Netflix has made a lot of slam dunks recently when it comes to original content – Orange is the New Black, The Killing, House of Cards Knights of Sidonia (look it up anime nerds, you wont be disappointed!) – and now they have a new notch to put in their belt: BoJack Horsemen.
Netflix has made a lot of slam dunks recently when it comes to original content – Orange is the New Black, The Killing, House of Cards Knights of Sidonia (look it up anime nerds, you wont be disappointed!) – and now they have a new notch to put in their belt: BoJack Horsemen.
The series brings together comedic veterans Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Paul F. Tompkins (Comedy Bang! Bang!), Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy), and even Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul for a harsh, dark look at the life of a former celebrity-horse.
Yes, BoJack Horsemen is in fact a horse, and in this universe people and animals live together in a completely not-weird way. A blue whale plays a MSNBC news anchor, Sedaris is a tough-as-nails Hollywood agent/cat, and a seal Bojack bumps into at the grocery store is a… Navy seal (Voiced by Patton Oswalt).
Animals occupy normal space – even dating humans – in this world, but some of the shows richest comedic moments come out when the animals break-humanity and act as they would in real life.
Tompkins’s character, Mr. Peanutbutter, is a dog and another former celebrity who has a tendency to share too much with his girlfriend, stars in a new reality tv show, and barks when the door rings.
This is the universe BoJack lives in, himself the former star of Horsing Around, a 90’s sitcom ala Full House complete with 80’s stand-up BoJack with a mullet.
It’s now 20 years later and BoJack is clinging to relevancy, with more self-delusion than money or common sense. His failed attempts to write an autobiography have caused him to intertwine with a ghost writer (Alison Brie) who only further complicates his life.
Without spoiling much, you’ll see Bojack experience the highs and lows of former stardom, with mostly story driven jokes and a few Family-Guy-inspired cutaways. It’s raunchy, it’s got drug and alcohol abuse, but its also got a lot of heart.
When BoJack tries to reconnect with a former mentor, he’s met with the reality of turning his back on a friend and left to drive home silently with only his thoughts for comfort – this scene in particular lead to a silent room on our end.
I haven’t finished the series yet, I only kicked this on to take a break from a recent binge of Deep Space 9, but I plan to wrap this dark, comedic masterpiece in the next few days.
I hope you all do the same.
