So many people have been asking me about the unconditional love I have for Bojack Horseman (after The Walking Dead and Twin Peaks, of course).
So here...
It has redefined what animated comedies can be in a big way. Not only is it consistently funny or an increasingly impressive watch during the age of sad comedies but it’s also an emotional one.
I mean, Bojack has made me contemplate life more than any other show.
I understand it's hard to believe it from its embarrassing lack of awards attention but it’s consistently one of the best, funniest, and most emotionally raw shows on television. ABSOLUTELY transcendent in places.
Any screenwriting class will tell you that one of the most crucial things in storytelling is making the audience care about your characters. And this show aces it perfectly.
The thing in life is that even when we get everything we want, they may not particularly be what we want a few years down the line. We can strive for perfection but that elusive aim always shifts as we grow and change as people. And on some level, our pursuit of happiness becomes similar to a coyote chasing a fake rabbit that’s wired to always be a step ahead of us.
That's the case with Bojack, an anthropomorphic horse. He may have seemed like everything we want to be, but the tragedy is that he is actually everything most of us really are. I MOSTLY AM.
Depressed, self-centered, everlastingly unsatisfied and obsessed with his own past life - both trying to escape and relive it.
Like many amazing characters from different shows, he holds a mirror up to us, but UNLIKE most, he holds a mirror to the PARTS OF OURSELVES THAT WE ARE NOT SO INCLINED TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. And that's what makes Bojack, so special.
As the series progresses, we see how disenchanted and confused about her direction in life, BoJack’s seemingly sorted ghost writer turned friend Diane is.
We see a growing sense of worthlessness in the otherwise charming slacker Todd and the endless frustrations of BoJack’s agent Princess Caroline.
And in the center of it all, we have Bojack -
A man who was so busy chasing things he believed he wanted when he was young and reckless, he missed out on so many chances at happiness. A man who constantly sabotages himself and everything around him out of a dangerous combination of cowardice, bitterness and spite.
The greatest masterstroke of this show is choosing the format of an animated sitcom to give the viewers a reality check. BoJack’s shift from a funny, witty comedy into a dark, existential, character-driven drama in just 2 episodes is a thrilling surprise and when it hits you and you realize what's happening, it sends you into a different zone. The show is laden with trigger warnings for people already suffering from any mental condition. Believe me when I say this, according to me, it's actually how you take it - on a deeper note, it helped me get out of my habitual dolour, something I've been struggling with since the beginning of this year.
The way the show deals with the differences in people's attitude and attributes is somewhat a hopeful suggestion that just because things seem doomed, doesn’t always mean they are.
This is the kind of show that can make even an uproariously funny gag into a sly commentary on maturity and how much on some level we are all just kids with no idea what we’re doing, trying and often failing to grow up.
And that is exactly why it getting SNUBBED at the EMMYs again this year, rubbed me off the wrong way.
I mean, Jessica Biel kills and eats Zach Braff and yet SHE gets an Emmy nomination, but "Bojack Horseman" gets none. This is a crime. I have a bone to pick with you, Emmys.
My frustration has reached a point where I am turning to conspiracy theories.
This is a show we need to celebrate — a show that’s willing to take tonal and creative risks all while being sensitive to its characters and inclusive. Instead, the same few shows were nominated yet again for Outstanding Animated Program. *slow claps*
To quote a wise woman, the Emmy people can "Suck a d**k dumb shits!"
