will Mobius talking to OB 400 years ago be an important plot point? How did Loki get pruned? Why was Sylvie there? When did this happen? Loki heard Kang and Ravonna talking? When did this happen? Where is Ravonna? What is Sylvie doing in this new universe? Will Dox find Sylvie? Best Moment: I’ll go with the charm of OB’s introduction. The character is so fun and full of energy, and he plays the role of all-knowing helper very well. Character of the Episode: OB. Conclusion: This was a fine way to start a new season. Things were immediately dramatic and there’s plenty to enjoy here. Score: 66 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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