BoJack Horseman (2014) Review: Laughing Through the Wreckage

Is BoJack Horseman worth watching?

Yes. BoJack Horseman is one of the great television comedies of its era, a cartoon about a talking horse that became a searching, often devastating portrait of addiction, depression and the damage people do to one another. It is also very funny, packed with visual gags and wordplay, and its best episodes are among the most formally daring in animation. The reservation is that it takes a while to find itself: the first half of season one plays like a standard adult cartoon, and the show’s bleakness will be too much for some viewers.

What is BoJack Horseman about?

In the 1990s, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) was the star of a hit family sitcom called Horsin’ Around. Two decades later, he lives in a Hollywood hillside mansion, drinks too much, sleeps with the wrong people and is desperate for a comeback. To revive his career, he agrees to a memoir, which is ghostwritten by Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie), a thoughtful writer who sees through him more clearly than he would like. Around him are Todd (Aaron Paul), the cheerful slacker living on his couch; Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), his agent and on-off girlfriend, who happens to be a cat; and Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), a relentlessly upbeat Labrador and former sitcom rival.

BoJack Horseman was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It is an American production in English. This review covers the complete series: six seasons and 76 episodes of about 25 minutes each, and the story has ended.

A Hollywood satire with animal puns

On the surface, BoJack Horseman is a Hollywood satire set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side. The show gets huge comic mileage from that idea, with background gags, animal puns and absurd subplots that reward close attention and repeat viewing. Its jabs at celebrity culture, awards campaigns, streaming services and media hypocrisy are sharp and still relevant.

The supporting characters are distinctive comic creations. Todd’s ridiculous schemes and Mr. Peanutbutter’s eternal optimism provide lighter relief, while Princess Carolyn’s workaholism gives the show one of its most sympathetic figures.

A comedy about depression that takes it seriously

What made BoJack Horseman a landmark is how deeply it digs into its central character. BoJack is charming, selfish and self-destructive, and the series refuses to excuse him or to reduce him to a villain. It traces his behaviour back to his upbringing without pretending that explains everything, and it follows the consequences of his actions for years. Will Arnett’s voice performance moves from sardonic comedy to raw pain with remarkable ease.

Diane is the show’s second protagonist and its conscience, and Alison Brie gives her a restless intelligence. Her own struggles with depression and purpose are treated with as much care as BoJack’s, and some of the series’ most affecting episodes belong to her.

Formal daring and a slow start

The show’s creative peaks are its experiments. An almost silent underwater episode, an episode that is almost entirely one character’s eulogy, and an episode that tells a life story through the fragmenting perspective of dementia all show how animation can explore interior states that live action struggles to reach. Lisa Hanawalt’s character designs give the whole world a distinctive, colourful look that makes the darkness land harder.

The weaknesses are mostly early. The first episodes lean on easy jokes and a familiar sitcom rhythm before the show’s ambitions emerge, and some viewers give up before it becomes the series it will be. Later seasons can feel relentlessly heavy, and not every subplot is as strong as the main ones.

Who should watch BoJack Horseman?

It is for adults who like dark comedy, character-driven drama and animation that takes risks. The full series is available on Netflix, and at 76 short episodes it is easy to watch in manageable chunks. It deals frankly with alcoholism, drug use, depression, sexual content and suicide, so viewers who find those themes difficult should proceed carefully.

If you want more after it:

• The Bear, for another comedy that treats trauma, family and self-sabotage with deadly seriousness.
• Arcane, for an animated series that proves the form can carry adult tragedy.
• Ted Lasso, a warmer comedy that also confronts mental health beneath its jokes.

The verdict

BoJack Horseman begins as a clever cartoon and becomes one of the most thoughtful, emotionally honest series of the streaming era. Its first half-season is uneven and its later stretches are punishingly bleak, but its humour, ambition and compassion make it essential viewing.

Rating: 4.5/5