BoJack Horseman: Season 4 - Time's Arrow Marches Forward

I need to talk to somebody about season 4 of BoJack Horseman.  I have watched the season in its first weekend of release (as I do with most great Netflix shows nowadays) and I can't shake the feeling that I've watched one of the greatest seasons of television ever produced.  I have never watched or even heard of a show that explores the complicated psychological themes that BoJack does.  It doesn't only tackle them, though.  BoJack looks at what these ailments do.  Not only to the people they are attached to but what they do to the people around them as well.

Every single character on this show has their own incredible arc this season as it focuses on time.  What it does to the brain and the body, how we try to stop it, how we get lost in it, and how we can forget how little of it we have.  Todd continually tries to balance the myriad of things that he wants to do without realizing
how much time he needs to spend on himself and figuring out who he is.  Princess Carolyn grapples with her age and how it's affecting the two incredibly different lifestyles she wants to live.  Diane feels a need to spend more time with Mr. Peanutbutter, even though she feels the rest of the time they have together may be short.  Our new character, Hollyhock, a BoJack lookalike, feels like she's running out of time to find her true parents in order to fix and understand what's wrong with her.  Our title character's mother, Beatrice, is lost in a time long gone, and yet desperate to stay away from it.

And then, of course, there is BoJack.  He must deal with Beatrice and Hollyhock, but more importantly, himself.  BoJack yearns for a time when he can be surrounded by the people he needs without driving them away like he tends to do.  He wants the time to work on himself, but continually finds that his self-destructive nature pushes others to work on him for their own benefit.  But BoJack never sees that benefit for himself.  He eschews that in order to stay the same drunken mess that he's comfortable with.   BoJack wants time to disappear.  He wants a life to stay still in.  But time will not stop for BoJack.  The world will not stop for BoJack.

Every episode this season has its focus, but it never gets lost there.  The B plots are sometimes where there is more insight to be had, and the writers take advantage of that.  Every character's story moves onward with each episode, weaving in and out of each other.  Some interact more than others, and because we've already spent three seasons exploring them, we don't need them to be near one another.  It's a dangerous dance that not many shows can pull off, but I don't feel cheated by any character's storyline this season.

Now, let's talk about the psychological aspects of our characters.  I truly don't want to spoil the arcs that these characters go through so I will have to leave resolutions (or lack thereof) to the episodes themselves, but I am going to talk about problems you might know about before you watch the season, so skip these next three sections if you like.

(Minor spoilers start)

Todd grapples with his asexuality throughout his time in season four.  He sees it as a detriment to his character and this is hard for him.  Many shows have non-binary main characters who feel out of place in society, or that what they're doing is wrong, but Todd finds nothing but acceptance and has a difficult time figuring out what to do with himself as he has trouble accepting his new reality.  This is an amazing new avenue to talk about when it comes to our ever-growing world of sexual preference, and while perhaps Todd is not the best vehicle for this issue, it grows nicely into something that doesn't define his character, just like sexuality shouldn't.

Beatrice's dementia has a tremendous effect on both BoJack and Hollyhock, but I found it much more interesting when we got to see the effects it has on her.  The older world in which Beatrice continues to live in was not right for her.  The pressures against women have a very lasting and hard significance to her and it ends up haunting her for the rest of her life.

And then there's BoJack again, as he continues to fight depression.  There is one particular episode this season that throws us into BoJack's mind and train of thought.  A mind where self-hate is king.  This episode completely encompasses what depression feels like and what the brain does in a depressive state.  The writers ask us to relate to an asshole who only gets meaner and meaner, and somehow we can.  I was blown away by how deep the issue was probed throughout the season, and I can't wait to see what they have to say about it next season.

(Minor spoilers end)

I'd like to take a break from the sadder things to talk about the humor that this show presents.  Yes, the jokes are dark as can be at times, but on every other occasion, BoJack Horseman is a very silly show.  About a quarter of the season is dedicated to political and social satire storylines that are staunchly in BoJack's wheelhouse.  Several celebrities make hilarious guest appearances (often as themselves) that keep the Hollywoo(d) spirit a great part of the show as well.  The BoJack world is grounded in emotion in order to relate to real life but knows that the real world is also an inherently ridiculous place.  Just as all of the great comedy shows do, BoJack Horseman heightens reality in order for its audience to see the truth in its jokes.

I haven't completely taken in the season yet, as I'd like to watch it again, but this is a lasting first impression.  There are a few side stories that feel a bit shoehorned into some episodes, but that never deters everything else from moving onwards.  One of my favorite things about this season is that, while I'm clamoring for more, I know that there is so much more in every episode that I watched, and that's where I can go to.

9.5/10