What are you doing here?! This weekend, the final season of BoJack Horseman (which is also the second half of season six) will arrive on Netflix, and it will bring an end to one of the greatest comedies ever made. The animated satire of “Hollywoo” and meditation on past trauma has been one of the shimmering examples of what streaming services are capable of producing.
Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and starring Will Arnett, BoJack has the ability to be the silliest comedy on television and the most disturbing, depressing drama, often in the same episode! Few season arcs illustrated these qualities as strongly as the show’s fourth did. It contains a number of all-time great episodes in the run of the story, which have each been rated on IMDB.
Time’s Arrow
“Time’s Arrow,” the season’s eleventh episode, comes in at a 9.8 rating. The history of BoJack often sees the most jaw-dropping episode of the season come in the penultimate spot. This gives plenty of time to have falling action in the season finale. “Time’s Arrow” lived up to that billing and then some by taking viewers on a trippy journey throughout BoJack’s familial history, beginning when his mother, Beatrice, met his father, Butterscotch.
It is a harrowing-yet-masterful experience, and it’s one of the show’s best installments that was ever made.
The Old Sugarman Place
“The Old Sugarman Place,” the season’s second episodes, rates at 9.3 on IMDB. This installment is largely a BoJack-centric one, as he eventually makes his way to a family home where a ton of Horseman time was spent in the past. While there, he encounters Eddie, a dragonfly, who helps BoJack realize how dangerous it can be to get stuck in the past.
Family trauma, both on BoJack’s part and on Eddie’s, from his deceased wife, show the damage that can come even decades later for people. Eddie serves as one of the many catalysts for BoJack to try to better himself.
Stupid Piece of Sh*t
“Stupid Piece of Sh*t,” the sixth episode of season four, clocks in at a 9.2 rating on IMDB. Many have propelled this episode to become an acclaimed one in the history of the show, largely because of what has been cited as a realistic depiction of mental illness.
BoJack’s arc is defined by his own mentality, proclaiming himself to be a “stupid piece of sh*t.” A trip inside the mind of BoJack helps viewers empathize with his endless dismay at, seemingly, being alive. But, with BoJack’s alleged daughter, Hollyhock, occupying a greater role in his life, he worries that he will mess that up, as with everything else in his life.
What Time Is It Right Now
“What Time Is It Right Now” is season four’s finale and, according to IMDB, it has earned a 9.0 rating. The finales of BoJack always have strong qualities to them, namely in the tinges of hopefulness and the ability to tie together a number of the season’s myriad plots.
This episode is no different, as Hollyhock’s true identity is revealed and “Philbert” comes from Princess Carolyn’s creative imagination. With the entire arc of the season dealing with the horrible family life that BoJack endured, to end the episode on a note of BoJack and Hollyhock really connecting as loved ones is one of the sweetest moves the show ever pulled.
Ruthie
“Ruthie,” the ninth episode of season four, rates at an 8.9 on IMDB. While some of the episode’s subplots, like a quest for Hollyhock’s birth records, seem a little bit like filler, the main story is where the heart is. “Ruthie” is one of the main episodes that is dedicated to the story of Princess Carolyn, a character who could too easily be under-served, but has been rightfully depicted by the show’s writers.
Sadly, it comes in as a devastating, horrible day for Princess Carolyn, but the spirit she shows in the face of adversity is remarkable and a lasting image from the show’s history.
Hooray! Todd Episode!
“Hooray! Todd Episode!” is rated as an 8.4 on IMDB as the third episode of the season. Few episodes in BoJack are as hilarious as ones that center around the character of Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul) because of how happy-go-lucky he is.
It’s as if the character from Being There was given the ability to be a side character on a sitcom with a form that allowed for anything to be possible. Watching Todd race back and forth between the people in his life is also not only hysterical, but it’s also kind of thrilling.
lovin that cali lifestyle!!
“lovin that cali lifestyle!!,” the tenth episode of season four, is rated as an 8.4 on IMDB and it is one of the best examples of an episode deftly juggling multiple storylines simultaneously. The audience sees Princess Carolyn pick up the pieces from devastating events, BoJack finally and angrily confronts his mother after a medical scare from Hollyhock and a ton of political comedy.
This episode deals with heavy themes, but it also flexes the satirical muscles that have defined BoJack as a show that can comment on the worst of the world in a funny way.
Thoughts and Prayers
“Thoughts and Prayers,” season four’s fifth episode and an 8.2-rated episode on IMDB, is another shining example of this deft social commentary. Princess Carolyn is thrust into the realm of managing the fallout of a mass shooting—not in terms of first response or protection, but rather in terms of how it will affect her new movie.
It remains one of the best examples of satire on the gun control debate in the United States with the refrain of “thoughts and prayers” percolating throughout from people in power.
Underground
“Underground,” the seventh episode of season four, also comes in at an 8.2, but “Thoughts and Prayers” had just enough votes to edge out the competition. “Underground” has remained in the estimations of many as one of the funniest episodes the show ever did.
Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane are having a political fundraiser at their house when the entire home winds up falling down in a sinkhole. For ten days, the cast of characters, which adds Jessica Biel and Zach Braff as themselves, slowly devolve into madness. It is absurdly meta and obscenely humorous.
Commence Fracking
“Commence Fracking” is the fourth episode of season four and it rates on IMDB as a 7.8 episode. This is a pretty decent episode, in terms of humor, but in terms of content, it largely works to set up a number of storylines for later payoffs throughout the arc of season four, from the troubled relationship between Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane to the pregnancy efforts for Princess Carolyn.
Load-bearing episodes like this are necessary, but it’s a testament to the quality of BoJack that even these types of installments are fantastic.
See Mr. Peanutbutter Run
“See Mr. Peanutbutter Run” is the season premiere of season four and it rates as a 7.7. Season premieres can be tough because they often have the burden of re-orienting the audience in the world of the show. With Netflix shows dropping all at once, it can be even tougher for BoJack Horseman.
But, by sidelining the story of BoJack to a veiled mystery for the beginning of the season and focusing mostly on Mr. Peanutbutter’s political ambitions, even the season premiere of BoJack was an effective and high-quality one. The show proved that it never lost a step in the offseason.
The Judge
“The Judge” is the eighth episode of BoJack’s fourth season and it comes in as the lowest-rated episode on IMDB with a score of 7.6. But, even this is a very strong rating. After all, many shows would be happy if 7.6 was the average rating for their episodes, but, for BoJack, it is the floor. That is how consistent BoJack has been ever since it found its footing midway through season one.
Woodchuck is put at the forefront as Princess Carolyn’s relationship with Ralph begins its descent. Even though it is the lowest-rated, it is still hilarious and important.
