Ever since Arrested Development season four was released on Netflix all the way back in 2013, I have been looking for something to fill that surreal, satirical and cynical hole in my life. Then last summer the Netflix gods sent me a comedy life-preserver in the form of Bojack Horseman.
Greeted with generally mixed reviews upon its release, compared to Netflix’s previous independent properties, I was initially hesitant to jump into it. As a fan of the cast and their previous work, I sat down to watch it and although I enjoyed the first couple of episodes I was initially left luke warm. But then as the show progressed I found myself doing something I hadn’t found myself doing since the early days of Futurama, I was genuinely moved by an animated show. BOJACK HORSEMAN retained the off the wall surreal style and cleverly thought out sight gags that have become common place in adult animation, but also delivered some deep philosophical questions while doing so.
Season two continues the story of former 90’s television star Bojack Horseman (Will Arnett), having just released his tell-all autobiography and dealing with suddenly being thrust into the public spotlight again, as he attempts to gain recognition playing his dream role of Secretariat, all the while wondering if he really is a good person.
Recurring jokes from the first season are back and are used to mixed results. The continuation of everyone refusing to acknowledge the letter D (after a main character steals the letter from the Hollywood sign in season one) is used suitably and serves as a great reward to observant fans of the show. Whereas the relationship between Bojack’s agent, Princess Caroline, and her (obviously two children in a trench coat) boyfriend, Vincent Adultman, feels as if the writers had run out of material for the character at the end of last season and is ended hastily without giving much time for the audience to be able to revel in the characters pomposity and absurdity.
The overarching story structure in this season feels uneven compared to the previous seasons with more standalone episodes that rely on continuing jokes from previous episodes rather than let new jokes form from the characters and their actions. Some later episodes introduce character developments that would have been better served if they had came earlier within the season allowing the jokes to mature rather than just suddenly start only to be resolved a in the next episode..
However this season boasts two of the best-written episodes of an episodic comedy in recent years, “Lets Find Out” and “Escape From L.A”, which represent everything that makes Bojack Horseman such a success. It’s satirical without being preachy, dark without boarding on the macabre and silly without being goofy, with “Escape From L.A” being one of the most cringe worthy and utterly emotionally devastating episodes of TV since the early days of The Office.
Continuing to boast outstanding voice acting from all of its main cast and its special guest stars, quirky and visually interesting animation and providing biting social commentary that hasn’t been seen on a scripted comedy since early South Park or The Thick Of It. Bojack Horseman season two may be more uneven than its first, but there’s still plenty to get behind and be excited about. There’s still life in this old Horse yet.
