For the past couple of years, both fans and critics have praised “Bojack Horseman.” Due to the show’s success, one may ask when the show is inevitably going to go downhill. I am happy to report that season five of “Bojack Horseman” solidifies the fact that it is indeed one of the best shows available to stream right now.
Taking place one month after the events of season four, the plot focuses on Bojack Horseman, who is hired to play the main lead in a show called “Philbert,” a crime drama that has a lot of disturbing parallels to Bojack’s real life. This leads Bojack to confront his own demons and question his own lifestyle.
The season delves deeper into the character of Bojack by examining his unhappy life and possible mental illness. Some other character arcs in the show include Mr. Peanut Butter, who finds a new love interest after his divorce with Diane; Todd, who gets a job as president of ad sales for streamable content; and Princess Carolyn, who is dealing with being Bojack’s agent and trying to adopt a child of her own. One way or another, all of the character arcs intertwine with Bojack’s storyline.
Season five is undeniably the darkest and deepest season that the show has released. This season continues the tradition of having 12 episodes to binge watch and quite a few of them are drama heavy. The standout episode by far is episode six, “Free Churro.” Within the 25-minute runtime, the majority of the episode is Bojack giving a speech at his mother’s funeral. The episode is absolutely riveting with incredible drama and terrific voice acting from Will Arnett as the titular horse. The viewer can honestly feel the sadness, anger, frustration and disappointment in Bojack’s voice.
The fifth season of “Bojack Horseman” released on Sept. 14. Photo courtesy of Netflix
Later in the season, Bojack starts to lose grip on reality as he plays the role of Philbert and heightens his addiction to his medicine, which makes for some intense and surprising moments. Without spoiling anything, the writers do a phenomenal job of exploring the character. The writers have consistently found a way to perfectly balance humor and drama. This is evident in a hysterical episode called “INT. Sub,” which takes place right after “Free Churro.”
The other character arcs are also interesting. None of them ever feel out of place or not engaging. The voice acting from everyone in the cast is exceptional, from Amy Sedaris and Alison Brie to Aaron Paul and Paul F. Tompkins.
Aside from the voice acting, the show has been acclaimed due to it’s hilarious moments, very well written characters, deep character development and how it addresses social issues. Due to how well crafted this season was, “Bojack Horseman” might the best Netflix Original show.
As a fan of the show, I can honestly say that each season has progressively gotten better. “Bojack Horseman” is truly one of a kind and worth the time of those who have Netflix.
