Season five of Bojack Horseman was just released on Netflix and by far was one of the best seasons. Bojack Horseman isn't just a cartoon about a horse from a famous 90's sitcom, it's the dark, comical relief we all need in our lives. Bojack Horseman isn't afraid to open conversations up and brings things to light like--death. It's a topic nobody wants to talk about, but it's an inevitable conversation.
This season, there's an episode titled "Free Churro." Longtime viewers come to discover that Beatrice, Bojack's mother, has passed away. The relationship between Bojack and his mother wasn't the best. Like a lot of things in Bojack's life, it was rather a toxic relationship consisting mostly of mental and verbal abuse. In season four, they gave an insight into Beatrice's life showcasing why she is the person she is; an abusive, cold-hearted woman. Her life wasn't ideal, but it certainly wasn't an excuse for how she mistreated Bojack. I knew her death was a long time coming, but I wasn't expecting it this season.
"Free Churro" is done entirely in a monologue of Bojack delivering his mother's eulogy. Of course, this funeral wouldn't be complete if it wasn't done Bojack Horseman style. He begins his eulogy by telling the attendees how before arriving at his mother's funeral he stopped at a Jack in the Box where the girl behind the counter asked if he was having an awesome day which he replied no due to the death of his mother. This caused the girl to start crying profusely and apologizing to Bojack in the gesture of a free churro. He then proceeds to tell distasteful jokes, "knock [on your casket] once if you're proud of me" followed by Bojack reminiscing about their final moments together, how crappy of a mother she was, and ending with Bojack opening up the casket as his mother's final wishes were to have an open casket only to discover he was in the wrong room for the funeral and had opened the casket of another dead individual.
Throughout this eulogy, Bojack let us know how much he wasted his life in vain to please his mother and even though she's gone, that feeling isn't. Death isn't an easy subject to talk about let alone create an entire episode devoted to it, but it made the conversation a lot easier for me. (It just may be my dark humor, but it made it easier.)
If this episode didn't make you reflect or feel some type of way, you're a cold-hearted liar. It weighed heavily on my heart and made me reflect on the relationships I have with my loved ones. I'd be lying if said I didn't call my parent's after I watched this episode. It's the feeling nobody ever wants to go through. That hard knot in your throat or the uneasiness in your stomach, however you decide to take this episode is up to you.
I for one, believe that the lessons learned here are that some people in your life are always going to be toxic; they don't get better after they die, you shouldn't try to live your life trying to please others, and that the best way to deal with anything too serious is to joke about it––my lifetime mantras.
