#bojack horseman spoilers

I think it’s telling that it was Todd’s speech that finally spurred Bojack into some kind of action and self-awareness. It always seemed to be Herb that made Bojack want to seek forgiveness and it was always Charlotte he came running to, in fantasy or reality, when things got too tough. Bojack has treated Todd like shit over the seasons, to the point were Todd’s “fuck” speech seemed long overdue. Yet it’s telling that Todd was the one who got through to him, it’s his words he echoes. It’s things like this that make me believe Bojack’s ‘best friend speech’ on the improv ship was genuine and heartfelt, that he actually values Todd’s opinion. It also shows how Bojack is starting to let go of obsessing over his past mistakes and let them be just that - his mistakes. That fact that he can recognise now and own up to the things he does wrong, just shows how much character development he’s been going through this season. 

I think it’s quite hard hitting how much we see PC drink herself out of it this season. In retrospect, that’s usually something we are familiar with Bojack doing, and to some extent Diane. So it wasn’t unusual to see them drinking their problems away in ‘Underground’. But to see PC break down to the point were she can’t even bear to be sober enough to do anything; to see Princess “get your shit together” Carolyn take on Bojack’s self-destructive tendencies, was harrowing. What breaks my heart as well, is that PC has always been the most pragmatic on the show, always matter-of-fact and strong. And the ending of her episode showed how even she relies on make-believe, on those little lies we tell ourselves to feel better. She clings to a fictitious future vision to keep herself going. The uncertainty of that is pointed out by Bojack. The tragic irony of which is obvious, its always been Bojack trying to live out fantasies: of still being relevant, of being a good person, of how it could have been. Yet even he can see the falseness of her dream. To leave the episode on that note was deeply poignant and depressing.

“But thoughts of you haunt my heart.”

Not even ashamed to admit that I cried like a baby over this ending. Man, that was life-affirming. We had Bojack “I was born with a leak” Horseman thinking he blew it again, lost another good thing in his life. Then Hollyhock chooseshim, she invites him to still have a part in her life. This whole season was centred around the toxicity of Bojack’s dysfunctional family tree, this was the one member of his family he seemed to really bond with and want to be around. We just saw how crushed Bojack was by Hollyhock reaffirming that she never needed another father-figure. So to see that acceptance, after a season full of abusive family dynamics, that was beautiful

How have I not seen anyone talking about the use of “fuck” this season yet? They thrust it upon us not even half way through, I didn’t even really recognise it straight away because it was Bojack saying it. We all assumed that it would probably be Hollyhock who would use it against Bojack when he inevitably screwed up their relationship. But instead we had Bojack use it against his mom, someone who he had a negative relationship with. I’m glad because it shows Bojack is not the one single-handedly messing up a relationship this time around, that maybe he’s actually beginning to become more self-aware of the toxicity in his own life. And here he actually wants to address and confront it, not run away from it. It may have been more of a hypothetical statement in the end but it was still a curveball I wasn’t expecting. Made all the more poignant when his mom finally recognises him and Bojack comforts her instead. I think that’s one of the biggest moments of this season for him and his character development

R.I.P Famous Actor Zach Braff

It may have taken us four seasons to get there but Bojack is finally learning how to be selfless. He went from wanting other people to make him feel good about himself to wanting to be good for other people. And if that’s not bloody good character development, I don’t know what is.

It was painful to watch Diane and Mr Peanutbutter’s marriage crack this season. Especially if we consider the main theme was of how “time’s arrow neither stands still nor reverses”. We see them struggle to move forward together throughout, Mr Peanutbutter’s attempts to become Governor highlight this. Any time we see them happy together is when their relationship is almost ‘standing still’, and there is constantly that reminder that they want to go back to how it all was before. However, we know that this is completely unrealistic, underlined perfectly in the last episode when we see them both physically and metaphorically out of sync with each other. At the virtual-reality estate agents they seem happy to make big plans together, though the whole scene is more obviously a joke for ridiculous VR, we see them unable to find each other whilst Diane is completely hung up on the memory of Mr Peanutbutter’s old house. When they arrive at their new home they immediately want to postpone everything, so they pull a Bojack - they run away. The only time all season when we really see them on the same page in the present, is their last scene. They are forced to realise that their life can’t go back to how it was before, with the severe lack of understanding in their marriage now starkly visible to both of them.

Parallels between Beatrice and Bojack in the family portrait, both have that same wide-eyed innocence. As we all now know that gets robbed from Beatrice and taken from Bojack, to the point were they both resemble Beatrice in the second photo: miserable and devoid of joy. 

Coming from the abortion storyline of Season 3, I think it’s extremely important that the writers included so much on Princess Carolyn’s miscarriages. The shame-free portrayal of Diane’s abortion directly contrasts with PC’s experience, especially as she struggles alone. I think it’s significant that everybody has an opinion in the abortion episode, everybody has some anecdote or comfort to give. Whereas PC is offered little to no direct support or acknowledgement. Her doctor treats her as callously and devoid of empathy as Diane’s did to her, except here we had no one speaking up, no one speaking back. She is given blame and no actual advice or help, emphasising the complete lack of support on offer for a lot of women who suffer miscarriages. Even well-meaning Todd is at a loss for words when trying to think what he should say to her at the apartment. Most heartbreaking of all perhaps, is that PC is well aware of the connotations of what has happened to her, she expects to be judged, she expects to be seen as weak and pitiful and incapable. PC’s storyline emphasises how far we still have to come in making a ‘miscarriage’ more than just some dirty word or something that women feel they have to hide.

wrcngsideofhistory:

bojack is levels of petty i aspire to be

cisish:

he’s learning!

cultapprop:

This was a masterpiece.