BoJack Horseman (TV Series) The Showstopper (2018) User Reviews

Breathtaking... and necessary

[miguel-p-fernandes · 10/10 · 24 January 2019]

These are the two words I would use to describe this episode: breathtaking and necessary.

Breathtaking because I was hooked to it the moment it started. The transition between BoJack and Philbert's lives are masterfully done, and you're never quite sure who you're actually watching. The fact that you're watching a show in a show made me forget I was watching a show in the first place? Does that make sense? Probably not. But watching this episode, between all the transitions, hallucinations, high rides, and craziness, it somehow always made sense. And that is the highet praise I can give it.

Necessary because of the way it portrays BoJack's addiction. In a country where the opioid crisis is getting worse and worse, this is a refreshing take, one in which the romanticism and "cool aspect" of taking drugs is completely gone. We have a first-hand account on how destructive it can get. The show has always been a fantastic take on mental health and major depressive syndrome for me (with alcoholism always lurking in the background), but since Sarah Lynn's death it has also turned into a scary and realistic depiction on drug addiction.

I was told this season would be worse than its predecessors. I respectfully disagree. Between "Free Churro" and this episode, this has to rank among my favorite seasons. And BoJack Horseman is making its way towards one of my fave shows of all time. I simultaneously can't wait to watch the season finale (which I will do in about two minutes), and I'm dreading it. What will I do with my life after I finish it?

An insanely mesmerizing piece of art, once again

[AlexAMeade_ · 10/10 · 16 September 2018]

I have never written a review on IMDb, but for this show, I just had to get verified and say how wonderfully beautiful this show is. And it's not just for the social commentary or for the voice acting (while both are astonishing) but for the totality of its writing as well as its message. I say this is mesmerizing "once again" because of how much each eleventh episode delivers (and of course, so do the others) in the wake of heartbreaking tales as well as deep conflicts within Bojack's character. His struggle with addiction this episode, along with the damaged reality between what he's doing on the show and his real life action, is one of the smartest pieces of television ever written. This episode is funny at some parts, but also horrifically tragic and surprising, as Bojack doesn't even really know who he is anymore when he strangles Gina. Nothing in this episode disappoints and neither does anything in Season 5. Each season has a new theme, but keeps the characters and story intact, never letting the audience forget what Bojack has done. And we even ask the question, can we forgive him? Can we forgive him as much as the real public does with real celebrities who do the same things in a vicious scandal? All in all, this was one of the best episodes of television I've seen, and the best of this show. I cannot wait to see what Bojack's future is like in season 6 and I really, really hope the writers keep surprising, astonishing, and commenting in their insightful ways regarding the flaws, past, and present story of the one and only Bojack Horseman. Thank you so much, show writers, for giving us this rare and unique piece, as it gives more to think to the viewer than any other show can.

Incredible

[colinw-84344 · 10/10 · 14 September 2018]

Episode 11 has always been a stable of sad (and genius) episodes of BJ. This episode is no exception to that rule. The last two minutes genuinely made me feel nauseous and I mean that in the best way possible.

Breathless

[simba-02448 · 10/10 · 26 September 2018]

It is episodes like these that really make Bojack Horseman such a phenomenal show.The viewer is put in a mind bending twist that goes back and forth altering from reality to acting as if the viewer is actually inside Bojack's mind.I am certain that every time you rewatch this episode, you will get a different perspective and come up with a new conclusion about what is really going on...yet the episode is still elusive and makes you doubt everything you think you understood soon s=after watching it

.................

[elirlandes · 10/10 · 10 July 2021]

I really don't know what to say, that ending left me with a strange feeling that I can't get out of my head. The only thing I can say is that ... it's perfect.

wow

[Palekastr0 · 10/10 · 14 September 2018]

This was a 10 for me! Bojack is fantastic, melancholic, absurd, weird. everything you wish for.. 20 minutes of a-class entertainment

Truly depressing

[More-horse-than-a-man1987 · 10/10 · 15 September 2018]

The worst thing he's done. What if they hadn't stopped him? How far will he go? This question hits hard in both Escape from LA and here. The classic Bojack spin on episode 11 is here. Truly nauseating. But good sign for Diane and Mr Peanutbutter, fingers crossed for them. But Bojack is now past the point of no return.

Bojack's Fight Club Episode

[giuntada · 10/10 · 23 June 2020]

I can't believe I haven't seen a single Fight Club reference in any of these reviews. It's all I though of the whole episode. That aside, what an amazing piece of social commentary and art this episode was. Episode 11 never disappoints. Can we forgive Bojack after this one?

The Showstopper - 9.8/10

[theoffice-20996 · 10/10 · 12 July 2021]

Great chapter in the very Fight club style. It is incredible what I felt when I saw this title. With above all that ending that leaves you thinking and at the same time with your mouth open.

Mullholland drive.

[yoghert_55 · 10/10 · 15 December 2018]

This reminded me of Mullholland drive.

In a gooooood way.

best episode in the entire show

[standledropstan · 10/10 · 7 April 2021]

Ok well i am now convinced that this show is written by gods,bojack the entire episode tries to protect gina from people that might want to hurt him because of what he did to them,and in the end the anger of gina taking his pills goes into his role in the show and he almost chokes her, and thats why after that he doesnt have a single relationship and then when he goes up the stairs and meets the balloon,that balloon as untathered and so as bojack because those relationships are what kept him tathered and once he lost his last one he met the balloon,this episode is ay to depressing how he ruins every relationship he gets into.everything about this episode is just so beautifully written and i dont know how the writers do it.

The best Bojack episode yet, simply stunning

[tomgoodwin815 · 10/10 · 11 April 2022]

The Showstopper is tense, harrowing and beautiful at the same time - it's the perfect pre-season finale and the only episode so far I've felt compelled to rewatch on consecutive nights after watching it the first time because of how much it stayed with me. In this penultimate episode to season 5, Bojack's opioid addiction reaches a point of no return as he loses the ability to distinguish between Philbert and his own life. Gradually, he suspects that most of the important people in his life are conspiring against him and trying to destroy his life (in fact the only person truly sabotaging Bojack is himself), with harrowing results as he ultimately spirals into madness and almost murders Gina on set before being restrained by his colleagues. There's a looming sense of dread throughout the Showstopper up until its climax, and this has been well built up in the second half of S5. Bojack's drug addiction is no shock by this point, as it's already been illustrated over the last few episodes, but this is where Bojack reaches a watershed moment from which he can't return. At first, the seemingly threatening note seems like a genuine mystery he tries to get to the bottom of, but as his paranoia and hostility towards those around him grows, it becomes clear fairly quickly that Bojack has constructed this whole conspiracy theory in his own head. At the same time, TV and reality begin to blend together as he loses his conception of what's real and starts to hallucinate. His false realisation that Philbert is created to expose his secrets and destroy his life is upsetting, as however deranged Bojack May have become, it's a sympathetic look into the paranoia and fear about everything in his life going wrong that he's suffered from for much of his life, way before becoming an addict. Perhaps the saddest thing is the fact that his attack on Gina is the end result of actions that were, at first, a genuine effort to protect her from the disasters that have befallen every other aspect of his life and career in the past. He truly does care about her, but in the end only ends up harming her and destroying yet another meaningful relationship through his own accidental toxicity, as well as ruining the Philbert series and Gina's burgeoning career which he was so desperate to protect. When he hallucinates Gina's musical number, it's a seriously deep scene as she takes him through all the traumatic events of his life (his fake mother falling into her coffin in front of him is particularly brutal yet darkly comedic). Another take I had on the musical scene which is like to mention is that Bojack fantasises about Gina being a broadway superstar performing on a stage like she's always dreamed of because deep down he idolises her and believes she's capable of all the things she wants to do but doesn't think she has the talent. This makes the outcome even more difficult to take, as he is essentially responsible for sabotaging those dreams and his efforts to 'save' someone he cares about actually results in her downfall; a fitting ode to his own tragic life. The final scene is especially poignant - Bojack ascends the Heaven-like staircase, and we're expecting for him to come face to face with someone like Sarah Lynn or one of his parents who may be able to rationalise his downfall and offer some kind of closure/justification for everything his done. Instead, there is no one else up there but the balloon of Bojack himself, staring hauntingly at him from above. It's a deep moment as (presumably) Bojack realises the only person left to confront or even blame for any of his life's events is himself. He's once again created his own destruction, like many times before, and has only himself to reconcile with in the search for any kind of redemption. Yet again, Bojack is his own worst enemy, and the episode ends as ominously as it has been all the way through, with the audience left wondering where he can possibly go from here. The Showstopper is one of the best pieces of television I've ever seen and it's an absolute thrill to watch. Despite being a fairly upsetting and disturbing story, it still managed to retain a lot of the original Bojack humour at the same time (the Henry Fondle arc is hilarious) while it gives a non-glamourised, sympathetic look into drug addiction which I'm sure many viewers will be able to relate to.

At the loss of words...

[similevi · 10/10 · 28 August 2021]

What have we just witnessed? Absolute masterpiece, porbably the deepest, darkest and the most disturbing episode of the series.

Literally The Best Episode Ever

[gonzo_838 · 10/10 · 30 June 2020]

Ok, every time an episode 11 comes up I keep thinking they can't outdo the last. And then they do. It's like, every season is a slow build to the exquisite catastrophe that you know will happen. This one beats 'em all. It's so hilarious (I had a 5 minute laughing fit at one point), so horrible, and so perfectly BoJack.

Unsettling experience!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 26 February 2024]

What a crazy episode that has left me empty of words! I feel... different after this! I am sitting here, and ultimately I feel sad and disturbed!

This was a disorienting descend into paranoia, as BoJack looses his grasp on reality and identity as his character blends in with his life!

This was a slow descend into madness, ultimately culminating in a very dark moment, that felt like the ultimate culmination of his addiction! It was sad and tragic to see BoJack in this state, not knowing what was going on around him!

This show keeps improwing, coming up with an experience that you have not had yet!

possibly my fav episode other than the view from halfway down

[shwhwhtbbfxjis · 10/10 · 11 July 2022]

Wow, this episode is just so incredible, you were following the mystery, until the reveal and after the reveal you realize you can't help anyone who doesn't want to be helped. And then the ending was insane, i had hope for them but you can really see that bojack doesn't want to recover yet.

By far the best episode in bojack horseman

[alalb · 10/10 · 13 August 2021]

Great visuals and directing ✅ Amazing songs and soundtracks ✅ Depth and philosophical themes✅ A jaw dropper plot twist✅ Intense throughout the episode ✅ My 3rd favorite episode in the history of tv shows/series.

The fall of Bojack

[charmanderselol · 10/10 · 10 July 2021]

This chapter is as good as all the others, but this one has something totally surprising that leaves me wondering.

Absolute "showstopping"

[coltonjackson-65032 · 10/10 · 9 September 2023]

Wow. I think it's crazy as this is only above season 1 and 2 in having a better penultimate episode but is still just amazing. You feel just like him, not really understanding what's real and isn't. His reality is so jumbled up and so is your idea of the events. He's the LEAST reliable narrator and I love that. The scene where that terrible thing happens floored me. It's awful and actually scary but the fact it gives such goosebumps shows how well it was handled. It makes Bojack look even worse as he's descended even farther than he had before. This is definitely a pivotal moment that sets up season 6. But wow it left me in awe.

8

[Edvis-1997 · 8/10 · 4 February 2020]

BoJack again lost control of his life which is extremely sad.