Leo Tolstoy once said that all happy families are alike, but all unhappy families are unhappy in their own ways. Thus, it’s no surprise that happy families are so few. For a family to be happy, every little component needs to work together in harmony, but there are an infinite number of variables that could go wrong. So, it’s no surprise that dysfunctional families are so copious on TV. Each unhappy family has an often poignant, but always unique story to tell about itself. You have your Roys from <em>Succession, </em>Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Bluths from Arrested Development, each of them unhappy and dysfunctional in their own ways. But none of these families come as unhappy as the Horsemans from BoJack Horseman.
Most sitcoms tell us that the family we’re following is dysfunctional and use this dysfunctionality to extract humor. But BoJack Horseman goes a step beyond and asks why the Horseman family is the way it is. It oscillates back and forth across generations to uncover the reason behind the unhappiness of its individual characters, thus providing us with a depressing but satisfactory answer about their family’s unhappiness.
What Is Netflix’s ‘BoJack Horseman’ About?
It’s difficult not to enter an introspective state after binging BoJack Horseman. The show lures its audience in with its anthropomorphic world, vibrant aesthetics, pop-culture references, and zany humor. But when the audience is fully hooked, it poses difficult questions about the everyday defilement and purification of existence, forcing deep reflection upon its viewer. The beauty of BoJack Horseman lies in how it neatly packages the nuances of the human condition and presents it in a manner that leaves the viewer with a lingering aftertaste.
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What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning?
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<Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit?
<The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.
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<How do you prefer your conflicts resolved?
<The shape of a world’s conflicts tells you everything about its soul.
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<Who do you want beside you when things get difficult?
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<AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together.
<BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road.
<CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway.
<DAllies whose loyalty I’ve earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine for now.
<EA crew of brilliant, curious people from every corner of known space.
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Indeed, the show’s best moments have risked being unabashedly honest about the internal turmoil that each character faces when having to choose between doing the easy thing and doing the right thing. And the protagonist we follow, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), is mostly inclined towards doing the easy thing. BoJack is a washed-up actor who is still living off the success of a sitcom that ended 20 years ago. We see him attempting to make a comeback into Hollywood; along the way we also see horrible things he does — like sabotaging his best friend’s music career; inviting a friend who’s nine months sober to a bender causing her death; strangling a colleague under drugs; and so much more. At the same time we also get glimpses into his depressing childhood surrounded by emotionally abusive parents who starved him of love. The purpose of this backstory isn’t to make you forgive Bojack or make him likable but to paint a nuanced picture of a character who comes from a dysfunctional family.
Will Arnett’s BoJack Horseman Had The Worst Parents
Most sitcoms treat dynamics within dysfunctional families with absurdity as it can be difficult to write gags about such depressing situations. But when BoJack Horseman talks about dysfunctional families it lets humor recede into background bringing familial traumas into forefront. The method applied by show is that it doesn’t show us BoJack’s wretched childhood all at once but scatters pieces throughout allowing us to form larger picture contextualizing what we’ve seen around it.
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Both BoJack’s primary caregivers Beatrice (Wendie Malick) and Butterscotch (Arnett) were horrible at being parents. Beatrice seemed to enjoy hurling insults towards her son blaming him for loss youth beauty potential avenging loss constantly telling him he was good for nothing better grow up something great damage done due spiteful nature there never moment she showed semblance love affection towards son until very end Additionally BoJack’s father inconsiderate didn’t care if words actions negatively impacted kid currently formative years When BoJack caught father affair secretary Butterscotch got BoJack drunk later blackmailed about keep lips sealed This implies BoJack’s father had hand carving path towards substance abuse for him It’s difficult say if instances like resulted BoJack becoming alcoholic overall inconsiderate person but abusive upbringing certainly didn’t help.The purpose this backstory isn’t make forgive Bojack or make likable paint nuanced picture character comes dysfunctional family..
‘BoJack Horseman’ Depicts The Realities Of Inter-Generational Trauma
For first half show we see few glimpses BoJack’s upbringing making easy villainize parents especially mother Beatrice But Season 4 show flips takes us journey through Beatrice’s own childhood map harrowing events made spiteful old woman becomes In episode “The Old Sugarman Place” learn Beatrice’s mom Honey Sugarman (Jane Krakowski) had son Crackerjack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) died war grief struck badly unable function normally During one unmanageable bout grief got drunk crashed car while little Beatrice inside response Honey’s husband wasn’t talk send grief counselor lobotomize her Beatrice sees all this when just little notices mother become hollow person after procedure Still Honey departs one crucial lesson daughter love does terrible things person even makes little Beatrice promise she’ll never love anyone much loved Crackerjack.
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In another episode “Time’s Arrow” see Beatrice extremely insecure weight because inordinate amount importance placed appearance father was never allowed eat ice cream because would make fat had resort eating lemon sugar sprinkles treat We also see taking “pretty pills” presumably some kind weight loss supplement seems carry insecurity surrounding looks life passing on BoJack even Hollyhock (Aparna Nancherla) constantly shaming them weight In episode “Lovin That Cali Lifestyle!!” we learn Beatrice secretly spiking Hollyhock’s drinks “pretty pills” point overdose.
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In turn BoJack also passes trauma daughter figures Beatrice instilled unhealthy need perform forcing sing song party When says doesn’t feel like singing mother replies “Nobody gives damn what feel like You’ve got audience out there want hear sing Now want mommy love go out there do only thing good which singing lollipop song.” A few decades later see echoing same lines young Sarah Lynn (Kristen Schaal) having performance anxiety Indeed poison does drip through.
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