Summary
Bojack Horseman Season 6, Part 1 lands with a bang and reminds us why we love this misanthropic cartoon horse and his demons.
This review of Bojack Horseman Season 6, Part 1 is spoiler-free.
The best-kept secret on Netflix is back and it has brought with it the usual blend of surrealist humour, sight gags, animal puns and devastating human drama all masquerading as a cartoon about a misanthropic horse. Sadly, it has been confirmed that this latest season of Bojack Horseman will be the last, and viewers will be treated to what must be the best show on Netflix at the moment (don’t @ me).
For the uninitiated (where have you been?) Bojack Horseman Season 6, Part 1 opens where Season 5 left off. Bojack has checked in to rehab to finally face his demons, Princess Carolyn is a mother, Todd is off on his madcap adventures and Mr. Peanut Butter and Diane are facing the consequences of their post-marital affair.
Over the course of this show’s run Bojack Horseman has evolved into something very special. It has consistently managed to walk the finest of fine lines. The humor is sharp and clever but also remarkably silly and at times wacky. The writers here are not above a pun followed by a gratuitous celebrity cameo and some of the best sight gags since the Simpsons’ heyday. The fact that they do this without undermining the dramatic effect of unflinching storylines focusing on depression, addiction, and Hollywood’s sexism and generally vapid nature is a stellar achievement.
They don’t pull their punches or give us any easy resolutions. We have spent the last 5 years of this show being given glimpses of Bojack’s humanity only for his weaknesses to let him and us down. Bojack Horseman Season 6 is no different. We know this cartoon horse is flawed and broken, we know he wants to be and get better, but the fact that we don’t know right up until the very minute if he ever will get it together is one of the unique joys of the show.
You might have got the impression that I am a fan of Bojack Horseman (I am) and I was really looking forward to seeing how they would resolve things and bring the show to an end. Anyone who was a fan of Game of Thrones knows how hard it is to have such high expectations for a finale of a show you love. Like Game of Thrones, Bojack’s last season will be split in two and I am pleased to say, so far so good. It manages to swerve the pitfalls of the highly anticipated ending and stays true to what makes it special and devastating. We’ll be back in January to let you know what we think of the ending.
Sure, there are some subplots that work better than others. I’ve never really been a huge fan of the wacky adventures of Todd and some of the tangents are a touch too tangential but when the rest of the package is such clever, funny and satirical heart-breaking TV, it feels a bit churlish to pick at it.
If you haven’t seen the first 5 seasons of Bojack Horseman, go and watch them now. If you are up to speed then enjoy this last season and enjoy every last drop; it’s unlikely we’re going to see it’s like again any time soon.
