Media Journal: BoJack Horseman

BoJack had a not-so-obviously obvious dark side with a sense of realness and great wit. Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s series took advantage of this dark humor and intense moments to show us all how we, as humans, tend to fail ourselves with our own choices and struggle with the weight of them all. And while it portrayed the failures in full detail, it also sneaked in a couple of moments full of real and sincere hope to remind us that we all have goodness inside our hearts. The show also gave us moments of encouragement to keep fighting and be better people, no matter how broken and flawed.

In BoJack Horseman, I found comfort through the subtle moments it took to express how a work of art, be it a show or a movie or anything, can help people.

In, that went well (Season 3 Episode 12)-

Diane says, “When I was a kid, I used to watch you on TV. And, you know I didn’t have the best family. Things weren’t that great for me…But, for half an hour, every week, I got to watch this show about four people who had NOBODY, who came together and became a family. And, for half an hour, every week, I had a home…and, it helped me survive. BoJack, there are millions of people who are better off for having known you.”

And just like her, countless shows and movies have helped me find my way through my sadness and struggles. Watching stories about characters who went through similar situations, or stories that spoke to me personally. Stories about characters who went through many emotional and personal issues, characters who still managed to become better people, inspired me to be stronger and gave me the hope and optimism that I desperately needed.

Bojack tackled all of his problems one after another with his unshakeable confidence, courage, and his neverending self-deprecating sense of humor. Even if, sometimes by avoiding them like a plague, or ruining all the chances of turning them into wins by letting his personal issues get the best of him. Clumsily with him, I learned to grow comfortable with my flaws. And with each additional season, every character developed into characters I hold close.

You never really stop loving someone. BoJack and Princess Carolyn had a very complicated dating history together even before we were introduced to them in Season 1. And as the story unfolded we could see that they were bound to fall apart sooner or later, and they did. But even after years of dating others and Princess Carolyn falling in love with a different person, the two of them never stopped caring about each other.

Above all, the best part about this show was how it took time to explore intense issues like depression, mental health, addiction, sexuality, body image, and living with one’s demons and past trauma, in ways that were not only great but better handled than I’ve seen in any other show. The show not only showed us how our personal traumas can make us choose wrong decisions but it also didn’t back down from showing us the consequences of the aforementioned bad choices.

With depression, the struggle is always about wanting to feel better about themselves and not finding anything that makes it any better. But, somedays, it is actually easy and they do feel good about themselves and their lives. The reality is that knowing everything is ok and feeling better because you are more privileged than many others is better said than done. Throughout the series, Diane struggled with her insecurities and goes through several highs and lows in her life, walking into opportunities and sharing her writing skills with others before slowly giving in to her insecurities because of the deep-rooted patterns of her childhood traumas.

I personally find myself turning to BoJack Horseman (the show, and the characters) for the comfort and consolation of knowing that bad decisions won’t define me as long as I try to be better. And because no matter how many bad decisions we take and how awful the situations may get, the show tells us that we’ll always be able to come through.

So, to everyone who gave a hand in making this show come to be what it is today and for taking the risks you’ve had to take and for showing the real depth of what it really means to live, through its plot writing, character developments, and every single detail, a very big thank you.

-s