Summary: Todd leaves to join Copernicus on the Giggleship and says goodbye to a self-loathing BoJack. Princess Carolyn tells him they finished the movie without him using technology to replace his performance, and that she made an orphanage under his name. None of these things please BoJack. BoJack decides to go after Todd, the one person who sees the good in him. Todd finds out Copernicus is a fraud and is trapped in the Giggleship. BoJack breaks him out and takes him back. Princess Carolyn opens up the new agency, but does so without Rutabaga. She gets Diane a new gig, and when out in public, she runs into Mr. Peanutbutter, but he doesn't ask questions and merely wants her back home.
The Good: BoJack's story in this episode is full of regret and self-loathing, and why wouldn't it be after the events of last episode? This episode sees BoJack at his absolute worst, giving in to despair and no longer making nay attempt to be good. Where "Downer Ending" saw BoJack begging Diane to see the good in him, he is now accepting that he is horrible, and is struggling to handle this fact. His pessimistic speech to the orphans highlights this phenomenally as he highlights how he never seems to do anything good on his own. Then there's his goodbye to Todd, which is a painful scene. Todd is looking for a reason to believe in BoJack again, but BoJack is too caught in his self-loathing to notice, and he ends up unintentionally suggesting to Todd that their friendship meant nothing when in reality he thinks that he has been purely terrible to Todd and doesn't deserve him. It takes BoJack realizing how empty his current life is to make him finally make an effort, and what an effort he makes. BoJack realized that Hollywoo will never see the good side of him and will encourage his awfulness, so he goes to an extreme to get Todd back, the one person who makes him feel like he can be better. His gesture towards Todd is powerful and it feels good to see BoJack trying to be better for once and actually succeeding by saving Todd from this awful cult. All of this builds up to a superb ending scene. This season ends where it began, with BoJack struggling to run up the hill outside his house. But notable, he gets a little farther. Not by much, but it is some progress, and it's a great metaphor for BoJack's inner journey this season. He's had ups and downs, but ultimately he did make some progress towards better understanding himself, his problem, and what he needs to do to be better. I adore the way this episode and this season ends. "Escape From L.A." ended with despair and pain, but the season rehabilitates us with some hope, and chooses to end on an optimistic note rather than a bleak one, something that I applaud the writers for. After collapsing in exhaustion, the running man comes up to BoJack and delivers a phenomenal quote: "Every day it get a little easier. But you have to do it every day. That's the hard part". The line is fantastic because it's the perfect instruction for how BoJack gets better. He made a grand gesture to Todd today, but he has to make sure to maintain this standard every day. That's where the challenge will be for him, but the longer he stays decent, the easier it will be. Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane have been compelling all season, and I'm glad to see them have a pair of excellent scenes in this episode to conclude their story for the season. The opening sequence is so sad as we see both Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane living their separate lives, and yet they are unable to escape from their pain. Diane is happily enjoying Mr. Peanutbutter's energy on the TV, but reminders of her failure to change the world is enough to make her run away from him again; she loves him, but is so ashamed and insecure. Meanwhile, Mr. Peanutbutter looks to be living the dream on his own, but it isn't until a final shot of his sadly sitting on his roof alone that we really see how much he misses Diane and wants to have her back. All of this builds to a fantastic scene later where Mr. Peanutbutter spots Diane. This could easily have been grounds for an enormous fight, but their shared feelings of missing each other overcome all negativity here in such a sweet way. Diane is stunned to see him, and she looks like a deer in the headlights, terrified that all of the negativity she has been stewing in will finally come true. But Mr. Peanutbutter doesn't indulge in that. He misses Diane too much, and he makes it clear that he will not judge her, or yell at her, or demand answers; he just wants her to come home. Diane's relief upon hearing this is palpable, and hearing the sweetness in their conversation at the end is delightful. Well done to this season for turning these two into such an engaging pairing that I'm actively rooting for. The continuity in this episode was exceptional, with so many jokes and story beats calling back on events that happened throughout the season. In the very first episode, BoJack had himself scanned in case of an emergency where he did something stupid, and that paid off here when the movie was finished using that scan to create a fully CGI BoJack. The orphanage stuff is pretty funny too because BoJack made this statement all the way back in "Still Broken", and it's nice to see the jar of Herb's ashes (which has appeared consistently all season) finally get some resolution by being used for the orphanage. But only after being comically broken by Stuart of course. I have talked a lot about that ending line already, but it's brilliant to see the running man used in this final moment. He has been running outside BoJack's house in every establishing shot, so it's great to see him finally used for something important. The credits for the Secretariat movie being dedicated to Corduroy and "Debra's Old Face" is really funny, and another great callback to the first episode. Lastly, a very small moment, but that baby bird that hatched in the previous episode takes flight from the stroller in a lovely gag that is a perfect example of how much care this show puts into the smaller details, details that most people likely won't notice on a first watch. Some other little things were amusing. I liked the sea creatures boarding the Giggleship directly out of the water. Rutabaga finally made me laugh with his horrific statement after news of Mr. Witherspoon's condition just broke. The improv security being so easily outsmarted was a pretty funny culmination of the improv idea. The Bad: Again, the side stories did not entirely work for me. The improv story has the occasional fun joke, but I have to question why this was such an important storyline that had multiple episodes dedicated to it. The comedy was lacking, Todd's character journey was almost non-existent, and the side characters were totally forgettable. I got nothing out of this story. Princess Carolyn leaving Rutabaga behind should have felt like a triumph, but since I've found it difficult to invest in this storyline, it had very little impact on me. The season never got me invested in their relationship and the new agency storyline, so this big emotional point fell completely flat. The Unknown: Will Mr. Witherspoon die? What's next for Rutabaga now that Princess Carolyn cut him out? He burned bridges at Vigor, so where will he go now? Who is Jill Pill? What was BoJack's history with her? What was this other show that BoJack was involved with? Best Moment: The unexpected beauty of Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter being reunited and getting back to their usual routine without a hitch because they had missed each other so much. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: A touching, and effective season finale that lays down the foundations for season 3. Some of the side stories here did not land for me, but most of the storytelling was great, and the result is a profoundly satisfying end to a profoundly satisfying season. The second season of "BoJack Horseman" was a massive improvement on the first. Season 1 was so rough and unpolished in nearly every aspect, but season 2 took a lot more care in its storytelling, comedy, characters, and style. Every episode was enjoyable, offering a consistency that was not there in season 1. The humour was much improved, with "Let's Find Out" being a prime example of it, though there was still inconsistencies in joke quality. More overtly positive is the handling of the characters, with almost all of them being massively improved from season 1. BoJack continues to be a fascinating lead character, with his personality being fun and charismatic, but his actions and behaviour often being reprehensible. Todd was written with more conviction this time around and ends up being much better as a result. Diane becomes emotionally well-rounded and relatable in a way similar to BoJack, and the same goes for Mr. Peanutbutter who went from being genuinely one-dimensional to providing some of the most emotionally memorable moments this season. The only miss this season was Princess Carolyn, whose story was relegated to the background, and often felt repetitive or underdeveloped. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this season. Like season 1, it got better as it went on, with "Escape From L.A." being a gem of an episode to serve as the climax. This show fulfills a unique itch by combining comedy with some of the most relatable, heavy storytelling I have seen in a TV show, and I'm excited to see what creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg has in store for us in season 3. Score: 68
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Summary: BoJack meets Charlotte in New Mexico and is introduced to her family. He makes an excuse for why he's there and says he's going to a boat show. He bonds a bit with Charlotte's daughter Penny and brings back a boat. He stays at Charlotte's place for several months, ignoring all other commitments. He goes with Penny to her prom and gets one of her friends very drunk. He leaves her at a hospital when she passes out and goes back with Penny. Penny makes a pass on him but BoJack sends her away. BoJack meets with Charlotte who offers him some advice. They kiss and he says they should stay together but Charlotte tells him he makes her sad and has to leave the next day. BoJack goes back to his boat where Penny is waiting. Charlotte goes to the boat and sees Penny and BoJack together. Outraged, she tells BoJack to leave. BoJack goes back to L.A. where he finds that Diane is still at his place.
The Good: What a sad reflection on the character of BoJack. This episode is sublime because it confirms the worst that we have feared all along about BoJack: that it is himself that is the cause of all of his issues. There has always been hope in previous episodes that BoJack can break out of this rut in his life, and that much of what has gone wrong has been because of his assimilation into Hollywoo(d) culture. But this episode, aptly titled "Escape From L.A." proves the lie in this sentiment. Here, BoJack has left his fame, career, and difficult life behind to find something new with Charlotte's family. And yet it all goes woefully wrong and everything gets ruined - and it's all BoJack's fault with nothing to blame but himself for what happened. It's a bleak reality check for BoJack, but also paints a strong message of how your life is always in your control to a certain degree, and if everything is going wrong, it's likely not society that needs to change, it's you. The episode starts off innocuously enough. The first part of the episode is abotu introducing Charlotte's family and how this throws BoJack off, but he's still putting in the effort to stay here with them; he'll do anything to avoid going back to his old life. It's surprising how well BoJack adjusts. He seems to grow into the role of being the fun "uncle" living in the boat, and develops a good relationship with the kids, especially Penny. It's great to see him start off as ruthlessly uncaring about Penny's high school life, but then later we see him be a certified expert in Penny's social life, showing that he's taken time to grow this relationship. It all seems fun, and it leads to BoJack joining Penny and her friends at the high school prom, which seems to be a harmless night of fun. It feels like BoJack has turned a corner, and as they all form a great memory by releasing glowstick balloons into the night sky, this feels like a fresh start for BoJack. But then, in a brilliantly constructed moment of horror, that all shifts. As he gives Penny the dance she never got, BoJack tells her "you look just like your mother", and suddenly all the red flags have become startlingly clear. You remember that BoJack opened up conversation with Penny by looking to see if he can get rid of Kyle. You remember how creeped out everyone was by BoJack's presence at the prom, and you realize how weird it is that he is here. And with Maddy passing out, you also realize just how irresponsible BoJack is being by not monitoring how much she drinks. It's a horrifying twist that makes you realize that underneath the glamour of BoJack's new life, he is stillt he same as always, and as the episode goes on, this just gets worse and worse. After BoJack rejects Penny's advances, there's a moment of relief where it feels like BoJack is making the mature decision. But all it takes is one negative conversation with Charlotte to bring out the worst in him again. BoJack makes a pass on her as he opens up about his struggles with himself and the choices he makes, but all he faces is an impending return to L.A., and the crushing reality that it's far too late for him to ever live out that dream life with Charlotte that he had back in "Downer Ending". So what does BoJack do? The single worst thing he could have possibly done, and the single worst thing he has ever done in this show so far. While he rejected Penny firmly the first time, the second time he leaves the door open, a brutal indication of how likely he would be to give in to Penny's demands to make himself feel better. And sure enough, that's what he does. There's a terrific moment as Charlotte goes back to the boat, led their by one of the glowstick balloons, a symbol of BoJack's immaturity, inability to grow out of his 20s, and general unawareness of the long-reaching consequences of his actions. With this, Charlotte, and also the audience, is horrified to see that BoJack gave in to his worst instincts once again and was about to sleep with a 17 year old. The aftermath is horrific, and Charlotte's delivery of "if I ever see you again, I will f*cking kill you" is like a knife through the heart. It's not just an awful moment for BoJack, it's an awful moment for the viewer who would have been rooting for BoJack to be better, and seeing him fail so badly is gutwrenchingly disappointing. The episode ends on a fantastic note. This show is typically very dialogue-heavy, so it's very notable that we get a sequence to end things off that's purely visual with little to no dialogue. BoJack returns to L.A. as his theme song plays, and we really get to reflect on who BoJack is and what he's done. I'm sure interpretation on this scene will vary, but for me this moment was an indication that L.A. is the place where BoJack belongs, because it's the location that best embodies the type of person BoJack has become. He can try to escape all he wants, but like Charlotte said earlier, he is now the tar pit. The return to L.A. with nothing having changed is indicative of BoJack's inability to change and grow out of the way of life he has been living for 30 years. And when he's back he's greeted with a funny, yet sad sight. After many months... Diane is still there. These two gave each other great advice at the end of "Yes And" to get their lives back together, and yet after several months, here they are back where they started with nothing having changed at all. Sad. More little things, as always. The "Kyle and the Kids" opening is absolutely fantastic, and I love that it replaced the regular intro, highlighting how this episode was such a departure from the usual format. The song is catchy and a perfect parody of cheesy sitcom intros. The pictures throughout have fun little bits in them as well, with a picture at Todd's doomed Disneyland from "Yesterdayland", an alligator waving at the camera in the Everglades, and a statue of Liberty that is a cat holding a torch made of yarn. I liked the humour that came from BoJack's lame excuses to justify why he's in Santa Fe. The boat show excuse is funny, and his improvised dialogue while on the phone is laughably terrible. Lastly, Pete Repeat actually not repeating a single thing he says is a terrific running joke. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. The Unknown: What's next for BoJack now that any chance of an idyllic family life with Charlotte has vanished? What's his next move? After months, Diane is still at BoJack's place! What has she been doing? What will be the consequences of BoJack leaving his job for months? Will he be able to return after all this time? Best Moment: The horrifying moment that Charlotte finds Penny with BoJack. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: A brutally sad, horrifying, and powerful episode. Much like "Downer Ending" last season, "Escape From L.A." provided an emotional climax for the season in a beautiful self-contained episode that told a complete story about BoJack's inner nastiness and how the problem is not rooted in where he is, but who he is. This season has been exceptional with how it has handled its heavier content, and it has especially gotten good at ending episodes on a grim, memorable note without it being overpowering. Fantastic stuff. Score: 80 Summary: Abe, the new director for the Secretariat movie, is ruining the film and BoJack loses his passion. He gets an opportunity to do a play in New York, but Abe screws him out of that. Depressed, BoJack stops working and stays at home with Diane, neglecting Wanda's wishes. Wanda goes to talk to him about it and they break up. BoJack and Diane open up to one another. BoJack decides to visit Charlotte in New Mexico. Diane decides to keep lying to Mr. Peanutbutter and tells him they should stop calling. Todd joins an improv cult and invites BoJack to a rehearsal that means a lot to him, but BoJack doesn't come.
The Good: The structure of this episode is good. It starts off light in tone with a story that makes this seem like another self-contained fun story, but by the episode's end, things take a much darker turn into heavier themes and emotion-oriented storytelling. It's very effective, and the ending stretch of this episode is one of the best parts of the season. Abe is a fun new side character, and his new relationship with BoJack is enjoyable. It's very funny how BoJack misunderstands Abe's horrible saying ("it's not Casablanca"), and how this leads to Abe making BoJack's life miserable on set. Which leads into the more serious aspect of this episode. BoJack is happy to do his job in this movie and then move his acting talents to play acting to seek fulfillment. But Abe's pettiness makes everything worse for BoJack and it ruins both his current job and his future. It's sad to see BoJack fall so sharply after starting this season in a more positive place, but it's brutally effective to see him lose everything going good in his life in this episode. His repeated line of "I'm tired of running in circles" is such a good way to showcase the frustrations he is dealing with. Wanda's relationship with BoJack also comes to an end here in brutal fashion. It's sad to see how BoJack delegates Wanda into the background of his own life, and she feels utterly neglected by BoJack's actions in his depression. It's sad to see, considering how much BoJack loved her before, and it all culminates in an intense argument scene where BoJack reveals a grudge he's held against Wanda and her job all along, perhaps an indication that this relationship was doomed from the start. Wanda gets a good line about red flags too to close things out, a sad ending to a relationship that fizzled out in an all too realistic way. Diane's story is really good too. It's amusing to see her in such an unfiltered slobby way, completely lost in life without a care left in the world. She's given into nihilism, and her only reminders of her old life are periodic phone calls from Mr. Peanutbutter, who is unknowingly making things worse for Diane with his overpowering praise. There's also a nice joke when Diane makes her fake refugee name "Coffee Maker". Anyways, Diane's time with BoJack is quite scary to see. They are both enabling each other's toxicity when faced with depression, giving in to horrible habits that only serve to make their already bad lives worse. But, it's not all bad. After dissociating with one another for days on end, these two show the value in their relationship by talking things out and offering genuine advice. Diane brilliantly dissects the root behind BoJack's depression, getting him to admit that he gets by on temporary satisfaction and that there is nothing that genuinely makes him happy, leading BoJack to make a proactive move by searching out Charlotte in a way to resolve his past regrets. BoJack meanwhile is able to get Diane to open up about why she isn't going home and offers her some good advice to get back to the life that she has abandoned. Unfortunately, Diane doesn't heed this advice and is unable to escape from the guilt and shame she feels. She still loves Mr. Peanutbutter, I genuinely believe her when she says it, but the shame is so significant that she sadly can't take speaking with him anymore. BoJack gave her good help, but it wasn't enough for Diane to make the right decision. A couple of little things again, though not as many as usual. There is a terrific joke squeezed in this episode where Princess Carolyn and BoJack make clothing jokes with each other (are you wearing comfortable shoes, because you walked a long way to get to that punchline). I enjoyed the commentary from BoJack's line about how New York is a perfect place to live in for only six months and if you are wealthy. As for animal jokes, I got a laugh out of the passing shot of a lady with an egg in her stroller, which hatched into a little fledgling bird. The Bad: The ending of this episode had great themes and emotion to it, but the first half was so problematic because it was painfully unfunny and slow-paced. The biggest culprit for this is the Todd storyline, which took up so much screentime and had no good jokes to offer. It's lightly amusing to see Todd accidentally join a cult without knowing, but the joke wears out its welcome rapidly, and there is little to no other comedy available. It's amusing to see Rian Johnson in a cameo role as Bryan, but the improv comedy story has little else to offer that was interesting or funny. These scenes were a slog to get through, and I was disappointed by how flat these scenes felt. Considering that Todd is mainly used for comic relief, this storyline was a total failure because it didn't make me laugh once. Princess Carolyn hasn't had a very good season. She's spent most of it in the background, and her story just isn't that compelling. Rutabaga is an uninteresting character and love interest for her. Sure he's eccentric and has funny ears, but we know so little about the rest of his personality and what it is that Princess Carolyn sees in him. I struggle to care at all about their new agency, and I rapidly lose interest when they are sharing screentime. The only amusing scene with them in this episode was when Mr. Peanutbutter walked in on them, oblivious as always. The Unknown: Will Rutabaga screw over Princess Carolyn if the new business doesn't work out? Where is the Todd story going? Will he stay involved with this cult? What happens now that he is going to meet Copernicus? Will there be a rift between BoJack and Todd? Will we see Wanda again? I doubt she gets back together with BoJack, but she still has a big enough role in the TV industry that I wouldn't be surprised if she returns. What will BoJack do now that he's back with Charlotte? What will she say to him? Where is this story going? When will Diane finally leave BoJack's to get back to Mr. Peanutbutter. Best Moment: BoJack and Diane's conversation was thought-provoking and powerful for both of them. It's sad to see them suffering so much, but it's good that they are able to find solace in each other and talk to each other. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Everything about that ending was exceptional, but the unimpressive first half of the episode drags this down. "BoJack Horseman" continues to nail the heavy stuff, but the comedy remains hit or miss. Score: 68 Summary: BoJack convinces Kelsey to break into the Nixon library to film a scene for Secretariat that Lennie no longer wants in the movie. Kelsey agrees, and with the help of Todd, Mr. Peanutbutter, Margo Martindale, and others, they get the shot and Kelsey is grateful. However, Lennie is upset and fires her. Princess Carolyn is given a shot to open a new agency with Rutabaga, but she craves a quieter life. She realizes she isn't made for a quiet life and agrees to join Rutabaga. Diane goes to Cordovia but is horrified by Sebastian's ego and his lack of empathy for everyone in Cordovia. She leaves, having failed to make a difference, and goes to stay with BoJack.
The Good: The main heart of this story came from the BoJack and Kelsey dynamic. We have seen these two get to know each other more as the season went on, and this episode is the peak of their relationship. In a Hollywoo that doesn't care at all for art or accuracy, Kelsey and BoJack come together due to their respect for telling the true story. Kelsey is a film director who wants to make a good film, and BoJack just wants to tell the story of his hero as accurately as possible. Their shared passion and growing bond leads to a genuinely heartwarming moment as they get the shot they need (see: Best Moment). For once, BoJack has somebody who has faith in him and believes in him, and it's a great feeling. Especially contrasted with the emotion BoJack taps into to act as well as he does, a moment where his mother humiliated and abused him in the past. It's clear how much Kelsey means to BoJack now, and that makes the episode's ending so devastating when we learn that Kelsey is gone and that BoJack's actions resulted in her getting fired. I thoroughly enjoyed the heist aspects of this episode, as they added some terrific moments of levity throughout the episode. BoJack stealing the Nixon library model for ultimately no reason whatsoever is needlessly funny, and I love that this decision made the heist even harder by raising security. The hiring sequence is hysterical, as it becomes increasingly obvious that the main cast is all going to show up for this heist and the reasons for their inclusion become increasingly ridiculous. Todd is picked because he "can pick locks", but then it ends with Mr. Peanutbutter coming along for literally no reason whatsoever. There's another fantastic laugh as BoJack interrupts Princess Carolyn's one night off in a spectacularly intrusive way. Then of course we get a magnificent Margo Martindale cameo, and I can't help but laugh at how this show portrays such a sweet person as a mass murdering psychopath. Lastly, we have Alan the cable guy who inexplicably gets wrapped up into this in such an organic funny way, and is framed as guaranteed to die from the first second we see him. This is very funny, and it builds up to an amazing moment as we get to cheer Alan's survival. This was a brilliant use of a side character, providing laughs and making us genuinely invested in this literal nobody. Diane's time in Cordovia is quite crazy. The dark humour surrounding Sebastian has been prevalent for a while, and it is dialed up to 11 here with Sebastian's sheer overpowering ego through his pretentious speeches, lack of empathy, and absurd grandiose gestures. The existence of Kinko, an adorable orphan who exists to die without any trouble for Sebastian is so dark, and yet it works brilliantly as both a story beat and as comedy. This episode does a great job of painting Sebastian as a horrifying villain underneath his facade of a hero, and Diane's voiceover does a good job of dissecting the emptiness behind his gestures. Unfortunately, Sebastian being something of a fraud is exactly what Diane doesn't need. She thought she would get to do something genuine and good, but even in Cordovia she was faced with that trademark Hollywood showiness and selfishness, and as a result, she returns back to LA as lost and unfulfilled as ever. Princess Carolyn's side story is very simple, but it works. She thinks she wants a simple, quiet life, but it's abundantly clear that this is not true because of her job and the people she chooses to stay close to (looking at you BoJack). Her moment of clarity while being entranced by the painting works surprisingly well, and sometimes you have to get what you want to realize that you never wanted it all along. Lots of little things again. Alan being an endangered panda is a nice animal joke, and I really liked Mr. Peanutbutter being devastated about not being taken to a park. Nixon's enemy and frenemy list in the museum is amusing. I'm Canadian so I don't know my American history that well, but I imagine that there would be some clever jokes squeezed onto those lists. Sebastian's ego is shown so brilliantly in several ways, from the enormous portraits of himself in his house to the beautiful sign saying "Cordovian refugee camp, improvements by Sebastian St. Clair", making it abundantly clear that the "improvement" is just the fancy sign. Lastly, I liked BoJack causing a cigarette fire, and him being ignorant of Wanda's jealousy towards Diane while on phone with her (also Wanda's enormous "cell phone" is quite funny). The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. The Unknown: What will become of the movie now that Kelsey is fired? How will BoJack feel about this? Will he try to help her? What is Diane's plan now? Why is she staying with BoJack? How long will she stay with him? How will Wanda feel about this? Will Princess Carolyn's new agency be a success? Best Moment: Kelsey directing BoJack to get the shot, and their moment of genuine connection afterwards was sweet. BoJack had spent all season trying to get to know Kelsey, and now they have finally developed a genuine director-actor bond. This beautiful scene made it that much more devastating when Kelsey was fired by the episode's end. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Another winner of an episode. This episode furthered the stories of the season in a compelling, powerful way while providing some great jokes due to the "heist" sequence. More excellent stuff, and I'm excited to see how this season wraps up. Score: 70 Summary: BoJack stars on Mr. Peanutbutter's new show "Let's Find Out" but he didn't read the prepared instructions from Wanda. BoJack goes on the show and is upset with how Mr. Peanutbutter is so degrading to him. Daniel Radcliffe is also starring and also behaves poorly towards BoJack, not remembering his name. Eventually BoJack lashes out and he and Mr. Peanutbutter air out their grievances on live TV before making up and kissing for the audience. BoJack is answering the final question with a chance to get lots of money for charity, but he throws the question out of pettiness towards Daniel. Meanwhile, Todd tries to win JD Salinger's pen to prove his life has meaning but ultimately fails.
The Good: This episode is highlighted by its terrific concept and comedy. The setting of a celebrity game-show allows "BoJack Horseman" to unleash all of its best satire by poking fun at game shows, celebrities, and the people who enjoy this type of ridiculous television. This is signature "BoJack Horseman" and for once all of the jokes seem to land. Whether it's Daniel Radcliffe being an over-the-top asshole, the game show having increasingly ludicrous aspects to it, or JD Salinger praising the medium of reality television as "the pinnacle of human drama", every joke landed and made the episode better. I could list out and praise the best jokes, but there is so much to laugh at and appreciate here that it would take forever. It's hard to find any aspect of the humour that didn't work in this episode. I will point out some of the highlights however. I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Radcliffe's presence. His snobbish personality came as a surprise and it contrasted nicely with BoJack, who was driven insane by Daniel's sheer disrespect to not even remember his name. This paid off spectacularly by the end of the episode as BoJack did perhaps the most BoJack thing we have seen him do as he lets a petty grudge against Daniel overpower his desire to provide for charity, letting $500,000 burn just to prove a point. BoJack was correct that Daniel was being an asshole, but as ever, he took things way too far. The game show is such an absurdly funny concept. The name itself is a masterpiece. "Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things? Let's Find Out!" is hilariously perfect, and every time the show has joked about this name has been really funny, from the silly abbreviation on the cards Mr. Peanutbutter was reading to JD Salinger quoting the show's title in reference to BoJack. I appreciate that this show highlights how scripted these "reality" shows can be. This show had a pre-determined outcome to promote Secretariat and Daniel's new movie, but of course it all went wrong with BoJack not receiving any instructions. The show is so phony, biased, and stupid, and scathingly accurate in its criticism of reality shows, though it does take things to an extreme of course. As someone who has significant issues with reality TV, I loved seeing these criticisms of shows that everyone enjoys. Outside of the comedy, this episode had a surprising emotional edge with Mr. Peanutbutter. Mr. Peanutbutter was so one-dimensional back in season 1, but he was a funny character. This season has impressively maintained his comedy while also bringing so much depth to this character by exploring his character strengths and weaknesses, and his relationships with those around him. He feels less like a cartoon dog character, and feels more like a fleshed out human. This episode does a masterful job of this by letting us know that Mr. Peanutbutter is not stupid. He knows that BoJack is annoyed by him, he knows that BoJack has made plays on his wife, and rather than be bogged down by this, he simply tries to overcome it and continue to be positive. But that frustration builds up of course, and while Mr. Peanutbutter is doing his shtick in the show, it draws out some hostility within him, and when BoJack calls it out, the comedy show turns into a genuine drama as Mr. Peanutbutter lets out that emotion and BoJack gets to apologize and explain why it is that he is unable to connect with Mr. Peanutbutter, who is a perfect foil for BoJack. As he says in the episode, BoJack is jealous of Mr. Peanutbutter because he can always be happy, something that BoJack desperately struggles with. It's great storytelling, and a surprising moment of heaviness in an otherwise hilarious episode. So of course it's fitting that the whole thing ends in a scene where they both kiss on the kisscam. When this show clicks, it clicks so well. That balance between comedy and drama is so delicate and hard to hit, but this episode nailed it, and the kisscam is the perfect way to end this conflict. Todd's side story is fine fluff that adds a lot of comedic value. The writers have a much better handle on who Todd is as a character now, and that shows in stories like this. The idea that Todd would completely miss the deeper meaning of the pen and thinks that just having the pen gives him worth is amusing and it fits with the character. Todd is good for several laughs in this episode with his make-up shenanigans, and the definite highlight is the "how I met your mother" joke that plays on our expectations wonderfully. Mia is fun as an academic hard-worker in contrast to Todd, and it is sweet that she tries to help him only for him to completely miss the point. Lots of nice little things as always. There aren't as many animal jokes this time around, but we do get some good stuff like the chicken getting a door slammed in its face and losing a lot of feathers, Mr. Peanutbutter shaking water off like a dog, and a couple others. I appreciate Princess Carolyn's needlessly long-winded story as a unique joke in this episode, and Wanda's inability to grasp current technology was used to its fullest in this episode. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. The Unknown: Wanda found out that BoJack kissed Diane. Will this cause problems between them? Best Moment: We are spoilt for choice. I'll go with the hilarious ending as BoJack lets his pettiness get the best of him. Character of the Episode: Mr. Peanutbutter. He's been excellent this season. Conclusion: This was unexpectedly excellent. "BoJack Horseman" has often been at its best when it takes itself seriously, but this time we got a genuinely great comedy experience. There is still some welcome emotion and thematic exploration that gave this story some substance, but for the most part this episode was a winner because of how creative and funny it was. It looks like season 2 is hitting its stride in its second half just like season 1 did. Score: 75 Summary: BoJack and Diane go on a promotion tour to Alaska where Diane angers the public by speaking out against Hank Hippopopalous, a popular celebrity currently working with Mr. Peanutbutter. Mr. Peanutbutter asks her to stop but Diane plows ahead and ends up on the news. Diane goes to Manatee Fair to get peopel to speak out, but it doesn't work and Hank continues on with everything normal. BoJack and Diane make amends over the book incident. Diane speaks with Mr. Peanutbutter who suggests that her going to Cordovia may be good. Diane leaves for Cordovia. Meanwhile, Todd takes over for the Prince of Cordovia, who wants to experience American life, and accidentally causes a major genocide to occur.
The Good: This worked unexpectedly well. It's incredible to think that in 25 minutes, "BoJack Horseman" brilliantly explored corruption within Hollywood, the power celebrities hold over people, and the media's tendency to ignore serious issues across the world while simultaneously telling a compelling story with Diane, connecting in with her relationships with BoJack and Mr. Peanutbutter. This episode is doing so many things, and the fact that the episode never feels rushed or overstuffed is a testament to the writing and storytelling. The set-up for this episode is incredibly well done. We get a typical "BoJack Horseman" set up as BoJack goes to Alaska on a promotion tour, and we fully expect him to mess things up for everyone, after all that's what he does. But then we have our expectations subverted beautifully. BoJack being confronted with an intense ethical dilemma because "he likes apple fritters" was hysterical, and his completely sensible and thoughtful response caught me off guard for another good laugh. Even more unexpected though was Diane being the one to stir up trouble by speaking up about something that nobody ever wanted to consider: allegations against a beloved star. The way this drama heats up exponentially without BoJack playing any role was effective and it allowed for a compelling thematic story with Diane. Diane has always held on to activism close to her heart, and it's nice to see the character show her passion in this episode as she commits to trying to get justice against Hank when the general public starts to insult her for having the courage to say her truth. The way this blows up on Diane is outstanding, and perfectly conveys how difficult it is for victims of celebrity actions (particularly women), and why it is so hard for actual change to happen. Diane can't get any support because Hank has the power to shut things done, and nobody seems interested in helping because "that's just how things are". It's a relentless truth about our world with how power dynamics allow injustices and crimes to happen frequently and go unpunished. Hank Hippopopalous is undoubtedly inspired by Bill Cosby and David Letterman, and is a compelling villain due to how openly compassionate yet threatening he is, a great example that people aren't always what they appear to be. Hank seems to believe he is still a good person in spite of all that he has done, and that lack of self-awareness sums up celebrity culture perfectly. Hank has been praised so much that no matter what he does, he will always get away with things and keep believing his truth. True to form, after a day of arguing the news moves on from Hank, and his victims continue to live on without any justice. Obviously, this story shares a lot with the MeToo movement, but it's important to remember that this episode predated that movement. As a result, this episode has aged magnificently and serves as a compelling examination of Hollywood society without ever feeling preachy, pandering, or overly political. This is just a compelling story that examines a harsh truth about this world. Diane gets a lot of great storytelling depth in this episode outside the themes. She gets a shot to mend fences with BoJack after their strife at the end of the last season, and I thought that this was handled very well. These two have not had the healthiest of friendships, but they understand each other, and it's nice to see them move on from past baggage. I also quite like that BoJack put in a lot of effort to get the attention off of Diane to help her out, even if it was primarily motivated by him being uncomfortable not being the center of attention. Diane also gets more progression in her conflict with Mr. Peanutbutter. At the start of the episode, Mr. Peanutbutter politely asks her not to make things blow up, but Diane ignores his wishes in favour of doing a greater good for the world. By the end of the episode, they both seem disappointed in the other, and in need of a break, which is sad. It's easy to relate with both sides, making this so compelling. Mr. Peanutbutter feels dejected since his own wife ignored his wishes and passion for his new TV show and subjected him to the horror of receiving death threats in the mail. Diane comes off as selfish for ignoring her spouse, and shortsighted for not thinking about her reputation or her husband's job, especially considering how afraid she was of losing her house in the previous episode. When it came to her finally "making a difference", nothing else seemed to be important anymore. And yet in spite of this, Diane is doing something that takes an immense amount of courage to try to solve an enormous amount of injustice in society, and she deserves to have some support when trying to make such a major change, yet she has no one to get her back. She came to Hollywood to change the world, as she said back in "Chickens", but she feels that she never managed that. Now, she finally had her chance, and can you really blame her for wanting to put her biggest dreams ahead of everything else? The storytelling is so richly detailed with such real emotions involved, making the Diane/Mr. Peanutbutter relationship continue to fascinate even when it is only given a short amount of time. Behind all of this is a surprisingly great Todd storyline. Gustav, The Prince of Cordovia, trading places with him is mildly amusing, especially with Gustav's interactions with Mr. Peanutbutter and with the fact that this was foreshadowed (Todd remarked in a previous episode that people told him he looked like the prince of Cordovia). Of course this is your typical Todd side story, but I love how this one takes place entirely in the background of the episode. This so perfectly conveyed how people and media in Western society focus on trivial matters, ignoring horrors and injustices across the world. Todd's story is a mere footnote in this episode, but from what we can gather, his actions caused a major genocide in Cordovia and he tries to bring attention to the horrifying thing that just happened, but BoJack and Diane are hilariously too involved with their own problems to spare any thought for the atrocities happening across the world. This teme was handled perfectly, creating some good laughs while also being scathingly accurate in its criticism of Western society. The little things are great again. There are more fun animal jokes with a hammerhead shark hammering a nail with its head, a spider cleaning windows, and Matthew Fox and Scott Wolf being a wolf and fox respectively. The news headlines return in this episode, and they are terrific. Highlights include the manyupdates on Todd's shenanigans as the Prince of Cordovia, a reporting of the "hot new fad" measles, and a fantastic headline reading "take a job at MSNBSea, they said, you can write novels on the weekends, they said". The Bad: The one issue I have with this episode is that several of the jokes don't really land, especially in the episode's first half. The Prince of Cordovia trading lives with Todd is not that funny, Mr. Peanutbutter's adoration of Hank doesn't have much to offer for comedy either, and the tongue twister humour with Hank's name is mildly amusing but overstays its welcome without ever making me laugh. There are more examples of poor jokes, and it felt like there were more misses than usual in this episode. The Unknown: Is the Cordovia plot going somewhere? Will we see Gustav again? Will he play a role when Diane goes to Cordovia? What will happen to Diane in Cordovia? Will Mr. Peanutbutter's show be damaged by what Diane did, or will it survive? Perhaps more importantly, can Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter's relationship survive this added stress? Best Moment: The final scene in the airport as Diane sits in abject defeat, having changed absolutely nothing, helped absolutely nobody, and damaged her own life and reputation. Sad. Hearing a stranger tell her to smile just about sums up how painful this all is for her, and how she gained nothing from all of her actions in this episode. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: What a surprisingly mature, tasteful, and impactful episode. This episode tackled several difficult real-life issues with impressive grace, crafting a compelling and emotional story centered around Diane and her inability to make a difference. The comedy took a step back, but this was season 2's first truly great episode following a stretch of solid episodes. Score: 72 Summary: BoJack says "I love you" to Wanda and panics and leaves. He drags out work and talks with Corduroy, who opens up about his addiction to autoerotic asphyxiation. He gives BoJack his kit and BoJack tries to get Wanda to admit she loves him by threatening to use it. PB Livin goes broke and Mr. Peanubutter looks for a job. He lands a gig at a shoe store. Princess Carolyn has a rough day at work but manages to land JD Salinger for a TV show which stars Mr. Peanutbutter. She doesn't get any credit.
The Good: Mr. Peanutbutter is such a fun character and this episode proves his utility as a comedy character. The opening sequence is wonderful and Mr. Peanutbutter's ridiculous ideas and hilarious energy drives his accountant to insanity, setting up a funny story of Mr. Peanutbutter looking for a job in the most backwards way (wandering around until destiny calls him). That Mr. Peanutbutter almost immediately finds multiple opportunities despite doing nothing is pretty funny. Everybody knows that one individual who isn't the smartest but inexplicably has an absurd amount of good fortune, so writing Mr. Peanutbutter like this inherently triggers a reaction in us. BoJack's story is solid. I appreciate how this episode explores his relationship with Wanda and how BoJack is always overcome with insecurity, doing damage to the bonds he has with people. Here, a lack of communication, an instinct to run away, and fear of opening up and being vulnerable is what nearly gets BoJack in trouble. Luckily, Wanda seems to be understanding enough of this, and handles the situation in a very amusing way. This show continues to impress with its comedy, and I enjoyed a lot of the jokes in this episode. BoJack escaping in a baby's stroller rather than going back into his house is a perfect example of over-the-top slapstick, and I appreciate that he enters his next scene in that same stroller. Continuity humour has been excellent in this show so far. Diane doesn't have much to do in this episode, but I'm amused that she has such little faith in Mr. Peanutbutter's method for getting a job, turning to rationing and stealing snacks from her work. J.D. Salinger immediately giving away his cover after Princess Carolyn asks more than a single question is quite funny. The animal humour is great once again. The Lowe's being called "Lowe's but like an animal version" was a funny usage of meta humour, and I laughed hard at the elephant in the room joke (see: Best Moment). The theme of autoerotic asphyxiation is darkly funny, and it's amusing that the episode starts and ends with characters walking in on someone who has died searching for that extra pleasure. The Bad: This episode feels like too much in a few places. I get the story that is being told with BoJack's insecurities surrounding loving and being loved, but he goes to incredulous, unrealistic lengths of anxiety to avoid speaking with Wanda. It's certainly funny, but it doesn't capture that feeling of surprising relatability that is seen in some of the other episodes in this series. There is a strong focus on Princess Carolyn in this episode, but it doesn't really work. This episode tells a story of Princess Carolyn working hard and not being rewarded for all the hard work she put in. Sounds familiar? This is virtually the exact same story as "Say Anything" with the presence of Rutabaga being the only notable difference. I would like to see something more original for Princess Carolyn going forwards. The "movie star speech" is a nice moment, but something about it feels a bit cheesy and unearned when it comes in at the end of the episode. I suspect that this is because the episode isn't built around this speech, and the attempt to wrap things up with a "deep idea" ends up feeling heavy-handed and tacked on, as opposed to being thought-provoking and memorable. The Unknown: What will happen with this new TV show starring Mr. Peanutbutter? How far will BoJack and Wanda's relationship go? Best Moment: The elephant in the room joke really made me laugh. A serious conversation between Wanda and BoJack took such an unexpected turn with this joke, and the elephant's offended reaction and the "woooow" repeatedly said by him was fantastically funny. The capper of BoJack saying "he's never gonna forget that" is the cherry on top. I'm a real sucker for the animal jokes in this show, and this is the funniest yet. Character of the Episode: Mr. Peanutbutter and his uncanny ability to make everything work out. Conclusion: A bit of an uneven episode, but still solidly written, funny, and enjoyable. Score: 64 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 Summary: Mr. Peanutbutter throws a surprise party for Diane on her birthday, which Diane did not want. They fight and everybody leaves. Todd and Princess Carolyn see a child that looks like Vincent. Pricness Carolyn meets with Vincent in her apartment and they break up. Todd hides in Princess Carolyn's car where his phone falls in love with Princess Carolyn's phone. BoJack and Wanda leave, and BoJack is afraid that he's moving too fast with her. Wanda tells him a long joke, reinforcing that they should just wait and see where things end up. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter get into a fight, but ultimately open up to each other with Diane telling Mr. Peanutbutter that she is not happy and realizing that he doesn't want her to go to Cordovia.
The Good: I love the idea and structure of this episode. The episode tackles a theme of love and relationships, and the episode's structure makes this feel like a case study of the relationships in the show. There are three distinct thirds to the episode, each one offering its own insight on the theme, with the episode getting progressively more dramatic and emotional with each storyline. I love this idea, and it is executed brilliantly. The episode starts with Todd and Princess Carolyn, who have a very light-hearted, entertaining experience compared to the rest. Princess Carolyn finally breaks up with Vincent, after amusingly still failing to realize the obvious truth that he's just a child. Todd's run-in with love is even sillier as he gets to experience two phones falling in love and being tortured by it, a funny idea. While these stories are quite dumb on the surface, they do offer a unique view of relationships based primarily on lust and thrill-seeking, highlighting how shallow they are and how these types of relationships don't have the strength to last. BoJack and Wanda's story is a good exploration of fear and insecurity in a relationship. Of course BoJack is terrified now that he is committed to living with Wanda, and of course he lets the fear get to him. Wanda is the voice of reason for him, and she provides a terrific demonstration of the value of being patient and waiting to see if things work out or not. Her long-winded joke was good, and it served a great purpose in the story. I also liked the involvement of the deer, which provided some clever symbolism of overcoming fear with how the deer refused to go to the hospital. Lastly, we come to Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter who have the most serious and emotionally intense part of the episode. I was really impressed by the depth that these two received. They were never all that interesting as a couple in season 1, but here they feel frighteningly real. We understand why there is conflict between them, but the episode also takes the time to show why they love each other and why they work to begin with. Seeing such a brutal fight slowly deescalate when Mr. Peanutbutter attempts to communicate with her, allowing Diane to see the intention behind his surprise party felt so real. Just like in real life, it's hard to point out a villain in this argument. Mr. Peanutbutter could have listened and not had a surprise party, but he put in so much effort for Diane and spent the whole day giving her what she wanted. Meanwhile Diane is suitably frustrated with how Mr. Peanutbutter ignored her wishes to throw a party that she explicitly said she did not want, but she can't help but feel ungrateful upon realizing how much effort Mr. Peanutbutter put in and how he genuinely does love her and try to listen to her. Seeing these two argue, reminisce, make up, and resolve the real issue at hand (Diane wanting to go to Cordovia) was written so well. Speaking of the real issue, I appreciate the amount of effort that the show put in to make this argument feel real. Just like in real life, the source of the argument is completely different from what sparked it. This was never about Tony Curtis, or even about the surprise party, but it was about how Diane (reasonably) wanted the freedom to go to Cordovia, and Mr. Peanutbutter (also reasonably) did not want her to go. There are many layers of frustration that sparked this argument, and I appreciate that the episode showed all of this to us. But to do this while still putting in effort to make us understand why these two are together is high quality storytelling. In just one episode, Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter went from a couple that I felt indifferent about and even disliked at times, into a couple that I genuinely care about, and I now want to see them put things together and stay together. As always, there were nice little details that amused me. Mr. Peanutbutter continues to have problems with his banners, as the birthday banner says "Happy birthday Diane use a pretty font". Todd got the episode's best laugh when he finds Herb's ashes and thinks that it's a jar full of weed, an excellent continuity joke. Mr. Peanutbutter gets more fun dog jokes when he mixes up what a ballroom is and when he explains how Dian coming home is the most exciting part of his day. The deer getting hit by the car was a clever idea, and I liked that Wanda being an owl came into play with her night vision. The Bad: Todd and Princess Carolyn's story is quite silly compared to everything else, and as such, it is the least interesting to watch. While I find Vincent to be amusing, the joke about him is only funny for a little while. Vincent was given far too much screentime in this episode, so the comedy got stale relatively quickly. The comedy in this episode overall is not anything special. There are a few chuckles here and there, but I found most of the jokes to be lacking, only providing a mild chuckle at best. This episode has some terrific storytelling, but it doesn't offer much for comedy, which is important to still include because this is still an animated comedy. The Unknown: So is Tony Curtis dead? Best Moment: Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter in the jelly pool finally being open and honest with each other. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: This was a fantastic concept episode which offered a surprising amount of storytelling depth. It's not the funniest episode, but it's still a very good one, the best of the season so far. Score: 69 Summary: Herb died and BoJack goes to the funeral. He briefly meets with Charlotte and then reunites with the Horsin' Around cast. They get sent on a "treasure hunt" for Herb's gold and discover that he might have been murdered by Henry Winkler. When BoJack confronts him, and Henry reveals that he stole the book Herb was writing because it was terrible and he didn't want to damage Herb's legacy. Meanwhile, flashbacks show the connections Herb made with the cast members. Todd goes on a side adventure where he learns to be confident and cool.
The Good: I always enjoy stand-alone episodes, and having an episode dedicated to Herb's death was a great utilization of the idea, even if it didn't quite live up to my expectations (see: The Bad). Regardless, I enjoyed what this episode had to offer. The cast reunion is fun to see, especially with how everyone has changed and gone through vastly different lives from when they were all together. I quite liked the flashbacks with Herb, which offered some insight into Herb's values and how each of the cast members failed to respect the idea of family that Herb tried to instill within them. These four were supposed to have each other's backs, but they have all gone in wildly different directions and there is always tension between them. The show conveys this sad idea in a typically light-hearted way and it works well. All of the flashbacks have character-specific jokes, and this episode never tries to take itself too seriously. Herb's death itself is treated as a joke and a damn good one at that as Henry Winkler reads out Herb's brilliant final tweets. The light-heartedness is an asset of this episode, and it makes the treasure hunt for Herb's gold into a more enjoyable storyline. I think that the side stories were a highlight of this episode and both were fairly effective at creating some extra laughs. Princess Carolyn is quite disgusting at the funeral as she looks for business, and I loved how she ended up getting punished for this by having to make such extreme lies about her friendship with Herb, hilariously spurred on by Mr. Peanutbutter, who acknowledges his true motives for being there unlike Princess Carolyn. Todd's story is a lot of fun. It's sort of filler, but seeing Todd going around like such a badass is charming and effective. What Todd brings to the table is becoming clearer this season. He's the guy that has these fun side plots, and they work because Todd has a good heart that we can connect with. I love the way that Todd loses the money BoJack gave him (picked up by a mouse, who is grabbed by a hawk and then hit by a plane), which is the most comically absurd thing imaginable. There are a few little funny bits as always. I enjoyed the Steve Urkel jokes in the Todd story, and Maggie Gyllenhaal being turned into Maggot Gyllenhaal is a fantastic idea. The Bad: The mystery parody doesn't work well. There aren't enough creative jokes to make this parody feel worthwhile, and shoehorning a mystery into this episode detracted from its more emotional qualities without any upside. I wish that more time was spent on the idea of BoJack looking to put some meaning on Herb's death. So much of this idea is told through a cheesy and heavy-handed speech by Henry Winkler at the end, and it isn't an effective way to get me thinking about the idea. "Brand New Couch" did a far better job of emotionally engaging me into an idea because it took more effort to explore its central themes. I wish that this episode had done the same. I expected more from Herb's death, especially considering how BoJack and Herb's last scene went. I expected that Herb's death could have been pivotal for BoJack's character and could have led to another fascinating character introspection. Instead, Herb's death feels quite insignificant because it's in an episode that is otherwise entirely disconnected from what season 2 has been about so far, and it doesn't seem to have affected BoJack in any meaningful way. Perhaps I will be proven wrong in upcoming episodes, but this didn't feel as emotionally significant as it should have been. The Unknown: No real questions after this episode. Best Moment: The ending scene of Herb saying "the future is bright" as he and BoJack look at a fake horizon was surprisingly melancholy and effective. Beautiful imagery to have a bright blue scene covering up a sad purple sunset. Character of the Episode: Herb. Conclusion: This episode didn't go as far as I expected with Herb's death and it had some cheesy bits. Still, it told an overall effective story that created some funny moments and a burst of emotional resonance by the end. Score: 64 Summary: BoJack is frustrated that everyone he hooks up with knows everything about him because of his book. He's delighted when he meets Wanda who was in a coma for 30 years, and they get together. Wanda meets Alex and BoJack gets jealous. Meanwhile, Todd opens up his own Disneyland and Mr. Peanutbutter shoehorns himself into the business, creating problems until Todd kicks him out. BoJack apologizes to Wanda and asks for her to move in with him and she agrees. Todd's Disneyland burns down and he makes up with Mr. Peanutbutter.
The Good: I enjoy the commentary of how fame makes it tougher to live a normal life. Now that BoJack has had a book written about him, his whole life is on display for the world and he finds it to be highly discomforting for him. It's funny to see that his desire to escape from this immediately gets him to appreciate Wanda, setting up a relationship between them. And of course BoJack's self-sabotage comes into play as he nearly crashes his new relationship through the habits we saw him display in season 1: jealousy, poor communication, and inability to let things go. This story was decent, and I appreciate the consistent writing of BoJack's character. Todd's Disneyland story is amusing, and it's a good use of the character. I hope that this is an indication that the show will be writing Todd more consistently this season with a more defined character. This episode paints him as a free spirit who does what his heart wants him to do. The conflict with Mr. Peanutbutter is very phoned in, but it feels like an attempted parody of characters coming into conflict with each other. There is mild success with this idea. The little jokes are great as always. The background jokes remain excellent with some creative posters in the doctor's office when Mr. Peanutbutter was getting the cone removed, and the banners at BoJack's party are good for a quick chuckle. The animal jokes are still utilized well with Mr. Peanutbutter "barking" at the fire trucks, the judge being called "your otter", and BoJack saying "you vultures are killing me" being taken too literally. Some other moments offered good laughs. Everyone's shared love for communist Alex is funny, and BoJack gets the episode's funniest line involving Alex (see: Best Moment). I also laughed at BoJack insisting that he never heard of Todd's Disneyland, and the Diisneyland typo in court. The Bad: This episode feels almost like filler with the exception of BoJack's new relationship. Coming off of how the previous episode focused so heavily on BoJack's misguided effort to change, it was jarring to see this idea not even addressed. It's good that this episode focused on its own story, but it didn't flow smoothly with what we saw in the last episode. There is a sense of simplicity in the thematic exploration in this episode which wasn't present in the previous episode. BoJack's self-sabotage in relationships was not given the same level of depth that his brand new attitude was in the last episode, and that made this a less interesting experience. Furthermore, the Disneyland side story had its amusing moments, but was ultimately extended filler with very little substance to offer outside of comedy. While the parody conflict between Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter can be fun, it ultimately makes it harder to take the BoJack/Wanda conflict seriously since we are being told not to take things seriously in the other storyline. The Unknown: Where will BoJack's relationship with Wanda go? Best Moment: "Slap my salami, the guy's a commie". Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: A fine enough episode that does well to entertain me, but offers nothing particularly memorable in terms of drama or jokes. Score: 60 Summary: In flashbacks, BoJack is belittled by his mother in childhood and adulthood. In the present, BoJack adopts a new attitude so that he can be a better person. He has thrown out the couch, so Todd is looking for a new place to sleep. BoJack picks up Diane and goes to work for the new movie, but his new attitude prevents him from performing well, unsettling him. BoJack talks to Diane about it. At the set, BoJack answers his mother's phone call and is disheartened by her words. He gives up on his new regime and is able to act properly again. Princess Carolyn works on a new project but it ends up as another failure.
The Good: This show still maintains its ability to hit your emotions, and early into season 2, it seems like this will be tapped into more often than it was in season 1. Despite this being a season premiere, it tackles some heavy moments, and they work really well in crafting a story. This is especially notable in the episode's examination of BoJack's relationship with his mother and that damage that did to him. The episode starts brutally as Secretariat's encouraging words to BoJack are barely even legible to him because his parents are too busy fighting in the background, and the follow-up for BoJack is more belittling from Beatrice. It paints a powerful picture of a traumatic childhood, and I appreciate that the cruelty wasn't played for jokes like it was in season 1, highlighting that this show is learning to take its mental health themes more seriously. BoJack's trauma doesn't end in childhood though, and a follow-up scene shows that this same unbearable belittling continued well into BoJack's career and has cemented itself in his psyche. This builds up to a ruthless climax as Beatrice calls BoJack in the present, and following a surprising apology, she bleakly tells him of the hopelessness of recovering from such a dark upbringing, a powerful bit of dialogue to base the episode on. The thematic core of this episode explores how it's unfeasible to restart your life with a new personality, and it explores this idea masterfully. The aforementioned Beatrice scene is so effective because it also serves as the centerpiece for the exploration of this theme, affirming that no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to escape your past and the person you have become. Throughout the episode we see that BoJack has taken lessons from last season and is actively trying to change, and for a bit it seems to be working. But it only seems to last a day, and BoJack's new attitude has immediate detriments on his career, highlighting how trying to make such an extreme change will never work because it will affect other aspects of your life that you value. In this case, BoJack's new attitude destroyed his ability to act, and he had to give up on making this enormous change to be able to continue his career. This serves as a perfect indicator of how hard it is to manifest true change, and that these silly audiobooks are not the solution to being a better person. Furthermore, I enjoy how one bad day for BoJack was enough to send him on a backward spiral, and it's likely now that he will give up on his new regime just because of this one failure. There are some other interesting themes skimmed over in this episode. I love that the show acknowledges how a "character consultant" like Diane would go underappreciated due to the vanity of directors, and she's immediately sidelined. I got a good laugh at the scan done on BoJack's head, which is a joke that aged magnificently since we now see major companies like Disney digitally inserting deceased/aged actors into movies. The jokes are pretty good, and there's lots of things I laughed at. I really laughed at Debra tripping over the cable and destroying everything, with a follow-up memorial being created for her "destroyed" face. Lennie being stuck on his back during this sequence is another great animal joke. On the topic of these animal jokes, I really liked the presence of "ewe haul", and Mr. Peanutbutter's cone as a result of him attacking his own reflection. The Bad: This episode goes a bit too hard into poking fun at encouraging audiobooks. There are so many metaphor jokes and jokes about BoJack's new attitude, and they are more irritating than funny. This show is usually more clever than this; these jokes are so simplistic that they carry no comedy with them. Rutabaga is a curious new character (see: The Unknown), but I'm not pleased with how this character has started off. He did not make an impression at all and offered no real comedy. His presence padded out this episode with an ultimately unnecessary side story for Princess Carolyn that treaded on familiar ground (Princess Carolyn working hard and failing was thoroughly explored back in "Say Anything"). The only thing amusing about Rutabaga is his ears, but that is only entertaining once. Todd doesn't get much in this episode with his side story about accepting BoJack's new couch. At least the writers had the decency to put much of his storyline in the background of other scenes, but it was entirely superfluous and uninteresting. The Unknown: Did BoJack hear Secretariat's words for him, or was it totally drowned out by his parents' fighting? Who exactly is Rutabaga and what is his purpose? Will he be a potential romantic interest for Princess Carolyn? Is this it for BoJack's brand new attitude? Will he find other ways to become a better person? Best Moment: Beatrice telling BoJack the hard truth that he will never be happy because he can't escape his past and who he is like he has been trying to. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Season 2 has started strong with a profound theme study mixed in with some fun style and humour. It's not perfect, but this was a great start to the second season. Score: 68 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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