Summary

• Bojack Horseman taught harsh life lessons through its realistic portrayal, defying the tropes of typical TV shows.
• Characters like Mr. Peanutbutter showed that toxic positivity can lead to unhealthy behavior and unstable relationships.
• Princess Carolyn’s storyline exemplified the unpredictability of life, demonstrating how cruel fate can be even to those who deserve better.

Throughout its six-season run, Bojack Horseman stood out because its tendency to delve into harsh realism went against what a typical TV show does, thus teaching some harsh lessons about the world. One of the best animated shows of all time, Bojack never pulled its punches when displaying how hard reality can be, primarily through its titular character, Bojack. Bojack‘s cast of characters also demonstrates some of life’s darker lessons through some of their actions and storylines.

Most television shows have happy endings so that their characters can be rewarded for their good actions despite their conflicts. Bojack Horseman‘s appeal as a show stemmed from its story going in the opposite direction while also explaining why characters like Bojack didn’t deserve a happy ending. Bojack Horseman earning the reputation that it did came from being relatable to its audience, sometimes in the worst ways possible.

Related: The 50 Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked

10 Mr. Peanutbutter Shows Why Being Constantly Positive Isn’t Necessarily Good

Mr. Peanutbutter was the show’s easiest-going character, establishing himself as Bojack’s antithesis and rival. However, despite Mr. Peanutbutter’s fun-loving nature, his fun-loving ways proved unhealthy. This was best evidenced by his three divorces and his broken engagement, which stemmed from him never learning from his mistakes and refusing to grow up. Despite being constantly loving and supportive, Mr. Peanutbutter never listened to any of his wives and their needs, which led to them leaving him.

Related: BoJack Horseman Ending Explained: What Happens & What It Really Means

Mr. Peanutbutter is one of the Bojack Horseman characters people would love to be friends with, but not someone they can depend on for emotional support. Always being upbeat while never confronting the ugly in his life led to bad breakups, thus showing that those who are always positive might not be the best people to follow. It also demonstrates that even the happiest people have problems.

9 Princess Carolyn’s Story Shows How Life Can Throw Devastating Curveballs

Fate Can Be Cruel To People Who Don’t Deserve It

At some point, Princess Carolyn expected to become a mom one day. In one of the few PC standalone episodes, “Ruthie,” the story occurs in the future. It features Princess Carolyn’s descendant Ruthie, who tells her class about how her great-great-great-grandmother accomplished her goal of having a biological family of her own. But then, in one of the show’s most soul-crushing twists, it turned out Ruthie was nothing more than a fantasy Princess Carolyn had conjured up to comfort herself after finding out she had a miscarriage.

This unforeseen twist made for one of the saddest episode endings in Bojack Horseman. What made it harder was that Princess Carolyn showed that she’d be a good mother seeing how much she nurtured Bojack whenever he spiraled. This storyline showcased how unpredictable life can be.

8 Herb Kazzazz & Charlotte Carson Show Why The Past Should Be Left Behind

“What If…? Questions Are Of No Good

Among Bojack’s biggest regrets in his life was backstabbing his best friend Herb Kazzazz and not pursuing Charlotte Carson when he had the chance. Both times Bojack tried to right this wrong in his life, it backfired tremendously. Herb refuses to forgive Bojack and calls him out for his selfishness. Charlotte rejects Bojack when he makes his move, then cuts all ties when she catches him almost sleeping with her daughter Penny.

This served as two of Bojack Horseman‘s most shocking moments early on. More importantly, while Bojack was stuck in the past, wondering what could have been, both Herb and Charlotte had moved on. Bojack should have realized that his window of opportunity with Herb and Charlotte closed years ago. In life, everyone wonders about “What if?” at one point or another. Bojack Horseman showed that thinking about that is pointless because, odds are, the people involved in that scenario have likely gone on with their lives.

7 Bojack’s Actions Shows Why Life Doesn’t Go The Way TV Says It Does

Art Imitates Life

Throughout Bojack Horseman, Bojack would try to do something that would typically work out in a TV show, only for reality to hit him. Among the most shocking times this happened was when Bojack unintentionally got Kelsey Jannings fired for trying to improve their Secretariat film. In a typical TV show that always has happy endings, Bojack and Kelsey going behind Lenny Turteltaub’s back to make a better movie would lead to him seeing their side, meaning it all worked out, but that’s not what happens. Instead, Lenny fires Kelsey for insubordination, devastating Bojack in the process.

Through this, Bojack Horseman showed that life doesn’t work like TV says it does because even the best intentions can lead to bad consequences. Even worse, Bojack never meant to hurt Kelsey, i.e., the first person to believe in Bojack since Herb. To add to the show’s harsh realism, Bojack makes several attempts to make amends with Kelsey, but he never succeeds. Bojack’s story with Kelsey showed that things just don’t work out like television says it does.

6 Todd And Holly-Hock Shows Why It’s Important To Cut Toxic People Out Of Your Life

They Do This To Bojack In Very Different Ways

Bojack always had the habit of committing actions that directly or indirectly hurt people due to his self-destructiveness. While several characters cut ties with Bojack, none hit harder than when Todd, the one character who time and time again slid Bojack’s actions under the rug, finally decided he had had it with his supposed best friend. After he finds out Bojack slept with his ex-girlfriend Emily, he refuses Bojack’s apology. Then he tells Bojack that no matter how he slices it, Bojack himself is solely responsible for his bad actions. Todd and Bojack make up later on, but Todd keeps his distance because he understands how toxic Bojack is.

Holly-Hock does the same in season 6, but what differentiates her from Todd is that Bojack never technically hurt her. In fact, Bojack showed from season 5 onward that he valued his relationship with his half-sister perhaps more than anyone else. However, Holly-Hock slowly distances herself more and more from Bojack after discovering his demons to the point where she presumably cuts ties after his infamous interview hits the airwaves. Holly-Hock initially unconditionally loved Bojack, but despite him being family, even she had her limits when she discovered how sketchy her half-brother was.

5 Bojack’s Life Demonstrates Why Being Famous Can Make People Miserable

Bojack Was Still Unhappy After Getting Everything He Wanted

It had always been Bojack’s dream to be a celebrity who received countless accolades and praise, which would ultimately come true. Yet, despite his celebrity status, Bojack was not happy. No matter what awards he wins or how much attention he gets from the public, it all rings hollow because hardly anyone sees Bojack as a person as much as they see him as “the horse from Horsin’ Around.”

That also affects Bojack’s love life because he would only be approached due to his fame, thus hurting his ability to have a true relationship. Bojack’s unhappiness, despite getting everything he aspired to in his life, shows that fame doesn’t lead to happiness. Bojack still feels empty despite getting everything he had ever wanted during his prime years. He’s rich, can have whoever he wants, and made his mark on history in the way he wanted. Yet, all of that doesn’t make him happy, thus showing why the famous life isn’t necessarily ideal.

4 Sarah Lynn Shows How Child Actors Suffer Thanks To Hollywood

She Symbolizes A Frightening Reality

From her very introduction, Bojack Horseman made it no secret that Sarah Lynn was its most tragic character. Sarah Lynn’s mega-fame status sent her spiraling into a life of drug addiction, instability, and loneliness. While the show makes plenty of jokes about Sarah Lynn’s recklessness, they also make it clear how sad her life truly is because growing up in Hollywood prevented her from experiencing anything a normal child could, as she would be routinely exploited with no actual support even after her surprisingly brutal death in such a non-violent show.

3 Bojack’s Struggles Show Why Being A Good Person Takes Effort

His Arc Shows That Being Good Is A Tough Habit To Develop

Throughout the show, Bojack wants to do better, but his selfishness and self-destructive tendencies always prevent him from turning over a new leaf. Because he was a celebrity, Bojack could do what he wanted without fear of consequences in the past. But he soon realized that being genuinely happier meant consistently being a better person, which was not easy for him to do.

One of the best quotes in Bojack Horseman is when Bojack’s monkey neighbor tells him, “Every day it gets a little easier. But you have to do it every day. That’s the hard part.” While the monkey technically referred to Bojack getting in shape, it was a metaphor for Bojack’s journey to self-improvement. Bojack definitely tried to do better, and bit by bit, he grew internally. However, being a good person requires accountability, not repeating mistakes, and accepting what life throws at him, which Bojack certainly struggled with.

2 Bojack’s Fate Shows That Bad Deeds Always Have Consequences

Improving Himself Required Answering For His Past Transgressions

From season 1, episode 8, “The Telescope” onward, Bojack always finds out the hard way that committing bad enough deeds will lead to bad consequences. While Bojack would irreparably damage so many relationships on his journey, the worst thing he did was let Sarah Lynn die to cover for himself. What made him look worse was when it was that she died in the hospital, meaning he could have saved her had he put her needs first. Bojack lost everything he could have once he was exposed.

Previously, Bojack Horseman humanized Bojack because the bad things he did were for human reasons. However, the show also made it clear in its last season that just because Bojack’s motives were understandable didn’t justify how horrible his actions were. Bojack deserved to lose everything because he could have saved the one person whom he considered to be his surrogate child but chose not to because he was worried about his image.

1 The Bojack Finale Teaches The Show’s Most Important Lesson

Just Because Things Were At Their Worst Didn’t Mean It Was Over For Bojack

By the time Bojack Horseman‘s finale arrives, Bojack has lost pretty much everything. He’s in prison for breaking and entering, his career is in the toilet after a lot (not all) of his bad deeds came to light, and he’s still fighting for his sobriety from his alcoholism. However, while Bojack is not redeemed, he’s not beyond redemption. Bojack had shown through season 6 that he was succeeding in finding his inner peace, and while being sent to prison was harsh, it may have been the final step in him getting past his internal struggles once and for all.

This message fits the show as a whole, which is why it’s considered to be one of the most satisfying TV endings. Bojack did not necessarily deserve a happy ending. Still, Bojack Horseman has always been a show about how people must keep living forward no matter if they’ve had the best or worst day of their life, and Bojack’s finale, “It Was Nice While It Lasted,” ties the bow on that in the series.

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  BoJack Horseman

  Release Date:

  2014-08-22

  Cast:

  Amy Sedaris, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, Paul F. Tompkins

  Genres:

  Drama, Animation, Comedy

  Seasons:

  6

  Summary:

  Meet the most beloved sitcom horse of the ’90s – 20 years later. BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit TV show “Horsin’ Around,” but today he’s washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters.

  Story By:

  raphael Bob-Waksberg

  Writers:

  Raphael Bob-Waksberg

  Streaming Service(s):

  Netflix

  Directors:

  Raphael Bob-Waksberg

  Showrunner:

  Raphael Bob-Waksberg