Today, I really need to talk about one of my favorite shows. If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with television shows, or more accurately now, Netflix shows. I love the medium that a show provides for storytelling. The focus is all on the characters and their growth, and I really appreciate that as a writer. It makes it very easy to get emotionally involved in the characters and their problems, as I have so many times. I particularly love comedy series, because I love to laugh. One of these is "Bojack Horseman," a show set in a world where people and animals all walk on two legs, and also can think and talk. It's a strange concept, but it really allows them to write some great wordplay.
The first time I was introduced to Bojack Horseman, I had just flown into San Francisco, where my Uncle Jeremy was picking me up. I was going to hang out with him for a while before meeting up with his sister, my Aunt Shelley, who I was staying with. After we arrived at his house, and I played with his cat, Meowzer, for a good while, he turned Netflix on and started up Bojack. He was telling me he had started watching it, and that it was pretty good. We started from the beginning, and I believe we got three episodes in before we had to leave. I remember it being refreshingly funny, absolutely something I had not expected. The jokes and wordplay hit home with me, every single time. I loved it, and the characters were all so hilariously flawed. It made for such a good comedy.
Bojack Horseman is a former TV star from a sitcom called "Horsin' Around," that was mildly well received. The show takes place years after "Horsin' Around", with Bojack having fallen from stardom quite a bit. The first episodes are filled with hilarious one-liners, perfectly genius comedy scenarios, and some discreet character development. You do not even realize that you are becoming attached to these characters. They reel you in with the comedy, but you stay for the thoughtful incite on how Bojack copes (or rather doesn't) with depression and other issues. Watching Bojack Horseman, I honestly feel that part of what the creators want you to see is that despite how society treats celebrities, they're just people at the end of the day. They face a lot of the same problems we do. They can be broken, and no amount of money or fame will ever fix that. They don't try to "make it better" or give you a happy ending. I love that the most. Sometimes, it's just fine to be broken, hurting, and sad.
Season 4 was just released last week, and I binge watched the whole thing in one sitting. I recommend it to anyone with my absolute highest endorsement. "Bojack Horseman" is Shakespeare's sought-after tragedy-comedy combo, and a remarkable display of how self-destructive, depressive people function. It made me laugh so hard I fell to the floor, and I actually did cry watching it too. If that doesn't make you want to at least give it a shot, there's nothing more I can say.
