Jackson Ball reviews the first episode of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman season 2…
BoJack is back!
A full year after Will Arnett’s narcissistic, anthropomorphic horse first galloped onto our screens, he’s returning with big plans. He’s (miraculously) landed his dream movie-role, his tell-all memoir has been a huge success, and he’s finally ready to change his cynical, self-destructive ways. However, as is clear from the season premiere, BoJack’s new outlook on life may be a flash in pan.
Spoilers Ahead – You Have Been Warned!
Picking up where season 1 left off, BoJack is on the cusp of a career resurgence; as he begins to film his starring role in the Secretariat movie. Determined to nail it, whilst simultaneous escaping the depression and detachment he experienced in the final episodes of the previous season, he’s completely transformed his attitude thanks to a new lifestyle regime.
The regime itself is season 2’s first opportunity to showcase the skewer-sharp, celebrity-obsessed satire that the show become famous for last year. Feng Shui, word association, energy foods, audiobooks and just about every other ‘clean living’ fad from the covers of Hello magazine is thrown into the episodes opening montage, showing just how far BoJack is taking his new lifestyle. This also provides a fantastic early gag for Todd (Aaron Paul), who is immediately mistrustful of Bojack’s new couch.
Bojack’s BNA, or Brand New Attitude (his new audiobook encourages acronyms wherever possible), begins to play havoc as the episode plays out. Not only does it cause yet more awkwardness between him and Diane (Alison Brie) – their relationship still hasn’t fully recovered from the events of season 1 – but it also has a detrimental effect to his new job. Filling every lull with relentless positivity makes it much more difficult for him to deliver a deep and emotion performance on set.
Episode one is a great indication of things to come in Season 2 of BoJack Horseman. Admittedly, the debut season didn’t really hit its stride in the early episodes, but with this positive start (no pun intended) to the sophomore outing; things look bright for ‘that horse from Horsin’ Around’.
Best ‘Animal-Based Gag’ of the Episode: An embarrassed Mr Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) is made to wear a cone to prevent him chewing his stitches.
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https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published July 17, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
