At a glance, this show looks like your run of the mill wacky, raunchy adult cartoon comedy. And yes, it has plenty of that with the titular character's rude and obscene behavior, and a saturated slew of animal puns. There are wacky characters and absurd plots to be sure, but all of that eventually takes a backseat to the fact that Bojack Horseman is, at heart, a nuanced and overtly depressing show about pain and self-loathing.
This season really has more in common with Jody Hill's Eastbound and Down than it does any of the cartoons it's often being compared to, not just in the sense that it's a dark character study but also in the aspect that it's not episodic at all. Continuity plays a huge role in the show, and many of the episodes start exactly where the last one left off (evidence that the writers were catering to the "binging" crowd). A lot of the funniest jokes come from references to past episodes (such as the wonderful moment where Bojack assumes that on his last drinking binge he must have become obsessed with David Boreanaz for some reason.) As depressing and serious as the shows ultimate arc really is, the absurdist icing that comes from immersion in this world where anthropomorphic animals are taken for granted helps make this bitter pill an enjoyable meal. Great comedic performances from Amy Sedaris, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul don't hurt either. But overall, Bojack Horseman is a thoughtful, witty feel-bad comedy in the best way.
This season really has more in common with Jody Hill's Eastbound and Down than it does any of the cartoons it's often being compared to, not just in the sense that it's a dark character study but also in the aspect that it's not episodic at all. Continuity plays a huge role in the show, and many of the episodes start exactly where the last one left off (evidence that the writers were catering to the "binging" crowd). A lot of the funniest jokes come from references to past episodes (such as the wonderful moment where Bojack assumes that on his last drinking binge he must have become obsessed with David Boreanaz for some reason.) As depressing and serious as the shows ultimate arc really is, the absurdist icing that comes from immersion in this world where anthropomorphic animals are taken for granted helps make this bitter pill an enjoyable meal. Great comedic performances from Amy Sedaris, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul don't hurt either. But overall, Bojack Horseman is a thoughtful, witty feel-bad comedy in the best way.