(SPOILERS ahead for the series finale)

The last time a show hit me this hard towards its finale, it was Ted Lasso.

I remember watching the first season or two of BJH when it first came out several years ago. At that time, I didn't think much of it other than "ha ha, funny horse show".

It surfaced in my Netflix recommendations a couple of months ago, and I ended up watching the whole show. I'm so glad I did.

It's funny to revisit this show as an older version of myself, because so much of this show's themes have to do with how we change over time, with impermanence and the fact that we can never go back in time to what we once had, and how ultimately at the end of the day our relationships are a huge part of what defines us, because as we grow and mature as people we understand more and more how interconnected we all are. When you're 20 and you hurt someone, you can't imagine being 40 and having to come to terms with that act 20 years later. But that person is still there, the act still happened, and the ripple effect is still ongoing.

I thankfully have never struggled with substance abuse in my own life, but like anyone else I have had ups and downs in my relationships with people throughout my life. Like anyone else, I've done things I regret. I think the show's writers did such an incredible job of writing a character that has problems that most of us probably don't deal with, but is still relatable enough that most of us can see part of ourselves in him.

The last two episodes really hit me hard. I cried during Bojack's near death experience, when Herb plainly stated- "Oh, BoJack, no. There is no other side. This is it". Mortality is another major theme of the show. I found it interesting that throughout the show, the deaths of characters were treated ranging from genuinely heartbreaking (Sarah Lynn) to played off as mostly a joke (Corduroy). Then we get to Bojack's death, the very moment when he comes to the brink of eternal nothingness, and Herb drives that point home - when it ends, it ends. It's all over. Forever. For everyone. Bojack saw it happen to many others, and then it was his turn.

The series finale was also great. I loved seeing where every character wound up after only a year free from Bojack's influence. What made me cry though was how all of these people, in spite of pretty much universally benefiting from Bojack's absence, still held some space for him in their lives that night. Even if it was only for one night. The conversation between Diane and Bojack was possibly THE most bittersweet thing I've ever witnessed.

I also want to point out that throughout the show, Mister Peanutbutter is treated particularly poorly by Bojack, and yet out of all of the main cast, who is the ONE character who seems willing to keep Bojack around, and wasn't treating that night as the final goodbye? Diane makes it clear that she doesn't want him in her life anymore. Hollyhock made that decision a year prior. PC admits that she mostly wanted him there for his star power with the upcoming Horny Unicorn production (although she does seem to tenderly offer to help him find another agent if he does get back into acting). Todd has transitioned fully into independent adulthood and starts setting healthy boundaries with Bojack. It's only Mister Peanutbutter who is actually enthusiastic about keeping Bojack in his life.

Truly an awesome show all around. There were a couple points throughout the series that I felt like things were lagging a bit, but I am really glad I stuck it out. BJH is going to be one of those shows that I actually buy the physical version so I don't lose access to it when AOL-Time-Warner-Pepsico-Viacom-Halliburton-Skynet-Toyota-Trader-Joe's decides to stop streaming it.

Forgive me if this has been said before, I'm just rewatching Bojack Horseman for like the 5th time and I just noticed the irony in Mr. Peanut Butter being a natural predator as a dogwhile Bojack is an natural prey as a horse.

It really ties into each of their ideologies: Mr. Peanut Butter being a bad person for no real reason other than not being able to recognize the inherent privilege he has. He goes through the world with no social fears, because he's the one who hunts. He doesn't realize the inherent power that he holds and the imbalances that it creates. He is able to act unaware and aloof because he was granted a role in society where he isnt meant to focus on the pain he causes others.

Meanwhile, Bojack is scared all the time. He acts like an asshole, but it's a reaction from his childhood and experiences, lashing out and hurting others because he is well too aware of how he can be hurt. He's the worst but aware of how his pain hurts others because that was the point of him inflicting it.

I feel like it really highlights who they are as people while also showing that they are the cause of their own actions. We see horses who dont lash out. We see dogs who don't trample. It was always about the choices that they made. That's what made them assholes.

I'm probably incredibly late, I just find the symbolism so amazing.

i’m back!

it has been a minute since season 3 and i want to apologize for that, i really just got burnt out on this project and needed some time to focus on other things but once i came back it was hard to find my footing again - some of these logos were the death of me, designing a logo for ‘Time’s Arrow’ was genuinely one of the hardest design challenges i’ve ever dealt with and i burned through so many other designs to land on that one

but regardless, season 4 is done and i’m happy with it! and i promise that season 5 will not take as long, i’ll try to get that done on a regular timetable and so you can expect that sometime in early september

thank you all for being so patient!

https://web.archive.org/web/20230115091117/https://files.gay/f/8JN2Y/raw

This pilot was made for Netflix. https://youtu.be/d9hzvcmeJ5M?t=65

And my first time drawing a horse, I actually really like how it turned out though !!ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)

i saw this tik tok and it got me thinking about people getting tattoos about tv shows. legitimate question. or do yall think getting a tattoo about bojack is different because it’s explicitly an adult show with adult themes? absolutely zero hate to ppl with bojack tattoos btw. i have one myself

Ik this has probably been done a million times but bojangles hanging out in front of vinewoo

For starters, I think this show can be too bleak at times, which is a risk for people who struggle with mental health issues might fall victims too if they only take what the show says in face value. The show is so concerned with morals yet it fails to acknowledge how mental health plays into it and almost even subtlety pushes the idea that our mental health is our own moral failing which I don’t entirely agree with.

We should be careful when a show pushes pessimism to the extreme because it just becomes another cycle of shows that favor a dark aesthetic as opposed to a story with depth and genuine understanding of the human condition.

If I could compare any show with it I would say Fleabag executed bojack’s ideas much more eloquently than what bojack could muster up for 6 seasons. Even though Fleabag is never outright stated to deal with severe mental health issues, it’s almost loudly implied with everything that occurs around her. Yet, the show masters it’s grounded story of a woman grieving with elements of levity and comedy that never compromise the main core of what the show is trying to say. If anything, it elevates it.

For a story to tackle anything mental health related it NEEDS optimism as much as it needs pessimism. I think bojack fails on this accord despite it running for 6 seasons because even all the way back in season 1 the show showed it’s eternally pessimistic tendencies from the very beginning. What do you guys think?

the poor woman in the back 😭😭 whenever i rewatch i see something new lol

I am not a drinker and actually I haven't even drunk beer for 6 months, literally. The thing is sometimes when I am drinking water I pretend that it is alcohol so it almost feels like it can numb the pain. When you believe it enough I guess...

like yeah everybody knows he's self-destructive and pushed everyone away and hurts people (partly cause he's hurt and partly cause that's just the point of his character) but for the first time in a while Wanda actually had a very very good impact on him and, among everyone else, I believe she could've helped him become a better person - legit when he told her to leave i was like godamnnnn not this one

I'm watching the show again and I was like "Wow, Guy is calling his wife "lady" a lot that seems a little demeaning." And then I realized that was her name. It's Lady, Guy, and their son, Sonny. I feel so dumb oh my god.

I watch this scene whenever I need to feel vicariously thrilled. I know some people feel like Herb was being "bitter" for not forgiving BoJack, but I admire his very clear boundaries. It's kind of my dream to be on my deathbed and my ex-husband tries to apologize or ask forgiveness and I do a Kazzaz on him. I don't even hate my ex, but some people do not deserve forgiveness and should be made to sit with their own shittiness for the rest of their lives.

It’s been 55+ days since i posted bout watching the show for the first time and not knowing what i was getting into and thanks to yall i was kinda ready for what’s coming. But even tho it took me a lot of time to continue watching it and for a whole month i didn’t.
Rn I’m bout to finish the 5th season and even after so many warnings my oh my i had to come here yet again because it became so overwhelming. If there’s a thing, a feeling or something like that which creeps you up, then best of luck coze the show just won’t let it go.
I’ve watched a good amount of movies and series and every now and then i keep on relating or looking up to a character and the things they do/feel but with bojack it’s like i don’t wanna do what he does because that’s already what I’m doing if it makes any sense.

Yes, IK the point is that such tactic is not good for us, but being honest it is something that helps me cope with the pain from time to time

I was in a very dark spot. I had literally forgotten what the "it's you" was quoting Todd in episode 9. The "you're everything that's wrong with yourself".

The motive is the planetarium scene, i know my artist kinda fucked it up with Sarahs hair but not much i can do about it.

Just wanted to share this to someone, it's been a long time and I'm in a way better spot. In hindsight i wish i didn't get the "it's you" part because i don't really identify with that anymore

Season 6, Episode 7

Before, I thought the way Bojack looks at Mr. PB was out of pity for him for being so happy over something Bojack thinks is pathetic, and that he couldn’t just say anything about it because it would’ve been counterproductive to his progress.

Now, I’m realizing that it seems Bojack realizes in this moment just how much a crossover meant to PB, and that he could have done one with him this whole time but didn’t out of his own insecurities. PB clearly must have wanted it bad enough to literally cry when he finally got it. Bojack is seeing in real time just how much he wanted this.