The new season of BoJack Horseman learns from the mistakes of its first and maintains its hilarious style of writing.
BoJack Horseman is one of the most underrated shows on the Internet.
The titular character (Will Arnett) is anthropomorphic horse with a childhood that would make Don Draper shutter and a drinking habit would make Tyrion Lannister look like a lightweight. His friends — slacker roommate Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul), autobiographer Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie), agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris) and Diane’s yellow labrador husband Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) — seem like personalities that would come out of shows such as Arrested Development and Archer. And with creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s rips on popular culture, such as a satirical morning show hosted by A Ryan Seacrest Type and Some Lady (yes, those are their real names), this sitcom is one of the best shows on the web.
The show is based in a universe of humans and other anthropomorphic animals that live in Hollywoo (that’s not a typo; BoJack stole the “D” from the famous landmark in the first season to impress Diane and now the city is called that).
The first season mostly focuses on BoJack’s autobiography, which is his hope for a comeback from his stint as a ‘90s sitcom star. Although it was a bit rough around the edges with static personalities and a stagnant plot, the series pulled through in the last few episodes of the season. Thankfully for BoJack, the book was a success, and the second season revolves around his return into the spotlight and all the benefits (and issues) that come with it.
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The second season of the show is now available for streaming on Netflix.
BoJack begins a relationship with Wanda Pierce (Lisa Kudrow), an owl who has recently awoken from a 30-year coma and has been named the head of programming at Major Broadcasting Network. He also lands his dream job as the lead role in an Oscar-worthy movie called Secretariat. Although it seems that everything is going well, he’s still haunted by his past and struggling with depression, with flashbacks of his childhood popping up throughout the season. The plot seems reminiscent of the first season, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. The story line just seems to coast along, and there’s very little development until the end of the season.
The biggest improvement from the first season is the character development. The last season focused primarily on BoJack, and even then, it was just his drunken and narcissistic antics. This gets better the second time around. His relationships with the women he’s involved with evolve by him being more emotional and opening up about his fears.
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Even the side characters are developed more in the second season. Todd, who seemed like a punching bag for BoJack in the first season, has his own adventures, like rescuing a chicken from a factory or joining an improv group (or a cult, as described by his friends). These moments are entertaining, especially when contrasted with the darker elements of the show.
The strains of Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter’s marriage are explored. Before, both characters were just optimistic and happy, but now, they’re more pessimistic and angry throughout. While it’s a bit shocking, it’s great to see the more emotional side of these characters, which makes them more pronounced than just being side characters. Even Princess Carolyn is seen having relationship issues and is shown trying to build her own company toward the end of the season. Focusing on the other characters in the series adds a whole other dimension, and it’s great when these characters come together and interact.
One of the best parts of BoJack Horseman is the amount of absurdity in the show. With the normal tongue-in-cheek events, such as cable news favoring covering celebrity scandals over third-world genocide or chickens killing each other to make fried chicken, everything else feels normal. So when The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger is seen working in a bike shop or Henry Winkler (aka The Fonz) is best known for a guest role on Law & Order: SVU, it doesn’t seem forced, and any irrational element becomes a comedic device. Hollywoo is a zoo, and that’s not solely attributed to the anthropomorphic animals that roam the City of Angels.
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BoJack Horseman isn’t just a cartoon with adult dialogue. It’s a show with complex characters and running gags. The details in the background and the joke-a-second model will force viewers to re-binge every weekend to get every part of the story. It does beat some jokes to the ground, but the other aspects of the show more than make up for it. The best part of the show is the mix of laughter and heartbreak that reflect reality, where both of those elements are equal in measure.
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