So, given the minor success of my previous Television review, I've decided to do it again. This time, it is one show, but that I've followed since last year. We are going to explore the continued adventures of our favorite equid former sitcom star Bojack Horseman and co. as they enter their fifth season. Just to recap, I don't have a structure to these. I just go off on more of a stream of consciousness, just what I want to say about this. There will also be spoilers for this and the other four seasons, and I really want people to see this show. It is one of the best shows on television right now.
So, that intro was written a couple weeks ago. I just decided to wait on writing the rest of it until it had fully settled in my mind. I wrote the intro right after watching the season, and I felt I needed time to fully let it settle in before I express my opinion. Similarly, it allowed me to read some other opinions to help me understand this season. So, at the end of the last season, I predicted, based on Bojack's reaction upon opening the script, that Philbert would be considered bad, and well, it was. The show seems to be a satire of various so-called "Peak TV" shows with mysteries and unlikeable characters and the like. The showrunner seems to follow this. I read about a book (didn't read it myself) called "Difficult Men", which followed many of the writers of those kinds of shows, and how they were, well the title explains it all. Flip McVicker seems to exemplify this. Despite his alleged genius, he is condescending, callous, and just overall unconcerned with the well-being of his actors. Anyway, Bojack had a good moment at the end of the last season, having managed to reunite Hollyhock with her mother, and leaving that relation off on a high note. Now, it deals with his deteriorating relationship with Diane, especially when she finds out more of the disturbing things that Bojack had done, and in her capacity as advisor to Philbert, has incorporated into the show itself. The season can be seen as the culmination of a series wide theme of consequences. Bojack has to deal with the consequences of his actions all the time, and here, all the things he's done finally start to collapse around him. Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg addressed this in a few interviews I read, where he discusses how this season was meant as a reminder that Bojack was never a particularly good guy, but the audience, after last season, forgot that, and were glad that he had one good achievement. After reading that, I saw the pattern. Even after the relative high note of last season, Bojack's actions continue to hang over him, and it continues to have consequences. The best episode of the season, as I imagine others will list, is "Free Churro", which boasts a stunning performance by Will Arnett as he effectively turns Bojack's eulogy at his mother's funeral into a one man show, where he goes into his relationship with his parents, his difficult feelings about them, and his feelings in general. It is truly stunning, and shows why Will Arnett does so well on this show. This is his showcase through and through, and he gives what I consider an Emmy winning performance. My second favorite is probably "Mr. Peanutbutter's Boos", which boasts the best laughs of the season, and was a nice spotlight on Mr. Peanutbutter. My least favorite episode of the season was probably "The Dog Days Are Over". Not because it was bad, (in fact, it was good, with the formula of last season's "The Old Sugerman Place" now focused on Diane), but of all the episodes, this was probably the weakest. I also predicted last season that Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter would divorce based on the penultimate moment of season 4, and they are divorced at the beginning of the season. However, the two have lingering feelings, even as Diane grapples with her relationship with Bojack and Mr. Peanutbutter has a new relationship (which is increasingly become a case of history repeating itself). With Princess Carolyn, it was nice that, after the harshness inflicted on her last season that she got a relatively happy ending this season. She also had a nice origin episode this season that makes her miscarriage last season even more tragic in retrospect. But, after the struggle of attempting to adopt, she finally gets a child, which is a nice end. Todd is entertaining as ever, managing to stumble into the President of Ad Sales at Philbert's sponsor "What Time is It Right Now.com", and continuing with his wacky adventures through life. He even creates a sex robot in an attempt to woe his friend Emily (because he is asexual), and said Robot ("Henry Fondle") becomes the head of "WhatTimeIsItRightNow" by virtue of his sexual phrases being mistaken for casual corporate talk (itself being a decent satire). I mentioned accountability as a theme for Bojack's storyline this season, but it is also a general theme for the season. There is a character based clearly off Mel Gibson, who is given forgiveness despite the wretchness of his actions, and the theme revolves around how he slithers out of taking responsibility. The season ends with Henry Fondle being forced out due to (in a reverse of the aforementioned joke) his statements on low power being taken as sexual harassment (with, as said before, his earlier legitimate sexual comments being mistaken for corporate speak) but being offered a job anyway because he had "done his time" (a common defense of celebrity sexual assaulters. I saw it unironically with Roman Polanski a couple weeks ago.) Todd decides to destroy his creation rather than that happen. So, yeah, once again, the cast and crew of this show hit it out of the park with another season of intelligent, interesting, and brutally realistic storylines and humor. It's a recommendation for seasoned watchers, but I say watch the earlier seasons because this season is very dependent on past events.
So, thanks for reading, and on Sat. , we begin our annual look at horror films in Masterpiece of Horror Theatre, starting with, in honor of its 50th anniversary, Night of the Living Dead (yeah, I know I did all those Romero films last year, but I needed to acknowledge this anniversary, probably because I've spent most of the year celebrating 2001's anniversary. )
So, that intro was written a couple weeks ago. I just decided to wait on writing the rest of it until it had fully settled in my mind. I wrote the intro right after watching the season, and I felt I needed time to fully let it settle in before I express my opinion. Similarly, it allowed me to read some other opinions to help me understand this season. So, at the end of the last season, I predicted, based on Bojack's reaction upon opening the script, that Philbert would be considered bad, and well, it was. The show seems to be a satire of various so-called "Peak TV" shows with mysteries and unlikeable characters and the like. The showrunner seems to follow this. I read about a book (didn't read it myself) called "Difficult Men", which followed many of the writers of those kinds of shows, and how they were, well the title explains it all. Flip McVicker seems to exemplify this. Despite his alleged genius, he is condescending, callous, and just overall unconcerned with the well-being of his actors. Anyway, Bojack had a good moment at the end of the last season, having managed to reunite Hollyhock with her mother, and leaving that relation off on a high note. Now, it deals with his deteriorating relationship with Diane, especially when she finds out more of the disturbing things that Bojack had done, and in her capacity as advisor to Philbert, has incorporated into the show itself. The season can be seen as the culmination of a series wide theme of consequences. Bojack has to deal with the consequences of his actions all the time, and here, all the things he's done finally start to collapse around him. Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg addressed this in a few interviews I read, where he discusses how this season was meant as a reminder that Bojack was never a particularly good guy, but the audience, after last season, forgot that, and were glad that he had one good achievement. After reading that, I saw the pattern. Even after the relative high note of last season, Bojack's actions continue to hang over him, and it continues to have consequences. The best episode of the season, as I imagine others will list, is "Free Churro", which boasts a stunning performance by Will Arnett as he effectively turns Bojack's eulogy at his mother's funeral into a one man show, where he goes into his relationship with his parents, his difficult feelings about them, and his feelings in general. It is truly stunning, and shows why Will Arnett does so well on this show. This is his showcase through and through, and he gives what I consider an Emmy winning performance. My second favorite is probably "Mr. Peanutbutter's Boos", which boasts the best laughs of the season, and was a nice spotlight on Mr. Peanutbutter. My least favorite episode of the season was probably "The Dog Days Are Over". Not because it was bad, (in fact, it was good, with the formula of last season's "The Old Sugerman Place" now focused on Diane), but of all the episodes, this was probably the weakest. I also predicted last season that Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter would divorce based on the penultimate moment of season 4, and they are divorced at the beginning of the season. However, the two have lingering feelings, even as Diane grapples with her relationship with Bojack and Mr. Peanutbutter has a new relationship (which is increasingly become a case of history repeating itself). With Princess Carolyn, it was nice that, after the harshness inflicted on her last season that she got a relatively happy ending this season. She also had a nice origin episode this season that makes her miscarriage last season even more tragic in retrospect. But, after the struggle of attempting to adopt, she finally gets a child, which is a nice end. Todd is entertaining as ever, managing to stumble into the President of Ad Sales at Philbert's sponsor "What Time is It Right Now.com", and continuing with his wacky adventures through life. He even creates a sex robot in an attempt to woe his friend Emily (because he is asexual), and said Robot ("Henry Fondle") becomes the head of "WhatTimeIsItRightNow" by virtue of his sexual phrases being mistaken for casual corporate talk (itself being a decent satire). I mentioned accountability as a theme for Bojack's storyline this season, but it is also a general theme for the season. There is a character based clearly off Mel Gibson, who is given forgiveness despite the wretchness of his actions, and the theme revolves around how he slithers out of taking responsibility. The season ends with Henry Fondle being forced out due to (in a reverse of the aforementioned joke) his statements on low power being taken as sexual harassment (with, as said before, his earlier legitimate sexual comments being mistaken for corporate speak) but being offered a job anyway because he had "done his time" (a common defense of celebrity sexual assaulters. I saw it unironically with Roman Polanski a couple weeks ago.) Todd decides to destroy his creation rather than that happen. So, yeah, once again, the cast and crew of this show hit it out of the park with another season of intelligent, interesting, and brutally realistic storylines and humor. It's a recommendation for seasoned watchers, but I say watch the earlier seasons because this season is very dependent on past events.
So, thanks for reading, and on Sat. , we begin our annual look at horror films in Masterpiece of Horror Theatre, starting with, in honor of its 50th anniversary, Night of the Living Dead (yeah, I know I did all those Romero films last year, but I needed to acknowledge this anniversary, probably because I've spent most of the year celebrating 2001's anniversary. )
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