Hello and welcome to a TV Recap series about our favorite half man/half horse 90's celebrity BoJack Horseman. Please join as I delve into the second season of the Netflix cartoon that takes on Hollywoo and discover what it takes to be famous while dealing with your deadbeat friends and traumatic past. While there's guaranteed to be hilarity, will there be as much brilliance as the first season? Let's quit Horsin' Around and just get on with it. Come for the recaps, stay for the jokes and dissections of each episode's best moments. It's the right thing to do. So join me every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the latest and greatest.
"You can lead a horse to roller,
but you can't make him rink."
- BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett)
Plot:
After living the high life of dating random women, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) finds a woman that loves him for him. Wanda (Lisa Kudrow) is a network executive who has been stuck in a coma for 30 years and doesn't get anything. When she has an opposing boyfriend that turns out to be a Russian spy, BoJack contemplates their relationship. Meanwhile, Todd (Aaron Paul) opens up his own Disneyland, which is full of dilapidated rides and dangerous attractions. He avoids a lawsuit by the other Disneyland since it was patented as Diisneyland. Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) considers suing him, until he decides not to. Diane Nguyen (Allison Brie) contemplates if she has any feelings for Mr. Peanutbutter.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Supporting Character MVP:
Wanda Pierce (Lisa Kudrow)
There's plenty to admire about the newest BoJack Horseman character. For starters, her naivety at how to run a television network leads to a lot of inspired riffing. Maybe there will be more, who knows. However, what makes her endearing is that while she is basically a character full of gimmicks, she has a personality and dignity that makes her a little more complex. She is the perfect threat for BoJack, embodying a nostalgia from before he was famous. Also, the amount of 80's nostalgia of 50's nostalgia in this episode is an inspired, subversive take on the concept.
Best Joke
Things go horribly wrong between Mr. Peanutbutter and Todd, causing a continual riff throughout the entire episode. However, as Todd's poorly planned dream comes crashing down in literal flames, the resolution ties together in an amazing mixture of themes. With BoJack's plot revolving around nostalgia, Mr. Peanutbutter saves Todd in a very stylized and emotionally heavy feat that makes for a hilarious sense of false heroism. It also helps that there were countless jabs at Disneyland as well during this scene, making it all the more subversive.
Overall Thoughts
The one thing that should be noted is that BoJack Horseman so far has been possibly too assured in its execution. It has also embraced the absurdity along with the clever, subversive wit. With the introduction of a new character that plays off of nostalgia, it allows the show to become even more complicated in how it addresses jokes. Of course, Todd's Disneyland is a high point in the season so far and the poorly planned structure of it all means that it allows for many great jokes. The episode is rich with humor and commentary on corporations and nostalgia - even falling into the 80's trope of having a Russian villain. The show is very strong right now on every front and there's background gags that I am sure will enhance on rewatch. For now, let's go to Disneyland!
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