The series ‘BoJack Horseman’ is unlike any other. Who’d have guessed that a brightly colored show about a talking horse could make people so depressed? ‘BoJack’ was one of Netflix’s first original shows, debuting in 2014 and lasting six seasons and 77 episodes until its conclusion in 2020. Despite a mediocre first-season debut, the show endured and received critical acclaim in the Second Season, with successive seasons receiving high recognition from reviewers and fans. It has been considered one of the best television series of the decade by many. So, here we shall be looking into the best episodes by BoJack Horseman.
The flick BoJack Horseman is about a lot of things. How do we make sense of a confusing world? How do we find happiness in the midst of hardship? How we express ourselves and distribute power to others. That’s a lot for any series, let alone one about the animated adventures of a great horseman whose life hovers on the precipice of celebrity privilege and deep-seated emotional self-abuse.
The bizarre show is set in a universe where humans and humanoid animals coexist. Bojack is a washed-up 1990s comedy actor who, while having anything he could want, is nevertheless terribly depressed and is constantly trying to change that. Princess Carolyn, his manager and BoJack’s on-again, off-again sweetheart, is a cat who always puts the needs of others before her own. He enlists the services of a ghostwriter, Diane Nguyen, who is likewise dealing with difficulties of family breakdown and despair.
Here are the Top 10 Best Bojack Horseman Episodes Ranked
10. Hank After Dark – Season 2 Episode 7
Every now and then, ‘BoJack’ will air a topical Episode in which the show’s creators will find humor in the way the media covers a current event. Season 2’s episode is “Hank After Dark,” a parody of Hollywood’s treatment of powerful men. As BoJack and Diane embark on a cross-country media tour to promote the paperback edition of BoJack’s autobiography, Diane finds herself in hot trouble when she brings up sexual harassment charges against late-night television star Hank Hippopopalous.
It hurts to witness Diane fighting for what’s right while all the guys in her life tell her she can’t win, and the Episode presents a serious and sad take on how the media is so quick to shelter famous, wealthy men from criticism. Diane’s prospects of exposing Hank are fading, and the world appears to be conspiring against her, as Alison Brie’s voice sounds weaker. Aside from the accurate portrayal of charges against celebs in the industry, there are some hilarious moments, such as Todd taking on the role of the prince of the imaginary country Cordovia and BoJack attempting to reclaim everyone’s attention following Diane’s remarks.
9. Nice While It Lasted – Season 6 Episode 16
BoJack Horseman comes to a close in the only manner it could: with a series of beautifully portrayed monologues between the main characters. It’s been ten months since BoJack almost died. For the Saturday, he’s sober and out of jail to witness Princess Carolyn and Judah’s wedding. BoJack and Todd chat about the loss of things as they enjoy the views at Princess Carolyn’s oceanside wedding, the oncoming waves sweeping away their tracks.
Princess Carolyn expresses her affection for BoJack while also establishing the boundaries she needs to be happy. Diane does something the same as the Episode opens and closes with her and BoJack, most likely spending their final moments together doing that most normal of things: staring up at the stars in love.
8. The Old Sugarman Place – Season 4 Episode 2
The story “The Old Sugarman Place” is essentially very self-contained. It takes place outside of Hollywood, in the village of Michigan, where the Horseman family’s vacation home is located. ‘BoJack Horseman’ deals with emotions of emptiness amongst its major characters in two stories, one set in the past concerning Beatrice Horseman’s upbringing and the other set in the present with BoJack trying to clean up the family house.
Honey, Beatrice’s mother, is heartbroken by the loss of a family member and is unable to handle it. BoJack seeks to find direction in himself by fixing up his old summer house, and his nasty neighbor teaches him about letting go of the past. Both stories are heartbreaking, and it’s impossible not to cry when you witness what happens to Beatrice and her mom. “The Old Sugarman Place” may detract from the drama at home, but it presents a heartbreaking story that any “BoJack” fan should watch.
7. Escape from L.A. – Season 2 Episode 11
Charlotte, Bojack’s buddy, was frequently the topic of Bojack’s fantasies of escaping the more harsh aspects of Los Angeles. Bojack’s self-importance is evidenced by the fact that he puts Charlotte on a pedestal to try to make himself look better. He had a mental image of Charlotte for a long time. He expected her life to remain unchanged while he went about his own. Bojack is taken aback when he meets Charlotte’s relatives in New Mexico. But leaving L.A. was mostly about Bojack escaping himself as it’s about him playing out a fantasy scenario. It demonstrates how badly Bojack wants to be someone else that he would prefer to join a new family and then come home with his tail between his legs.
By staying with the Carsons, Bojack adopts an almost uncle-like attitude and assists Charlotte in raising her children. Bojack decided to take Penny to homecoming in an attempt to make her feel young again. Although Bojack appears to have no hidden motivations in taking Penny to the homecoming, his intoxicated self comes dangerously near to ruining his life and the viewer’s bond with him as a character. Bojack planned to leave his old self behind by escaping to New Mexico. His destructive relationship with drink, on the other hand, exposes the darkest aspects of himself. Bojack bottles it up before returning to L.A. after seeing himself for who he actually is.
6. Fish Out Of Water – Season 3 Episode 4
“Fish Out of Water” was unlike any Episode before it, and yet it works like magic. BoJack attends an underwater movie premiere to promote ‘Secretariat’ in this Episode. When he arrives, he discovers that his ex-director Kelsey is also in attendance, and he is forced to confront her. The problem is that due to the helmet he’s wearing, he can’t interact or connect with anyone.
As a result, there is very little dialogue throughout the Episode. Everything depends on BoJack’s behavior, and he can no longer rely on his words. This Episode is simply stunning from beginning to end. As BoJack deals with various challenges, such as returning a newborn seahorse to its father or attempting to find his way back to the event after getting lost, the aquatic location provides beautiful scenery. Furthermore, the conclusion is kinda hilarious. It’s a work of art and one of the best episodes of ‘BoJack’.
In this Episode, Bojack Horseman conveys one of the show’s most memorable themes: you can learn and change for the good, but you may never be forgiven by those you’ve mistreated. Bojack Horseman’s position in television history is defined by moments like this, which reflect what it is to be human…even if you’re a horse.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Simpsons Episodes That Are Extremely Hilarious
5. Free Churro – Season 5 Episode 6
Bojack goes to Jack in the Box on his way to his mother’s burial in “Free Churro,” and the cashier gives him a free churro as a gesture of compassion. He then gives a speech to a large crowd of people, reflecting on his difficult, and at times cruel, relationship with his mother. He’s also trying to figure out what his mother’s final words meant, which were just, “I see you.” Bojack lifts the casket after an episode-long speech and finds he went to the wrong funeral. Bojack gets his first loyal following in years, equipped with decades of bottled pain that he never got to release on his mother.
Her death brings a mixture of relief, fury, and the terrible reality that he will never gain the approval from his parents that he had so desperately craved for so long. “Free Churro” virtually works as a therapy session by allowing Bojack to speak freely without the constraints of a serialized Television series. He continues, analyzing his mother’s parting remarks and describing a brief moment of mutual affection between his parents. On his mother’s coffin, he tells knock-knock jokes. The monologue takes a complex look at the heartbreak of losing something that was more abusive than loving. It also debunks the concept of closure.
4. The Dog Days Are Over – Season 5 Episode 2
Diane utilizes her journey to Vietnam to heal her wounded heart for the time being. Diane’s desire to put as much distance between herself and Mr. Peanutbutter as possible drives her to Hanoi, but it soon turns into a genuine discovery of who she is as an Asian-American. Diane felt cut off from her Vietnamese background growing up in Boston with parents who embraced America’s carefree culture of football and booze. When she arrives in Hanoi, the gap between them widens as she attempts to speak with the natives. But she picks up enough of the language to get by, and she gradually accepts the complexities of her identity.
Above all, “The Dog Days are Over” is a reflection on the idea that “wherever you go, there you are.” Traveling overseas can give you insight and distance, but it won’t save you from experiencing heartbreak. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter were introduced as a pair in the very first Episode, and their separation allows viewers to see what each one of those individuals looks like on their own. Diane is heartbroken at the thought of her ex-husband moving on with his life. However, the chapter concludes on a positive note, with her realizing that she will be OK as well.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Episodes Of SEAL Team That You Should Watch
3. That’s Too Much, Man! – Season 3 Episode 11
Bojack calls Sarah Lynn just as she wakes up to begin her ninth month of sobriety and asks whether she’s ready to party. Sarah Lynn throws her sobriety out the window with a shot of vodka, and the two go on a drinking and drug binge. Sarah Lynn and Bojack do it on a foolish ego tour to make amends for past mistakes after disrupting an Alcohol Addiction meeting.
“That’s Too Much, Man!” reminds viewers that, while Bojack happily recalls his time as a 90s comedy star, the decade was filled with drinking and toxicity, as Bojack and Sarah Lynn continue on their ego trip and uncover the skeletons in their very own closets. In a later Episode, it’s revealed that Bojack’s heavy drinking onset was directly responsible for Sarah Lynn’s early alcohol addiction, heightening the emotional effect of Sarah’s overdose at the show’s conclusion.
“That’s Too Much, Man!” is a difficult pill to swallow, despite being one of the series’ finest and extremely hard episodes. Bojack’s angst relationship with Sarah Lynn is revisited in the series, in which he serves as her sexual partner, party companion, and pseudo-father figure. They find a reflection of themselves in each other. Their irrationality keeps their binge spinning out of control until it comes to a heartbreaking halt.
2. Time’s Arrow – Season 4 Episode 11
The humanization of Beatrice, who has played a nasty role in the series since her introduction in “Bojack Hates the Troops” early in Season 1, maybe the most remarkable magic trick “Time’s Arrow” pulls off. The non-linear form strongly resembles Beatrice’s insanity, filling the chapter with fear and mystery. Beatrice lives everywhere and nowhere at the same time, from faceless observers to confusing time jumps. The show tosses her away from her appearance at a beauty queen ball to a nursing home in an instant. Bojack abandons her, leaving her in a state of confusion and actual terror.
Bojack frequently blames both of his parents for his destructive conduct, and while he eventually learns to accept responsibility for his actions, he isn’t absolutely incorrect in feeling bitterness at Beatrice and Butterscotch. But, just as Bojack Horseman built her up as a nasty, unloving character who is easy to despise, “Time’s Arrow” removes everything from Beatrice until she’s nothing more than a scared youngster searching for anything she knows. Bojack reaches back in the final second, during a rare period of calm.
1. The View From Halfway Down – Season 6 Episode 15
Every season’s penultimate episode, as any ‘BoJack Horseman’ fans will know, is the most upsetting; it’s generally packed with meaningful character moments and an explosive scene that forever affects both BoJack and the show. As the series’ penultimate episode, I can confidently state that this has been the best of the pack and the greatest episode of the entire series. In a dream, BoJack attends a dinner party where the visitors are all of the series’ characters who have died. BoJack claims he’s had this dream many times previously and isn’t surprised. However, as the night progresses, he becomes increasingly aware that something is seriously wrong.
Due to BoJack’s increasing fear as he realizes this isn’t an ordinary dream, this episode is among the few truly unsettling episodes in BoJack Horseman’s run. It’s scary to hear BoJack’s father Butterscotch read poetry about going off the Golden Gate Bridge. “There is no other side,” Herb says BoJack in a cool manner. “This is it,” almost transforms the show into a horror film. From BoJack’s discussions with his dead family members and friends to his phone conversation with Diane at the end of the show, everything about it is spiritual and emotionally draining; and, really, no other Episode quite captures the emotional intensity and intensity of this Episode.
Also Read: Top 10 Walking Dead Episodes Ranked: Glenn’s Death Is Not On The Top
