BoJack Horseman Season 5: Still Netflix's Crowning Achievement

A week ago, the fifth season of BoJack Horseman came to Netflix, and all over the internet people have been talking about how great it is, how profound, emotional, and sobering it is. But that can be said of any season of BoJack. The animated comedy-drama has since 2014 been challenging our expectations of what can be done in the medium of animation with regards to storytelling, character development, social commentary, and thematic potency. It’s the greatest show on television, and that hasn’t changed.

But while I personally prefer its two preceding seasons, it can’t be denied season five does some incredibly interesting things, going places no other season, or other show in general, has had the courage to go to. In addition to everything else it throws at you, these latest episodes are very introspective, using the show-within-a-show of Philbert to address and dissect shows like BoJack Horseman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a series more self-aware and humble enough to acknowledge the negative repercussions of certain choices they make, bold and brilliant though those choices may be.

This season certainly wasn’t what I expected. I had a theory that season four was the start of an upswing for BoJack, as he was finally making real efforts to do good by the people in his life, even showing a little compassion for his mother in her fading moments; and that two more seasons would continue to chart his rise up to, if not a good person at least a decent person, after Sarah-Lynn’s death brought him to the lowest of lows. And while that wasn’t entirely wrong, as he does still display a genuine desire to be good this season, it was a hell of a lot more complicated, as we saw just how powerful his vices are and how easy it is to relapse into his former patterns. BoJack has a series of bad moments, and I can’t help but think a lot of that has to do with the environment this season came out in and a need to show the consequences of BoJack’s now familiar transgressions.

Each episode this season offered something of value and I’m eager to discuss them.

1. “The Light Bulb Scene” -like most season openers, it does a good job establishing where the characters are and sets in motion their arcs for the subsequent eleven episodes. We already get some foreshadowing at the impact Philbert is going to have on BoJack due to the set looking suspiciously like his own house (and David Boreanaz’s apparently), the character being uncomfortably similar to BoJack’s toxic behaviour, and Princess Carolyn’s advice to separate Philbert from himself. It gets in some good satire on the genre of crime dramas starring an unstable anti-hero, the superfluous nude scenes that are all too common in them, as well as egotistical “vision”-driven showrunners in the form of Flip McVicker, voiced tremendously by Rami Malek. The episode is pretty hilarious, particularly in the circumstances that result in Todd becoming an executive at WhatTimeIsItRightNow.com, the streaming service producing Philbert. Like last seasons’ “See Mr. Peanutbutter Run”, there’s a main character absent until the very end, when Mr. Peanutbutter picks up Diane from the airport, and the reveal that they’ve almost finalized divorce proceedings is a superb hook to grab your attention.

2. “The Dog Days Are Over” -a parallel to “The Old Sugarman Place”, this episode establishes what Diane has been up to in the past year, set against her soul searching trip to Vietnam under a great framing device where, still working for GirlCroosh, she creates a list of “10 Reasons to Go to Vietnam”. It’s very appropriate the episode has her trying to find her identity as a Vietnamese-American, considering showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg has been open about the issue of Diane being voiced by a white actress, Alison Brie, and this episode may well be an attempt to explore and reconcile that. More importantly though it’s the best character examination Diane has gotten in a while. By showing us the different stages of her relationship with Mr. Peanutbutter post-break-up, what’s become of her life, contrasted with a Lost in Translation kind of international experience, we get an idea of where her mind is at and where her emotions are. And near the end it expresses the most heartbreaking articulation of what it’s like seeing an ex with a new partner after a long-term relationship and the isolated feeling of having no direction, illustrated beautifully through clever visual transitions. This is Diane Nguyen’s finest hour, a saddening character study she’s long deserved, setting up a really wonderful season for her.

3. “Planned Obsolescence” -this episode is lighter fare, but still offers dramatic nuance and development. It comes close to wacky sitcom hijinkery with its hysterical farce of Todd meeting his girlfriend Yolanda’s parents, unaware their daughter and her boyfriend are asexual. Yolanda (and her horny twin sister) is still voiced by Natalie Morales, while her parents, an erotic novelist and porn star respectively, are a terrific John Leguizamo and Eva Longoria -and their explicitly sexual lifestyle in contrast with Yolanda and Todd’s complete disinterest in anything sex-related is a joy to watch, even if it does end with Todd and Yolanda splitting; not because of parental disapproval, but the implication that Yolanda is ashamed Todd never went to college. It’s the brilliant kind of thing that doesn’t come off as having any relevance early on, but the writers are smart enough to know has significance. The other couplings of the episode offer nice contrast, with the fallout of Philbert co-star Gina’s disastrous musical audition spelling out another step towards disaster in BoJack’s relationship with her, while Mr. Peanutbutter’s honesty with his new girlfriend Pickles, even if it’s a red flag, illustrates the value of that virtue.

4. “BoJack the Feminist” -every year there’s an issue episode the show tackles and I think we all suspected what this one would be. Given the show’s political consciousness and the prevalence of #MeToo since last season, I figured it wouldn’t be long before BoJack Horseman addressed Hollywood’s propensity for rewarding bad men. With a Mel Gibson analogue voiced by Bobby Cannavale winning a Forgive-ee award, the point couldn’t be any sharper or more satisfying. It targets a lot of the problems of the industry giving second, third, and fourth chances to men who don’t deserve it. And the disingenuous feminism weaponized by both this caricature and BoJack is a searing indictment on the transparent progressivism of some Hollywood figures whose actions don’t support their words. Diane is of course the voice of reason, for which she gets a lot of online abuse. What makes the episode so good is that it examines the problem unfiltered, presents real stakes for the characters, and highlights the steps that should be taken. #MeToo also made it inevitable that BoJack’s sexual misconduct from “Escape From L.A.” would come back to haunt him, and sure enough, we’re uncomfortably forced into Diane’s shoes as she listens to a recording of BoJack confessing to nearly committing statutory rape, and it makes for one of the shows’ greatest cliffhangers.

5. “The Amelia Earhart Story” -unlike Diane’s trip to Vietnam, Princess Carolyn’s return to her home town of Eden, North Carolina is purely to meet a potential birth mother; but the episode divides its time between her present attempts to win over young Sadie and her poor adolescence. Amy Sedaris shines as the episode wonderfully examines how Princess Carolyn became the ultra-determined career woman she is, through a refusal to be permitted to go to college, getting pregnant and having her first miscarriage, and ultimately leaving it all behind, including her mother (a nicely cast David Seadaris), broken up over it. This relationship is the best part of the episode. Her showcase last season, “Ruthie”, was one of the series’ most heartbreaking, and this one doesn’t achieve that level of bleakness, but it is nonetheless tragic to see the gradual loss of her idealism, paving the way for the cynicism that ultimately causes Sadie to see through her sweet-talking and pass on giving over her child. The fact that all the trouble Princess Carolyn went to, coming home after so long, may have been for nothing, is perfect in keeping with BoJack Horseman’s solemn nihilism.

6. “Free Churro” -undoubtedly, the best episode of the season. Though certainly the least animated episode of this animated series, it’s commitment to its concept of being just one long eulogy told from only three POV shots is astounding! Much like “Fish Out of Water”, there’s deep meaning and profound character insight throughout as BoJack, speaking at his mothers’ funeral to an unseen audience, tries to come to terms with their relationship, his resentment of her and what she made him. We have a much more sympathetic feeling about Beatrice Horseman since the powerful double-header of “The Old Sugarman Place” and “Time’s Arrow”, but it doesn’t make her treatment of BoJack just or his anger with her unjust. Punctuating his eulogy with jokes and mock addresses to her, he opens talking about an experience at Jack In The Box almost as though it were a stand-up routine. But if it’s any stand-up show it’s Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, because there is a lot of bitter truth and pent-up feelings to it. “Knock once if you love me” he chides at the coffin, closed out of spite, really speaking to how horribly damaged their relationship was. And Will Arnett has never been better! The only respites from his monologue, an opening flashback that expands on a brutal life lesson his father taught him, and a blackly comic ending punchline similar to “Fish Out of Water”, work terrifically to bookend one of the most quietly provocative, bitterly soulful and brilliantly mesmerizing episodes of television.

7. “INT. SUB” –another experimental episode largely told from the point of view of Diane’s psychiatrist to her wife, this one isn’t as flawless as “Free Churro” mainly for the fact that it’s forced to break with its style and heavily comedic tone sharply in the last act. Until that point it’s very funny though, as characters are reimagined to protect their identities (BoJack is a zebra, Diane is Princess Diana, etc.). The main thrust of Diane’s anxiety over the incriminating information she has on BoJack and the state of their relationship is really compelling, but the B-story involving a minor conflict between Princess Carolyn and Todd provides only a handful of good jokes. I can’t bring myself to dislike the episode though because of its ending; which despite how little it fits with what came before, is one of the tensest, most uncomfortable scenes BoJack Horseman has ever produced; as Diane in anger over BoJack’s flippant equating of their problems and utter dismissal of therapy, writes his confession into the script. The look on both their faces as the scene unfolds is terrifying -him reliving a trauma he wants to forget, and her behaving colder than she’s ever been before.

8. “Mr. Peanutbutter’s Boos” –the third concept episode in a row provides BoJack Horseman with its first Halloween show set across parties in four different timelines. I really think this should have come before “INT. SUB” given how dramatically it ended. That being said, the episode is a good exploration of Mr. Peanutbutter and the effect his personality has on the women in his life, something I’m glad is finally being addressed. Each party he goes to with his latest girlfriend is ruined for them by his overt enthusiasm, and I really like that his bombastic, positive outlook on everything can’t be a healthy way to go through life. I also like how the episode addresses his habit of continually dating younger women who ultimately grow out of his immaturity. It’s some character development he’s long overdue for. There are some good time-sensitive jokes throughout, though it’s dotted with a couple unnecessary explanations (BoJack’s first meeting with both Todd and Diane is shown). But the significant thing I take away is some growth in the right direction for everyone’s other favourite 90’s T.V. star.

9. “Ancient History” –I’d hoped after how season four ended that Hollyhock would be a regular feature on the show going forward, given how good an influence she is on BoJack’s life. As much as that’s not the case, I really appreciated Aparna Nancherla’s long-awaited return, even though it’s a rather depressing episode overall. BoJack’s growing addiction to painkillers was set up a few episodes back and it results in some of his most despicable choices this season. It’s disconcerting to see him endanger both himself and Hollyhock in this way, and it’s a mark in her favour that she can still forgive him. Todd’s date with Emily is sweet if fruitless (though it does result in the most ingenuous new character of the season: Henry Fondle the sex robot), but the most affecting reunion is Princess Carolyn and Raul Esparza’s Ralph. As awkward as it is to see Ralph learn about her adoption process, it’s warming to see they still have chemistry, and disheartening when she turns down his proposal to renew their relationship. Seeing these beloved characters, each of whom brought out the best in their partners, is the episodes’ strength, and it’s a bittersweet relief ahead of the coming horrors.

10. “Head in the Clouds” –in all of season five, this is the episode that’s most self-aware, self-critical, and scathing with regards to BoJack’s character. The meat of the episode is Diane’s confrontation of BoJack at the Philbert première, which the season has subtly been building to. After he appears to justify Philbert’s self-destructive behaviour as something people can feel good about, Diane calls him out; and here the show grapples with its own responsibility for audiences who may have unintentionally taken BoJack the wrong way -using its title character as an excuse for shitty behaviour and a self-pitying “woe me” attitude that spurns accountability. BoJack isn’t perversely emanated to the degree of characters like Deadpool or Rick from Rick and Morty; he’s been far less glamourized and the show has gone out of its way to show despite empathy for his depression and pain, his actions are intolerable. But it is really impressive Bob-Waksberg and co. are aware enough of the slippery slope of normalizing horrible behaviour, even if by showing that humility and endeavouring to do better, BoJack Horseman instantly sets itself above other shows of this type. BoJack’s attempts to justify, exacerbate, or deflect is unbelievably nasty, especially when Diane more-or-less figures out on her own what happened in New Mexico. This is a show that’s had a number of bitter, emotionally-charged arguments and this one might be the most excruciating. It’s another great, unpleasant episode setting up BoJack’s latest low for the final haul.

11. “The Showstopper” –always the most shattering episode of any BoJack season, this eleventh episode culmination of BoJack’s inability to separate Philbert from reality is incredibly serious and disturbing. It has the structure, tone, and pacing of a Satoshi Kon film as two worlds merge in a painkiller induced haze. In a way it hearkens back to “Downer Ending”, but the stakes are much higher and the tension cut so thin you’re anxiously waiting for the ball to drop. Halfway through, there’s an upbeat, beautifully animated, but hauntingly dark musical number sung fantastically by Gina, all about BoJack’s past mistakes and the dismal emptiness of life. And then the show plays with your expectations extremely cleverly on the shocker of BoJack finally losing his mind; throwing out a red herring by cutting Philbert strangling Gina’s character with Gina leaving his home, only for the rug to be pulled from our feet when we’re suddenly back on the set and BoJack is literally strangling Gina, and must be restrained. It’s brutal, especially so when reminded of his comments in “BoJack the Feminist”, and as always the seasonal “fuck” is delivered with perfection by Stephanie Beatriz. This is the most frightening BoJack has ever been, and the ending on the Philbert blimp (earlier spotted by a pleasantly returned Character Actress Margo Martindale) at the top of the mysterious stairway he was tempted by is the best way to end an evocative episode where you don’t know what to think of BoJack Horseman anymore.

12. “The Stopped Show” -the most sobering (literally) finale we’ve gotten from BoJack Horseman is once again tasked with dealing with the fallout of the last episode and setting up character arcs for the next season. BoJack’s shock and disgust at what happened is hopeful, if only that, as is his attempt to come clean about what he did and his desire for Diane to write an exposé on him. But as much as these things would ruin his career and possibly get him jail time, they’re still somewhat self-serving. Extrapolating on an idea she first raised in “Later” and what fits in with the shows’ mantra about one’s actions defining the kind of person they are, Diane tells BoJack he needs to hold himself accountable, and that there are no “good people and bad people”. It’s certainly a notion worth thinking about and it really applies to BoJack as he begins to make a permanent change. The lighter stuff in the episode is great: Henry Fondle’s brief run as President of WhatTimeIsItRightNow.com comes to an end in the most fitting and funniest of ways, once again tying into the theme of sexual offenders in positions of power. Intriguing possibilities are opened up with Princess Carolyn finally adopting a cute little porcupine baby, and Mr. Peanutbutter’s abandonment of honesty for rash decision-making suggests a lot more trouble and promising development for him in the future. As for BoJack checking into rehab, it is the right choice, and though given his behaviour over the past season it’s not as optimistic or emotionally fulfilling as last seasons’ final moments, it is comforting. Like any season of BoJack, the show ends on the question of whether BoJack can come back from this and get better. I think for certain it’s good he’s left Hollywood, as more than any other season, this one proved how vile an effect it has on him.

Raphael Bob-Waksberg has talked about the show running long-term, and as brilliant as he is, I don’t think that’s a good idea; not unless BoJack can actually make good on his intents to be a better person without falling into the traps and cycles of self-destruction and chaos. But whatever the future holds, at least for now, BoJack Horseman is still the most intrepid, unconventional, and challenging portrait of Hollywood, depression, and toxic behaviour; and I have trust in the next season’s ability to blow me away as thoroughly as ever!

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