At 2:39 I say "Alkali is a chemical compound that's typically corrosive" which IS WRONG AND BAD SCIENCE and all of the science commenters are rightfully mad at me about it. Alkali is a class of chemicals, not a chemical compound itself. Thanks for calling me out, yall.
@@pedroaires35 alright mate, if you're gonna be literal with every word writen then yes. when he said that, literally anyone who knows what an alkali is knew what he meant, an alkali is a basic compound. alkali compounds do exist. for example NaOH is a basic compound. or pyridine if you know what that is. the only wrong thing was the fact it was singular and not plural. if you're getting angry over that then you probably also get angry when people use rings to indicate benzene's.
@@pawelnowak5633 do you realise that words have meaning and it's not being literal but going by what they mean, right? I can't throw affirmations like "good", or "well explained" in this video because it wouldn't match that those expressions/words mean, right?
Every character was eating the last thing they ate before they died. Herb was eating peanuts, Crackerjack had a ration, etc. And Zach Braff was killed to be eaten so instead of eating anything, he's serving everybody their food
i noticed this when i rewatched the epsode for the first time and im just. in awe at that BLATANT foreshadowing that the first time around i just completely missed
@@emman.7612 Thanks, I wish I could take credit for that discovery but that was pointed out to me in a youtube video somewhere. I forget the name so I can't credit them properly (I wanna say the video was by Savage Books? or Savage Reading? Something like that?)
Especially since he leads her there in her child form, because it was his show that set her on the path of fame, the path of alcoholism and drugs, and the path of death. And she was too young to understand what she was signing up for.
I think Sarah Lynn’s song starting very innocent and then very quickly turning into very sexualized and provocative is a really good metaphor for her life
@@flcwerz.for.meowmeow she tastes some fur and says “it’s bear fur, my stepdad was a bear” meaning part of his body was in her mouth at one point. She also says that he was a photographer which is a common way to say someone works in child pronorgaphy
@@flcwerz.for.meowmeow There's an episode with a flashback of Sara Lynn in the Horsing Around set and she mentions she doesn't want to go back to her dressing room because her stepfather was acting weird :(
I love alot of the art references in BoJack too. like Hockney's reference, but also the Basquiat pieces in Herb's room. As well as it referencing unrequited love between Warhole and Basquiat (Herb and BoJack) I also feel that since Basquiat was also a really talented artist who died young from addiction and mental health issues, I kinda see how parts of him relate to BoJack as well!
I know some people complained that Bojack should have died here, but I think it’s far more important that he lived. Two of the most recurring themes of this show is that you can’t escape the consequences of your actions and you can’t always find closure. But in terms of the story that would have given the audience both of those things. Bojack would never face the consequences of his actions and we the audience would have gotten closure on the character because he died. It would have been an “ending” to Bojack’s story, something that show stresses doesn’t exist in real life. Even when Bojack goes to jail, they say that he’ll be out in a few months to show that even that “comeuppance” will end and he’ll keep having to move forward. I would argue that “Life’s a bitch and then you keep living” is one of the biggest messages of the show as a whole.
I actually think the final episode gave me more of a sense of closure than I would have gotten if he had died. Maybe it's because I was heavily invested in the other characters as well and liked seeing their stories play out, but the ending we got left me much more satisfied and answered a lot more questions. We may not know exactly how all of their lives will play out, but we know the situations that they're in. It felt more like a complete journey for all of the characters, Bojack included, and left me hopeful for all of them. If the series had ended with his death, it would have been much less satisfying for Bojack's arc and would have left me wondering "what about all the other characters? Why bother building up a unique story with all of them and then never giving them a solid conclusion?" It just feels more like a real ending this way.
@@shreknskrubgaming7248 I was honestly about to make this exact comment. It annoys me to a degree when people say this should have been the last episode, or would have been the better one- Bojack doesn't get that easy way out. He has to deal with the life he's lived and fix it.
The show stresses that endings don’t happen until the point of death, that their is always the days after the happy ending and that inevitably you retreat into the normal human experience
I also think Beatrice's exit shows how dementia affected her. Unlike the other characters, she never went through the door herself. She was already gone. And Herb's exit shows how cancer was eating him up, consuming him whole. The symbolism in this episode is just so great, it's the best episode in the series, if not one of the best pieces of media ever.
And Sarah Lynn held her nose while entering the tar. I've heard people say that's a reference to her death, since she died of a heroin overdose, and people who OD on heroin stop breathing. Also another one, BJ left her in the planetarium for 17 minutes. In that penultimate episode, BJ's realisation that he's probably dead hits at exactly 17 minutes. That's no accident.
@@xc5842 he still had cancer at some point. it was still slowly eating him. maybe it didn’t finish physically, but it already killed him inside long before his bodies death
@@bojackthetrustworthy736 Hope you're doing better now and good luck. Find meaning in life, even if to other people it's insignificant. I personally deal with life by just being nice, watching someone smile and be grateful for even a little thing is really nice. Now keep on living or you'll truly regret the view from halfway down.
Ashrujit Ghoshal that was my favorite part of the episode. Very moving. And the door pressuring him to jump was so powerful. He wasn’t ready to die just like in his real life. :(
One thing that I just realised is that Sarah Lynn’s implied abusive stepfather is a bear. Male bears have no parental instinct and often kill their cubs.
@@aesthetics7649 It’s most likely a reference to Terry Richardson, a photographer who has been outed for a lot of sexual misconduct related cases. He ended up leaving the industry in 2018. So…Bear-y Richardson. (it also makes sense considering Sarah Lynn does mention Richardson being a photographer.)
Fun fact: if you watch the credits of the episode, after the monitor flatlines, it pauses, and then beeps 16 times. If you want to count the flatline beep, it would be 17. 17 minutes into the episode, BoJack finds out he’s dead, and 17 minutes is also the amount of time he waited to call the cops after Sarah Lynn overdosed.
You probably already know this, but a cool detail: Bojack found out he was dead 17 minutes into the episode, the same amount of time he left Sarah-Lynn in the planetarium
I actually just noticed that the setting where Sarah Lynn is sitting under the table and Bojack gives her a harsh lesson is EXACTLY the same position young Bojack sits in when Beatrice tells him to sing the lolipop song. They truly nailed how abuse, neglect and depression becomes cyclic.
I love this episode so much but at the same time it's kind of annoying that a lot of people insist this would have been a better finale. BoJack's death would have sent a terrible and irresponsible message as well as being a self-indulgent and melodramatic ending. The last episode is a much more poignant and profound ending.
Honestly, with how everything had happened leading up to that point, it seemed like killing him off was the most obvious ending. The fact that they didn't plays into the whimsy of life, luck and fate. Not everyone who is self-destructive and suicidal actually succeeds in ending everything. And then they have to continue on living afterward and deal with the consequences.
@@hojoraika I think it was important to show that even after all the terrible things that happened to him and that he'se die he still ended up surviving and being glad that he did. Also now he had to actually face all his problems. I personally think the ending is great as it is.
I’ve been suicidal for a while. And the bridge by my house has been an easy option. In my depressive state I finished the show. I’ve gone to the bridge a few times this week, and the view from halfway down has helped me make the choice not to jump. I identify with Bojack, every suicide attempt he wanted someone to save him.
Hey, I know this is an old comment but I thought it'd be a good idea to ask how you're doing, and if you've gotten any better? I know we're just internet strangers but I hope so
I just realised how Sarah Lynn actually ages throughout the episode and bojack says his water tastes like chlorine. The detail put into this series is one of a kind
I immediately noticed the chlorine comment. Water in an unlabeled bottle has always been representative of Bojack's guilt for his effect on Sarah Lynn, and has always secretly been vodka. As soon as he said "does anybody else's water" I had mentally finished the line with vodka. When he said Chlorine instead, I stopped and immediately connected that Bojack had finally jumped in the pool.
something ive always thought about is the characters' ages in the episode, specifically sarah lynn. they all seem to be and remain at the "peak" of their lives (beatrice as the age she was when attending her debutante ball, herb as the age he was when directing horsin around, crackerjack as the age he was when he left for war, etc) except for sarah lynn, who grows and changes throughout the dream. i think it may help to emphasize the way she was never truly happy with herself and the life she was thrown into at such a young age, and as such, never really peaked. it may also show that her peak was yet to come, and she died before she could reach it and truly be happy with herself. it might be a stretch, but i thought it would be worth analyzing.
i so agree with this. due to bojack’s negligence and selfish ignorance, he ultimately led sarah lynn to her downfall before she even experienced true happiness
actually, in the scene where they’re trying to get bojack to sit down and stop trying to find a way out, beatrice is the old, dementia ridden version of herself. sarah lynn growing up with bojack is more like him having a lot of control over her entire life, all the way to her being brought to death’s door by him.
Which we learn in the next episode isn't true. Diane was so stressed out during those 7 hours after getting his voicemail, thinking that if she had just called back in time, she could have saved him. And when she finds out he lives, she realizes how done she is with being responsible for him and cuts him off. If Bojack really had died, Diane may not have been able to come to that conclusion on her own. She probably would have wasted time feeling guilty for something out of her control. But Bojack living lets her take the control back and choose to cut him out herself.
"Oh Bojack, there is no other side. This is it." Absolutely haunting. That moment, the gentle delivery, and the way the darkness consumes him leaves me feeling so so hollow, and grim.
I’ve fought suicidal ideation throughout my life, and last year was the epitome of my struggle. This episode shook me up, especially the poem, because it’s something I don’t think anyone thinks about or talks about as much as they should. I’ve thought about not wanting to upset people in my life, but never thought about my own possible regret mid-act. It’s such a necessary perspective that I’m glad I got to see.
I wouldn't say existentially horrified. I'm sure many people who've had NDEs did some reflection on this poem. It made me just grateful with a stroke of luck I made it through mine.
What always gets me with this episode is, how unambiguous it is about the finality of death. It doesn't romanticize it. It doesn't play up this vague: "Maybe it's really an experience Bojack had with the other side, and the souls of people past". It makes it clear. It's Bojack, it's all him, it's just his dying brain. He can't interact with any of these people anymore and they are not waiting for him in the great beyond, where maybe he can apologize or work out some of the issues that he left unresolved with them, there is no such comfort in death. Which is what makes Herb's final words, that this is it, that there is no other side, so powerful.
I agree, they could have so easily made it so that bojack's dream was actually him interacting with the souls of his past friends, but this show's smarter than that and straight up tells us that it's not what's happening.
no matter how many times i watch this episode or this analysis herb’s “oh bojack, there is no other side. this is it.” gives me full body chills. his voice actor did an amazing job with the delivery of that line and it really makes you feel the acceptance of dying
@@dandyriver_ The timing of the animation of him being devoured by the tar too, like, the finality of the statement is punctuated with zero possibility of explanation or argument. There is no time for objection, only acceptance.
I personally believe in the existence of an otherside, or another dimension into which our souls move, or merge with the spirit of our alternate selves, as one of the options. There may be more than one such dimension. But the current general knowledge of there supposedly not being any like dimension, must give us pause in order to make the best of our lives and other people's lives, to be kind to ourselves, other people and animals, and to treat them with dignity. Lest we'll have wasted our lives having achieved little to nothing. Granted, even small things bring happiness to us and othres, and even small acts of goodness make a positive change in the lives of other people and creatures, and in our own.
@@mardus_ee i think there's maybe (MAYBE) an argument for belief in a nondual, singly conscious, nonindividual collective afterlife - in the vein of, we and everything are all the willful divisions of a formerly singular existence - but the standard vision of meeting your loved ones is unlikely.
I also think that Sarah Lynn's career as a pop star led to her having many diet restrictions. many pop stars in the 2000s had to practically starve themselves just to keep their figure because their skinny bodies were an accessory to them. I think her eating fast food at the dinner table was symbolic of her last break from being a performer. she even talked about counting calories on her tour while she was at the table. the fast food was something that she yearned for so deeply, something indicative of a normal childhood. something you could have without hating yourself for it like she was taught to do.
@@nikitakirillov1545 And of course Bojack's plate had the pills he had taken shortly before he "went swimming." And he mentioned his water tasting like chlorine.
@@_-A.Yeah, Crackerjack’s meal was an MRE (the prepackaged meals given to soldiers on deployment) and Corduroy’s was a lemon, which he would suck on to keep him conscious.
In my opinion, one of the easier-to-miss but more powerful things: Diane's last line. Her day was good. She's been grappling with sever depression all season, constantly struggling just to feel ok, much less good, and yet there it is. In what he has accepted as his last moments, all BoJack wants is to think that his friends are good.
notice in the two episodes where bojack jump into the pool, in one Mr. pb saves him and in one from the view from half way down, he calls for diane, the two people who always looks down the pool in the intro when bojack jumps in it.
Giorno Giovanna mr peanutbutter was always friendly towards him and didnt want anything selfish out of him,just the joy of his friendship...Truly a great character smarter than most would expect
One thing I spotted throughout this episode is that Bojack seems to be going through the 5 Stages of Grief: Denial - Bojack starts out thinking he’s just dreaming and that he’ll wake up after the dinner. Anger - Bojack starts lashing out when he sees people dropping into the abyss in an attempt to stop the show. Depression - near the end, Herb starts whaling on Bojack’s insecurities before welcoming him onto the stage. Bargaining - Bojack is convinced he can get out of it all by getting to a phone and calling Diane. Acceptance - “How was your day?”
There's also a subtle hint that he has made suicide attempts like this before, as once the dinner is over and everyone heads to the show in the other room, Bojack expects he's going to wake up like nothing happened as if it were a routine he's familiar with. But much to his dismay nothing happens and his dream continues. What's even more haunting about this, is that once he realizes that this dream is heading in a new direction from what he presumed would happen, he begins to look concerned as if he starting to put the pieces together of what's really going on, and how it's not looking good.
@@Theelectroarcheologist i never even considered that the "i always wake up before the show" thing was connected to his suicide attempts, that's so insightful! I thought he had just been having like a reoccuring dream every night, that's a much better explanation.
One thing I love about the poem is that the POV shifts from 3rd, 2nd, to 1st person. A lot of suicidal people tend to dissociate themselves with their own actions until it’s too late and I think that that’s reflected through this poem. He doesn’t connect his own body with the act of suicide until he realizes it too late
Don't know if this has been said here, but I think you missed out on a very key part of Beatrices' performance. She becomes entangled in the ribbons, we lose sight of her, and then when the ribbons come away, she isn't there... She never went through the door, only the ribbons did. She was taken by her dementia before she died.
Honestly, this is an amazing episode, but the simplicity of "Free Churros" contrasts so... so heavily with how enrapturing the entire thing is that I think it wins out by a small margin.
Bojack says something like "wow Dad never made it to dinner" and technically, Butterscotch still didn't show up to dinner. Secretariat did. Even in his head, Secretariat was there for him when his dad wasn't. The fact that Secretariat has his dad's voice of course means he saw him as a father figure. Butterscotch still failed him, still disappointed him, even when Bojack wanted so badly to connect with him in his dream.
One thing he failed to mention is that hydrangeas in Japan actually represent the dead. Not "death" per se, but ghosts and "those who have passed on". And that if the blooms are red (or pink) it means they were planted on top of a body.
One thing I haven’t seen people mention is the way Secretariat falls into the abyss. He seems to trip backwards into it, perhaps the same way Bojack’s dad tripped backwards during a duel and ultimately died.
He never dueled, he killed himself. Either his mom made it up or bojack told himself that because a duel sounds cooler than suicide. And he wanted to see his dad as a hero
BoJack said that his dad got killed in a duel because of the book he wrote. People said it was really bad and Bojack’s dad told everyone he would duel anyone who didn’t like it. A random crazy dude shot him
@@therealmr.shaddow2976 He wasn't shot. His dad walked the ten steps, turn around midway, asked of he had really read the book, he tripped and fell backwards hitting his head with a rock.
i think its really interesting how bojack's drowning mirrors the narcissus painting, considering that narcissus is the myth of a man whose self-obsession killed him
Also the painting has him being watched while drowning, but not helped, most likely how he saw himself sinking and thought to call Diane but wasn’t able to stop himself from getting back in. A part of him almost definitely knew he would die, just like the lake fantasy in downer ending
The details in this episode are so terrifyingly well put together, I managed to find a couple of creepy Easter eggs. (Apparently) Bojack only realises he is drowning 17 minutes into the episode. Referencing the 17 minutes he left Sarah Lynn. The poem “The view from half way down”, has three main verses. The first verse is told in 3rd person, 2 is in second person and the final verse is told in the first person. 3, 2, 1... All the guests are dressed in the outfits from the peaks of their lives. Most characters died fairly quick, within an episode or so. So they just wear the outfits they are most well known for, which also happen to be the clothes they died in. Herb and Beatrice, however, wear the clothes the had before their lives went down hill. Herb wears the outfit he wore before he joined horsin’ around, and Beatrice wears the dress she wore before she met butterscotch. The scene where Secretariat and Bojack go for a smoke looks scarily similar to the bridge that Secretariat jumped from. Directly below this bridge lies the pool Bojack is drowning in. Sarah Lynn takes a deep breath before she tumbled into the abyss. (Apparently) a common symptom of deaths from heroine overdoses involves the victim struggling to breathe.
I'd also point out that you can see that secretariat is holding 4 pages and only gets through 2 before he falls screaming into the abyss. Symbolizing that your life is cut short and you still have more to do when you kill yourself
i always thought Sarah Lynn taking a deep breath and pinching her nose, as if she was about to jump into the water, is a direct reference to the metaphor of Ophelia falling into the river
Also, notice how zach braff didn't eat? Well, it was because he died being eaten. He died serving people. And that's why he was the one serving them food.
The only thing I don't fully understand is, why is Zach Braff in Bojack's mind? As far as I remember, he didn't play a significant part in Bojack's life like the other guests of this imaginary party, he didn't see him die and he was completely wasted and hiding away with Diane in a seperate room to begin with when that happened.
One of the saddest things about this episode for me is that Butterscotch Horseman isn't there. All of the most important people in Bojack's life who have passed are with him - Herb, Sarah Lynn and even his uncle whom he never even met. But instead of his father, Secretariat is there instead. Even Bojack's horrible mother Beatrice is there, but not his dad, but instead, a male figure he actually looked up to and felt close to growing up. Bojack and his father had such a little connection that he's not even with him as he's staring death in the face.
@@StoutShako they don’t have anything to do with the original comment. the original comment was pointing out how Butterscotch, Bojack’s Father, didnt even show up in bojack’s dying dream. it reflects how absent he was as a father. and how Secretariat replaced him as a parental figure due to his negligence.
@@dogwatersoda I think they do. OP said that "all of the most important people on Bojack's life who passed on are with him", but Zach Braff and Corduroy barely meant anything to him and weren't really present in his life either.
@@jordidraws7723 Yeah but their deaths did have affect on bojack. also bojack did find corduroy’s body and i definitely imagine something like that would have some impact on him, regardless if they were close or not. and Bojack was also in the same house/situation when Zach Braff died during the whole trapped underground situation. he was present in both of their deaths (or discovered one of them in the previous explanation).
I always thought the hands on Sarah Lynn's outfit was symbolic of her childhood sexual abuse. Mostly because of the placement on the clothing. The hands being darker on her funeral outfit could be because the effects were there but not immediately obvious and the lighter hands could mean that the abuse was a contributing factor in her drug addictions and death.
I don't know about the headspace of the artists/directors at the time, but I thought it was a reference to Kristen Shall (however it's spelled) because she wears a similar shirt in Weird Al "Tacky" music video And i know it's supposed to be all serious but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw her outfit.
Considering that she dressed HERSELF at the funeral and abuse victims don't usually go wearing stuff that reminds themselves of being abused, I think that part is off the mark. It might take on a different meaning for Bojack because he did (kinda???) See her as his daughter, but the first time it showed up, I strongly doubt someone as fucked up with drugs and stuff would put that much thought into deep symbolism about how she was treated as a kid.
i've known a lot of suicidal people. i always tell them that, if nothing matters, at least stay on the line with me for now. talk to me, stay on the phone with me, don't stop texting me. they always come to. if someone is suicidal, do not ever let them go. don't let them hang up. even if it feels hopeless.
That convo that they then have is a callback from a previous episode where diane and bojack are making up a fake conversation and saying the exact same things. The phrase that goes after "my day was good" was "I love you" but we never get to hear bojacks answer before he is absorbed by the tar.
That phrase just hits me so hard. Sometimes you only need one person on the other side of the line listening, one person yo make hoy feel loved, yo make you feel cared about.
@@harryhauff6704 I've watched this show gets snubbed for Emmys every year, hardly got nominations apart from Free Churro, which again should have won given what it was up against. But nah Big Mouth has to win, it's dumb and is watched by more people.
I never heard someone analysing hot cross buns. It's a kindergarten poem. English teachers are analysing poems and they should analyse a masterpiece like this too. Also , Todd analysed Hokey Pokey in the last episode.
Actually as an English major, I thought of James Joyce's "The Dead" one message of which being the living can never compete with the memory of the dead, like Bojack to Crackerjack.
Beatrice’s dress stands out to me so much because not only was it the dress she wore the night she met Butterscotch and Bojack was conceived, but it only further pushes the fact that she considers Bojack to be the thing that ended her life.
Secretariat’s poem was one of the most chilling thing’s I’ve ever heard. His tone shift from confident and sure, to regretful and horrified, is so intense and impactful. It’s probably one of the greatest anti-suicide pieces I’ve ever seen, and has definitively embedded itself into the hearts of all us viewers.
Did anybody noticed that BoJack has the exact same reaction? Bojack decided years ago to dance at the edge of the cliff always taunting death. But once he falls he shows the exact same reaction.
@@clarkwilmerding4343 I think the idea is that this was the true death of his former self, the self he thought he left behind after rehab. I have a lot of respect for the final episode; it felt real instead of grandiose
Have you ever felt so fear-stricken and haunted at that moment. Where Herb touches the darkness then progresses to engulf him, Bojack says "see you on the other side". The piano drops that tone as Herb replies, "oh Bojack, no, there is no other side. This is it." And that one moment terrified the shit out of me.
@@GuardianTam Yeah, it just means that deep down Bojack doesn't believe in an afterlife (or at least has some doubts that are represented by Herb). Whether there is or not is still a mystery. It is a haunting moment, though.
I know this video is a year old. But the one thing that always makes me wonder is when bojack realizes that Diane isn’t coming to him and he accepts his “death” is if Sarah Lynn went through the same thing he did in an overdose. Did she have a realization in her final moments that bojack wasn’t going to save her, she couldn’t rely on him in life so why would anything change in death or her final moments. We never get to see the inside of her mind in those final moments but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was something similar to bojack. Except bojack got to live and she didn’t.
Forever this. I love Vat of Acid- but this episode emphasizes so many facets of humanity and is so well done. I think about the view from halfway down all the time.
@@gorilla-grip-pussy-support7976 It wasn't specifically mentioned, but hinted at throughout every season where Sarah Lynn was alive, and a couple after that. Sarah Lynn states that: "My stepdad's being weird" when BoJack is having a flashback to when he accidentally got Sarah Lynn drunk which, along with dozens of other quotes, basically implies he is grooming/molesting Sarah.
People always mention Beatrice being directly and visibly verbally and emotionally abusive to Bojack but I feel it’s worth noting, then when a young Bojack was under the table trying to avoid performing the Lollipop Song and Beatrice pointed to him, he flinched. He was fully expecting her to hit him, and only opened his eyes when the impact didn’t come. Beatrice more than likely abused him physically, and Bojack likely lived on edge that her berating and taunts and invalidations would also come with physical abuse.
i just read this comment and i can't help thinking about that flashback afterparty scene when little Bojack crawls on Beatrice's lap while she's passed out from drinking. It's the only time we ever see any physical contact between them, and that happens in a moment when Bojack feels safe enough his mother won't harm him - or simply push him away. Heartbreaking.
the fact that everyone willingly went through the door yet they didn't chose to die at the time that they did, only secretariat 'chose death' (aka he commited suicide) yet he was still forced through, it shows his regret, his depravation to a second chance yet what's done has been done. It truly is the ultimate anti-suicide message. really beautifully executed. :)
I think the reason Sarah Lynn was eating a burger and fries was related to the story about her mom counting every carb she ate. That meal is loaded with carbs. I assume there’s some significance there.
@@journeyyyyyy It's the last thing they ate before they died. Herb is eating the peanuts from the truck he crashed into, Bojack is eating pills and drinking pool water, Courdroy has that lemon. They're all eating their last meals, except for Zach Braff. He was killed for cannibalism which is why he's the waiter, serving everyone
I went into this video thinking "I got their messages and meanings". Now I realize I missed like 90% of them. I always wondered what the hell was up with that bird bit.
a neat little detail is secretariats face as he slips into the abyss, it is the same face Bojack makes when describing his mom being dead at the funeral, I don't think its any deeper than that
It's also worth noting that hydrangeas are toxic to horses. 😭 His Apologies bring nothing but destruction to those who take them and aren't well thought out, even if heartfelt.
I got chills when he read that and almost cried because my brother successfully killed himself. And I just know that once he was halfway down he felt the same way.
I find it interesting that Beatrice and Herb are the only ones who didn't fall or walk physically into the door, possibly a representation of how the two of them were dying while they lived, in reference to Herb's Cancer and Beatrice's Dementia.
I’d like to point out that Herb never performed, while everyone else did. I think that this speaks towards how he considered himself to lack a true legacy, only giving one to others.
i like to think that it’s because he was a director he wasn’t part of the show he’s just the one that gets it started hence the reason why he didn’t “perform” instead he lets everyone else perform
the message in this episode is so strong. i don’t think i’ve ever seen a stronger anti suicide message. i don’t think i’ll ever forget this episode, especially as someone who has dealt with suicidal thoughts and depression. This honestly deserves an award.
It really just makes me think about how dirty our brains can do us. Your mind can urge you to the edge.....only to kick your desire to live into full gear once it's too late.... Dick move
The big-eyed crying horse painting is a parody of the big-eyed waif paintings by Margaret Keane, an artist whose life was characterized by an oppressive relationship similar to the dynamic of the Horseman family
One thing I noticed was Sarah lynn going into the door, after her performance she slowly walks to the door, probably representing that it was her choice to go on that bender, and she waits for a moment there, representing the time it took bojack to call for help while she was still alive, she then held her breath, because heroin (the drug she overdosed on) stops your breathing, and then, she suddenly falls.
Ok can we just appreciate the fact that a show with a talking horse is able to talk about mental Illness in very relatable way and with much more perfection than any season of 13 Reasons why .
@@Nightriser271828 I feel like that's the whole point of the show. I've been discussing this show with my brother for a long time and I tell him that the appeal of it is that anyone can relate to someone in the show. It's a very human show with very human characters. Everyone in the show has their own struggle and their own coping mechanisms even Mr. Penutbutter like I've never struggled with drugs but I can relate to the sufferings of some characters and the absurdity of it all is that the characters aren't even human sometimes. I love the fact that sometimes there's side characters that seem to be super important at the time then they just disappear completely. If you've ever had a break up you can relate to this.
@@chicken0w044 Well yeah, it’s a fucked up show, at least season 1 is. It’s a depressing experience and it’s controversial for a reason. They shouldn’t have framed it like some anti-bullying campaign, they should have owned the fact that it triggers the victim complex many people have. Whether it be for small or significant things, we precieve events within our own lens which leads us to believe that everything bad is intentionally targetted at us.
Haven't seen comments on this yet, but reasons why Bojack's dad appeared as Secretariat are probably because: - Butterscotch Horseman was absent from his life - Bojack viewed Secretariat as a father figure - Even Secretariat "abandoned" Bojack when he committed suicide - Both Butterscotch and Secretariat fell to their deaths - Bojack's antics and Butterscotch's antics are almost identical, and Bojack played Secretariat
I think the character's clothes are representing when they sealed their fate, Herb is wearing the clothes he wore when Horsin' Around became a thing, Crackerjack is wearing the clothes he wore during the war, Beatrice is wearing the dress she wore when she met Butterscotch. Sarah Lynn's clothes change throughout the episode along with her age, which, in my opinion, implies that her fate was sealed from the very beginning
Also crackerjack has the wound in his head, showing that the best part of his life or his peak included this wound, as in he was glorified as a martyr in death and put on a pedestal for the family despite having been a terrible soldier in life
Just realize when Scretariat/Butterscotch and Bojack went to smoke they were stand on the bridge when Scretariat killed himself. And bojack looks over to see his body in the pool.
@@greenclawclip challenged a guy who insulted his novel to a duel, while taking the steps you take before turning around and shooting, he turned his head to ask the guy whether he'd even read his book, and tripped on a root, bashed his head and dies
Outside of the horror of it, this episode REALLY understands what its like to be dreaming. The way they’ve all shifted in age, the fact that you cant tell what their relationships are at this point, the fact that bojack never asks any questions about it, its all exactly like a dream, good or bad.
And especially when Secretariat says “I know this part is confusing because I’m secretariat but also your dad”. It made me chuckle at how accurately Bojack Horseman portrays the quirks of the human brain.
@@chowdersalt if you have an alarm clock in the middle of your dream, you should be able to remember the dream you were having right before you woke up. if you remember really fast to write it down it should work
Never will fail to amaze me how perfect this episode is. Most tv shows don’t directly deal with the philosophy of death so directly and for so long. Yet this one did and knocked it out of the park. Probably the best tv episode ever
Btw the lyric change Sarah Lynn did "old sport" was commonly said by Gatsby in the great Gatsby who died in a pool like bojack (wow 2.6k likes that's the most I've ever gotten thanks)
After reading The Great Gatsby (ap lang and comp gang) there are quite a few parts of the great gatsby that you could tie to BoJack Horseman, such as the similarities between Nick Carraway and BoJack (Nick is very judgemental and his story is told as if he’s not even affecting what’s going on around him and he’s a victim of circumstance and not action) as well as all of the obvious class commentary, but this is an awesome observation!
I think this might be a bit of a stretch. Sure, "old sport" is Gatsby's catchphrase but it wouldn't make sense to refer to The Great Gatsby as it has little to no correlation with this show, and therefore wouldn't add anything meaningful to the scene; the only similarities are that phrase and the fact that both of them died in a pool (and even that is a stretch since Gatsby is shot whereas BoJack just drowns from his own inebriation). Maybe I'm wrong and it's just an Easter egg or maybe there is a deeper correlation between the two, but on the surface, that connection seems a little far-fetched, especially since it's only said once to BoJack in the entire show (to my knowledge) and there seems to be no other obvious Great Gatsby references. I think it verges more on coincidence but, again, I may be completely wrong.
Sarah Lynn was talking about how all her life she was denied the joy of eating burgers and fries when they were taking about what gave they're life meaning
@Sean Creed Sarah Lynn had an eating disorder instilled in her by her abusive mother. Sarah Lynn barely ate because she was taught that if she wasn't skinny with big tits, the audience wouldn't love her anymore. That's why her last meal is something that's actually tasty and she doesn't have to feel guilty for it since she's dead.
11:05 “Bojack’s best part was the time after his toxic childhood, and before future toxic decision making plagued his life. Before he started to make the kinds of mistakes that he couldn’t take back” chills at that line
I think you missed one small but important detail about SLs song. The final line: "A song you taught me when I was small" sounds like its meant to imply that Bojack is responsible for SLs death in more ways than one. In S:1,E:3 Bojack tells SL that her fans are the only ones who matter which is probably why as an adult SL had such a grim outlook on her life and only listened to her sycophants as opposed to the people who wanted to help her.
'There is no other side.' I was fairly shaken by how they delivered that whole sequence. Being indifferent to the afterlife, this show managed to dislodge my comfort in that eternal unknown. Gotta live while you're alive. There's no redemption, there's no you, once you're gone . . .
I have always had it like this, just cause i would like something to be true, dosent mean it is, i would like there to be a afterlife but i know there isent even if it hurts admitting. But after this episode, i felt a little more stable about it, i wont go around taking everything so serious all the time cause we all end the same place, but i want to live life more as life should be lived.
"BlazBlue ACTIVATE!!!! BLACK ONSLAUGHT! I'll show you THE POWER OF THE AZURE, BoJack Horseman! I'LL SHOW YOU FEAR!!! There is no death... there is no hell... there is no other side... only darkness. ONLY THE VOID!!!! This is the power of the azure."~Ragna the Bloodedge
i always see death as an escape this episodes made it just seem horrifying i think that was the message the writers wanted to give that death is not an escape there is no other side as we all hope it's a nothing
@Lacey Kean you can't confirm anything, at best you just falsely belive that you can. You have never experienced death (you may have come very close for all I know but you are still alive) and therefore have no more knowledge of what happens after you die than anyone else.
@@goodcorwin627 hydrangeas need a more alkaline soil to turn pink, a decaying body could cause a alkaline soil. The flowers are being colored by the death around them
Death is such a hard concept for me, so when I watched that episode I could barely get through it without choking down tears. This especially was a hard fight as it is a break down of the episode.
Amy Winfrey is such a genius. she directed this episode, Free Churro, Downer Ending, etc. and she has this distinct, scary but light-hearted tone to all of her work. She was so perfect for this episode. For those of you who don't know she was one of the original people behind South Park and she also created Making Fiends :)
Holy shit no way! I knew of her from making fiends. And now you're telling me she made all my fave bojack episodes?? I also love south park. What a legend
A lot of the best Bojack episodes were directed by Amy Winfrey, and some of the ones she didn’t direct still had her trademarks, eg the inner-monologue animation in Stupid Piece of Shit
when the last seasons came out, my friends and i had what we call “bojack parties” we would pile into a tiny room, order pizza and watch the seasons. we all had predictions on what the last episode was gonna be like. we all agreed that bojack was gonna die. my favorite was my friend’s who said hes gonna be on the edge of a building about to jump off, then someone stops him and says “hey are you the horse from horsing around?” and then the screen goes black and credits roll.
That would've been a surreal ending. But even the canon ending is kind of the same, in that there is nothing neat and tidy, with Bojack worrying about relapsing, even as he enjoys the nice night with Diane.
I never got the idea that just because the ending is dark and impactful it means it’s the best ending. The thing about BoJack Horseman is that the show has always been cynical and depressed but ultimately hopeful, there’s always hope as the light of the end of the dark tunnel.
I think the absolute best part of this episode was how it made me feel so conflicted at the ending. By the time the final minute was coming, I was bawling my eyes out. I had kind of expected BoJack to die the entire time I watched the show, and I thought that this episode was going to be it for him, the finale a final note on all the other characters. A part of me didn't want him to die, but at the same time it felt natural. And when the final credits played, hearing the monitor beeping and that BoJack had lived, I was in complete shock. I still debate with myself if BoJack living is what I truly wanted to happen.
I think the depiction of Herb is really sweet. They ended things on bad terms, and it would make sense for Bojack, being Bojack, to villainize Herb in his head, to depict him as being just as antagonistic as in that last encounter between them, but throughout the episode not only is Herb amicable and fun spirited, he is genuinely supporting others (Secretariat and Bojack) as they face their mortality. "Find your peace, big guy."
i totally understand the desire for this hard hitting ending but i think i disagree that it would've been more meaningful. personally i think if the show ended with bojack's death it would've contradicted the message of the show & potentially been super detrimental to people who related to him. so much of the show is holding onto the fact that no matter what mistakes you make or how bad you feel, life keeps going. that there will be tomorrow to turn things around; "life's a bitch and then you keep living". bojack is addicted to chasing the highest highs & lowest lows, hence why he does drugs & wallows in his depression. the writers deciding to instantly take us out of that lowest of lows & instead end of an ambiguous, borderline unfinished story (just as life is) was the most fitting end & a testament to the lessons of the show!
@@infinitech_industries One of the re-occuring themes in Bojack horseman is that there is always the next day, even if you are on the lowest point of your life , life will keep going and it goes the opposite way also, even if you have a good day in your life , you dont know how tomorrow will be. There is always time for repenting and bettering yourself. You can notice this patern in every season , in which episode 11 is the episode where things get fucked up and episode 12 is the episode in which there is some light shed in bojack life, episode 12 represents the next day . While bojack dying in the end would be dramatic , it would contradict the message this show wanted to pass for over 5 seasons. As Diane said life's a bitch and then you keep living
In free churro, Bojack mentions how his mother had a dress that she would only wear to these parties and i always figured it was her debutante ball dress. Later Bojack said how his father watched his mother dance in awe, just like that first night they met. Idk i thought thats also why she had that dress on. It made sense to me that she would wear her nicest dress again to a dinner party, like this one kinda is.
I actually love how he doesn't die here. Why? Because the entire series he says "then you die" but at the end, Diane says "or you keep living" and it was the reason why the short last season is still amazing and this is one of my favorite shows of all time. Death was an almost escape from all the things he's done but at the end he needs to live and deal with it as a true punishment
One of the greatest lines spoken in the entirety of the show is probably Herb's final words to Bojack. Bojack inquires that he will see him on the other side and Herb simply says oh Bojack no, there is no otherside this is it. All this while slowly being absorbed by the same black tar that symbolized death
I imagine that every character takes the form where BoJack thought they were most themselves. Corduroy is dressed like when he died (giving in to his kink), Beatrice is dressed exactly how she was before she met Butterscotch which would lead to her wasting her life on him, and Sarah Lynn has no concrete form throughout because she never got to figure out who she was.
All time stamps for this amazing video analogy: 1:18- The Hydrangeas 2:48- Painting and Portraits 4:38- The Bird 5:58- The Dinner Guests 8:06- Best Part, Worst Part 11:16- The Show 19:19- The View from Halfway Down Thank you so much for such an amazing analysis Johnny 2 Cellos!
One thing I found was an interesting subject is Crackerjack. Bojack grew up with the constant reminder that his mother loved her brother more than him. Now in the situation where Bojack is able to speak to Crackerjack everyone treats him like a hero who died fighting against the Axis. But Bojack's version of him is of a cowardly soldier who only ever shot his own men and was killed by a bullet that had previously killed the general he was supposed to be defending. Bojack does everything he can to tear down the man who he sees as having taken his mother's love.
This actually reminds me of how Crackerjack and Beatrice entered the door. It's obvious that, in real life, Crackerjack's death caused a domino effect on Beatrice's life. In a way, he took her down with him, just like in the dream. But in real life, it was accidental. In the dream, Crackerjack intentionally ties the ribbon around himself to purposely drag Beatrice into the door. This always struck me as Bojack subconsciously blaming Crackerjack for everything that went wrong in his life. If he hadn't died, Honey wouldn't have been lobotomized, Beatrice would never have been left alone with an emotionally absent father, she never would have met Butterscotch, and Bojack would have never been born and never had such a sucky childhood. To Bojack, it's all because of Crackerjack.
That reminds me of way back in the first episodes, when Bojack gave his rant about the troops on TV. He questioned the heroism of soldiers and had to backtrack and apologize. Could well be from that trauma of always being compared to your uncle, who you can never live up to.
What if Beatrice is wearing the dress from the debutant ball because that was the night that bojack was conceived, which could be the night that her life figuratively ended (since she was so unhappy with her life onward)
I don't know if anybody else has pointed this out, but Bojack's views on troops being heroes in episode two were fueled by him having his uncle's heroism shoved down his throat growing up.
the tar was chasing him and how it finally consumed him, I think is a metaphor for his life, he did so many terrible things *and it finally came back to consume him* but he still was able to get out of it because he was trying and you can see the him trying since season 4 but he ultimately always gets consumed by the tar sadly, it’s a terrible cycle
Also, in the dining room, the fireplace behind BoJack is glowing very brightly because he still has life in him. But then fireplace starts to dim later on as the episode progressed.
At 2:39 I say "Alkali is a chemical compound that's typically corrosive" which IS WRONG AND BAD SCIENCE and all of the science commenters are rightfully mad at me about it. Alkali is a class of chemicals, not a chemical compound itself. Thanks for calling me out, yall.
Johnny 2 Cellos horse
oh, to be honest we know what you meant :)
@@pawelnowak5633 no we don't, only people who can't grasp basic chemistry appears to understand what he means with the improper use of it
@@pedroaires35 alright mate, if you're gonna be literal with every word writen then yes. when he said that, literally anyone who knows what an alkali is knew what he meant, an alkali is a basic compound. alkali compounds do exist. for example NaOH is a basic compound. or pyridine if you know what that is. the only wrong thing was the fact it was singular and not plural. if you're getting angry over that then you probably also get angry when people use rings to indicate benzene's.
@@pawelnowak5633 do you realise that words have meaning and it's not being literal but going by what they mean, right? I can't throw affirmations like "good", or "well explained" in this video because it wouldn't match that those expressions/words mean, right?
Bojack realizes that he's drowning in the pool exactly at the minute 17, the same time that he waited to call for help for Sarah Lynn.
Fuck.
This episode was so meticulously crafted
deep
@@michelleh.1839 Too bad I can't handle watching it a second time.
@@tiffanielafleur6597 I feel you
Also, bojack constantly mentions that his bottle of water tastes like chlorine, pools have chlorine, it's what he's drowning on, his "last drink"
Every character was eating the last thing they ate before they died. Herb was eating peanuts, Crackerjack had a ration, etc. And Zach Braff was killed to be eaten so instead of eating anything, he's serving everybody their food
Zak Jet ONFG THATS SO COOL
woooow wtffff
i noticed this when i rewatched the epsode for the first time and im just. in awe at that BLATANT foreshadowing that the first time around i just completely missed
@@emman.7612 Thanks, I wish I could take credit for that discovery but that was pointed out to me in a youtube video somewhere. I forget the name so I can't credit them properly (I wanna say the video was by Savage Books? or Savage Reading? Something like that?)
The fact that he brought sarah lynn to the door as a symbol of him literally leading her to her death is perfection.
Especially since he leads her there in her child form, because it was his show that set her on the path of fame, the path of alcoholism and drugs, and the path of death. And she was too young to understand what she was signing up for.
I also think that it shows how Sarah Lynn’s death is what led Bojack to this point.
I think Sarah Lynn’s song starting very innocent and then very quickly turning into very sexualized and provocative is a really good metaphor for her life
and the white hands on her breasts and area :( and how her step dad also molested her :((
@@chelseywithaney9219 wait he did?
@@flcwerz.for.meowmeow she tastes some fur and says “it’s bear fur, my stepdad was a bear” meaning part of his body was in her mouth at one point. She also says that he was a photographer which is a common way to say someone works in child pronorgaphy
@@lialia-dt7yx oh shit
@@flcwerz.for.meowmeow There's an episode with a flashback of Sara Lynn in the Horsing Around set and she mentions she doesn't want to go back to her dressing room because her stepfather was acting weird :(
You forgot that Hydrangea is poisonous to horses
I actually didn't know! Thanks for commenting, really cool
To be fair, hydrangea is poisonous to pretty much everything.
Also Sarah Lynn falls backwards through the door because she didn't see her death coming
Micheal Sondag, as well as Crackerjack
I love alot of the art references in BoJack too. like Hockney's reference, but also the Basquiat pieces in Herb's room. As well as it referencing unrequited love between Warhole and Basquiat (Herb and BoJack) I also feel that since Basquiat was also a really talented artist who died young from addiction and mental health issues, I kinda see how parts of him relate to BoJack as well!
Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet: When Secretariat is giving his poem he goes from 3rd person, to 2nd person, to 1st person.
3.. 2.. 1..
I didn't connect that, so cool!
Woooooah clever!!!
MIND BLOWN
Dude
Shiiit
I know some people complained that Bojack should have died here, but I think it’s far more important that he lived. Two of the most recurring themes of this show is that you can’t escape the consequences of your actions and you can’t always find closure. But in terms of the story that would have given the audience both of those things. Bojack would never face the consequences of his actions and we the audience would have gotten closure on the character because he died. It would have been an “ending” to Bojack’s story, something that show stresses doesn’t exist in real life. Even when Bojack goes to jail, they say that he’ll be out in a few months to show that even that “comeuppance” will end and he’ll keep having to move forward. I would argue that “Life’s a bitch and then you keep living” is one of the biggest messages of the show as a whole.
I actually think the final episode gave me more of a sense of closure than I would have gotten if he had died. Maybe it's because I was heavily invested in the other characters as well and liked seeing their stories play out, but the ending we got left me much more satisfied and answered a lot more questions. We may not know exactly how all of their lives will play out, but we know the situations that they're in. It felt more like a complete journey for all of the characters, Bojack included, and left me hopeful for all of them. If the series had ended with his death, it would have been much less satisfying for Bojack's arc and would have left me wondering "what about all the other characters? Why bother building up a unique story with all of them and then never giving them a solid conclusion?" It just feels more like a real ending this way.
@@shreknskrubgaming7248 I was honestly about to make this exact comment. It annoys me to a degree when people say this should have been the last episode, or would have been the better one- Bojack doesn't get that easy way out. He has to deal with the life he's lived and fix it.
The show stresses that endings don’t happen until the point of death, that their is always the days after the happy ending and that inevitably you retreat into the normal human experience
I think that this episode really shows that suicide is the correct choice and BoJack screwed that up too just like he fucks everything up.
@@shreknskrubgaming7248This ending is pretty much the opposite to how Horsing around ended.
I also think Beatrice's exit shows how dementia affected her. Unlike the other characters, she never went through the door herself. She was already gone. And Herb's exit shows how cancer was eating him up, consuming him whole. The symbolism in this episode is just so great, it's the best episode in the series, if not one of the best pieces of media ever.
And Sarah Lynn held her nose while entering the tar. I've heard people say that's a reference to her death, since she died of a heroin overdose, and people who OD on heroin stop breathing.
Also another one, BJ left her in the planetarium for 17 minutes. In that penultimate episode, BJ's realisation that he's probably dead hits at exactly 17 minutes. That's no accident.
herb died because of a peanut allergie
@@ImTheAeroNaut yeah, but cancer was still eating him from the inside
@@FuckTheCZcamsUsernameChange no he was cured. how could you forget such sweet sweet irony
@@xc5842 he still had cancer at some point. it was still slowly eating him. maybe it didn’t finish physically, but it already killed him inside long before his bodies death
I think Secretariat reading 'The View from Halfway Down' in the episode is the strongest anti-suicide message I have ever seen.
Yeah
It's my motto now
Can't get it out of my head
Ashrujit Ghoshal as someone who attempted suicide in a similar way,it really makes me cry cuz it was like what I was feeling deep down.
@@bojackthetrustworthy736 Hope you're doing better now and good luck. Find meaning in life, even if to other people it's insignificant. I personally deal with life by just being nice, watching someone smile and be grateful for even a little thing is really nice. Now keep on living or you'll truly regret the view from halfway down.
Honestly I wept whilst watching that part of the episode
Ashrujit Ghoshal that was my favorite part of the episode. Very moving. And the door pressuring him to jump was so powerful. He wasn’t ready to die just like in his real life. :(
The darkness is a metaphor for darkness.
and the horse is a metaphor for the penis
@@smokesterify That's Too Much Man
YOU are a metaphor
@@mst3k54 YOU'RE AN AUDIOBOOK!
@@sprytefox YOUR A VISUAL NOVEL!!!
One thing that I just realised is that Sarah Lynn’s implied abusive stepfather is a bear. Male bears have no parental instinct and often kill their cubs.
@@juno1752 could very well be that too
@@juno1752 same
Yeah it’s more likely a pedo bear reference because one of Hollyhock’s dads is a bear and he seems very parental
@@aesthetics7649 It’s most likely a reference to Terry Richardson, a photographer who has been outed for a lot of sexual misconduct related cases. He ended up leaving the industry in 2018.
So…Bear-y Richardson.
(it also makes sense considering Sarah Lynn does mention Richardson being a photographer.)
@@ThePomeranianPrince I thought this too. Plus, the glasses the bear wears…. Terry’s signature
Fun fact: if you watch the credits of the episode, after the monitor flatlines, it pauses, and then beeps 16 times. If you want to count the flatline beep, it would be 17. 17 minutes into the episode, BoJack finds out he’s dead, and 17 minutes is also the amount of time he waited to call the cops after Sarah Lynn overdosed.
17 was also the age that penny was when he took advantage of her
@@hauntedteethcupboard17 is a very important number in this show
I love noticing these kinds of things later
@@nationalinstituteofcheese3012cheese
what the fuckkkkk my mind is blown this show deserves all the recognition
You probably already know this, but a cool detail:
Bojack found out he was dead 17 minutes into the episode, the same
amount of time he left Sarah-Lynn in the planetarium
Awesome writers, the hell?
what is that supposed to mean tho
@@discomonkie nothing, just interesting
@@hipersonicc9736 oh
holy shit
I actually just noticed that the setting where Sarah Lynn is sitting under the table and Bojack gives her a harsh lesson is EXACTLY the same position young Bojack sits in when Beatrice tells him to sing the lolipop song. They truly nailed how abuse, neglect and depression becomes cyclic.
I can't believe I never noticed that until this video. Blew my mind.
I noticed when I was editing, such a great detail
Never noticed that
@@Johnny2Cellos he sits under the table again when on the phone :(
This show's ability to add in this much detail is amazing. We should definitely try to support the artists and writers on this one.
I love this episode so much but at the same time it's kind of annoying that a lot of people insist this would have been a better finale. BoJack's death would have sent a terrible and irresponsible message as well as being a self-indulgent and melodramatic ending. The last episode is a much more poignant and profound ending.
yes but the fact it’s tragic makes it better
@@hojoraika that just sounds unnecessarily edgy imo
Honestly, with how everything had happened leading up to that point, it seemed like killing him off was the most obvious ending. The fact that they didn't plays into the whimsy of life, luck and fate. Not everyone who is self-destructive and suicidal actually succeeds in ending everything. And then they have to continue on living afterward and deal with the consequences.
@@hojoraika I think it was important to show that even after all the terrible things that happened to him and that he'se die he still ended up surviving and being glad that he did. Also now he had to actually face all his problems. I personally think the ending is great as it is.
I think it would’ve been a better finale! the ending felt weird
I’ve been suicidal for a while.
And the bridge by my house has been an easy option.
In my depressive state I finished the show.
I’ve gone to the bridge a few times this week, and the view from halfway down has helped me make the choice not to jump.
I identify with Bojack, every suicide attempt he wanted someone to save him.
Hey, I know this is an old comment but I thought it'd be a good idea to ask how you're doing, and if you've gotten any better? I know we're just internet strangers but I hope so
Hey Levi... how we doing bud?
I hope all is well Levi.
Levi I hope you are doing well! ❤️
hey!
how are you buddy? :)
“I wish someone would have told me about the view from half way down” is my favorite line in the whole show
“Why, I have half a mind.”
"YOWIE WOWIE!"
Better than what
A sky full of stars
@@kales7884 Ouch.
@@dylanbradley7571 Double ouch.
I just realised how Sarah Lynn actually ages throughout the episode and bojack says his water tastes like chlorine. The detail put into this series is one of a kind
CHLORINE OMG
HOW DID I NOT PUT CHLORINE AND POOL TOGETHER
DID SARAH LYNN GROW UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES?
@@seangilmore355 Have you been watching the first episode of the series again?!
I immediately noticed the chlorine comment. Water in an unlabeled bottle has always been representative of Bojack's guilt for his effect on Sarah Lynn, and has always secretly been vodka. As soon as he said "does anybody else's water" I had mentally finished the line with vodka. When he said Chlorine instead, I stopped and immediately connected that Bojack had finally jumped in the pool.
something ive always thought about is the characters' ages in the episode, specifically sarah lynn. they all seem to be and remain at the "peak" of their lives (beatrice as the age she was when attending her debutante ball, herb as the age he was when directing horsin around, crackerjack as the age he was when he left for war, etc) except for sarah lynn, who grows and changes throughout the dream. i think it may help to emphasize the way she was never truly happy with herself and the life she was thrown into at such a young age, and as such, never really peaked. it may also show that her peak was yet to come, and she died before she could reach it and truly be happy with herself. it might be a stretch, but i thought it would be worth analyzing.
i so agree with this. due to bojack’s negligence and selfish ignorance, he ultimately led sarah lynn to her downfall before she even experienced true happiness
actually, in the scene where they’re trying to get bojack to sit down and stop trying to find a way out, beatrice is the old, dementia ridden version of herself. sarah lynn growing up with bojack is more like him having a lot of control over her entire life, all the way to her being brought to death’s door by him.
i always thought of dianes "my day was good" as a way of bojack telling himself that his death would only be beneficial to her
i heard it first as just happy but as the voice and bojack faded away, it felt like she was happy he was gone
@@soapheshinobi5801 There's a difference between happiness and relief.
Which we learn in the next episode isn't true. Diane was so stressed out during those 7 hours after getting his voicemail, thinking that if she had just called back in time, she could have saved him. And when she finds out he lives, she realizes how done she is with being responsible for him and cuts him off. If Bojack really had died, Diane may not have been able to come to that conclusion on her own. She probably would have wasted time feeling guilty for something out of her control. But Bojack living lets her take the control back and choose to cut him out herself.
"Oh Bojack, there is no other side. This is it."
Absolutely haunting. That moment, the gentle delivery, and the way the darkness consumes him leaves me feeling so so hollow, and grim.
There is only darkness.
To me it’s the delivery that makes it so grim: “There’s no escape, accept that.”
@@natalyamartirosyan That's what the dead man says.
Darkness consumes him like cancer did.
It gave me hot flashes
Did this episode make anyone else existentially horrified?
Watching this a day after finishing up The Good Place was certainly a trip!
i watched this episode the same day as the last good place episode and i was fucking terrified of dying for a good while
I’ve fought suicidal ideation throughout my life, and last year was the epitome of my struggle. This episode shook me up, especially the poem, because it’s something I don’t think anyone thinks about or talks about as much as they should. I’ve thought about not wanting to upset people in my life, but never thought about my own possible regret mid-act. It’s such a necessary perspective that I’m glad I got to see.
Lily Raimey I still can’t watch it without crying and it’s been several weeks
I wouldn't say existentially horrified. I'm sure many people who've had NDEs did some reflection on this poem. It made me just grateful with a stroke of luck I made it through mine.
What always gets me with this episode is, how unambiguous it is about the finality of death. It doesn't romanticize it. It doesn't play up this vague: "Maybe it's really an experience Bojack had with the other side, and the souls of people past".
It makes it clear. It's Bojack, it's all him, it's just his dying brain. He can't interact with any of these people anymore and they are not waiting for him in the great beyond, where maybe he can apologize or work out some of the issues that he left unresolved with them, there is no such comfort in death.
Which is what makes Herb's final words, that this is it, that there is no other side, so powerful.
I agree, they could have so easily made it so that bojack's dream was actually him interacting with the souls of his past friends, but this show's smarter than that and straight up tells us that it's not what's happening.
no matter how many times i watch this episode or this analysis herb’s “oh bojack, there is no other side. this is it.” gives me full body chills. his voice actor did an amazing job with the delivery of that line and it really makes you feel the acceptance of dying
@@dandyriver_ The timing of the animation of him being devoured by the tar too, like, the finality of the statement is punctuated with zero possibility of explanation or argument. There is no time for objection, only acceptance.
I personally believe in the existence of an otherside, or another dimension into which our souls move, or merge with the spirit of our alternate selves, as one of the options. There may be more than one such dimension.
But the current general knowledge of there supposedly not being any like dimension, must give us pause in order to make the best of our lives and other people's lives, to be kind to ourselves, other people and animals, and to treat them with dignity. Lest we'll have wasted our lives having achieved little to nothing.
Granted, even small things bring happiness to us and othres, and even small acts of goodness make a positive change in the lives of other people and creatures, and in our own.
@@mardus_ee i think there's maybe (MAYBE) an argument for belief in a nondual, singly conscious, nonindividual collective afterlife - in the vein of, we and everything are all the willful divisions of a formerly singular existence - but the standard vision of meeting your loved ones is unlikely.
I also think that Sarah Lynn's career as a pop star led to her having many diet restrictions. many pop stars in the 2000s had to practically starve themselves just to keep their figure because their skinny bodies were an accessory to them. I think her eating fast food at the dinner table was symbolic of her last break from being a performer. she even talked about counting calories on her tour while she was at the table. the fast food was something that she yearned for so deeply, something indicative of a normal childhood. something you could have without hating yourself for it like she was taught to do.
Also Herb had peanuts on his plate during the dinner, which is also some kind of irony (he died because of peanut allergy)
@@nikitakirillov1545 And of course Bojack's plate had the pills he had taken shortly before he "went swimming." And he mentioned his water tasting like chlorine.
you are clearly not a woman lmao
Wasn't these foods all the lasts things they all ate before their desth
@@_-A.Yeah, Crackerjack’s meal was an MRE (the prepackaged meals given to soldiers on deployment) and Corduroy’s was a lemon, which he would suck on to keep him conscious.
In my opinion, one of the easier-to-miss but more powerful things: Diane's last line. Her day was good. She's been grappling with sever depression all season, constantly struggling just to feel ok, much less good, and yet there it is. In what he has accepted as his last moments, all BoJack wants is to think that his friends are good.
Thanks, you mande me tear up
that makes the end of their friendship so much sadder. bojack is finally able to be a better friend but it's too late and she has to let go now.
ichorous maybe in the future they’ll be friends again, that’s how life is, we don’t expect things to happen
but maybe they won’t tho
#LetMeIn
notice in the two episodes where bojack jump into the pool, in one Mr. pb saves him and in one from the view from half way down, he calls for diane, the two people who always looks down the pool in the intro when bojack jumps in it.
Giorno Giovanna mr peanutbutter was always friendly towards him and didnt want anything selfish out of him,just the joy of his friendship...Truly a great character smarter than most would expect
@@bratantm9385 and truly dog like.
Holy shit
O shit
So the intro where they look down on BoJack in the pool was actually foreshadowing all the way to this episode??
One thing I spotted throughout this episode is that Bojack seems to be going through the 5 Stages of Grief:
Denial - Bojack starts out thinking he’s just dreaming and that he’ll wake up after the dinner.
Anger - Bojack starts lashing out when he sees people dropping into the abyss in an attempt to stop the show.
Depression - near the end, Herb starts whaling on Bojack’s insecurities before welcoming him onto the stage.
Bargaining - Bojack is convinced he can get out of it all by getting to a phone and calling Diane.
Acceptance - “How was your day?”
There's also a subtle hint that he has made suicide attempts like this before, as once the dinner is over and everyone heads to the show in the other room, Bojack expects he's going to wake up like nothing happened as if it were a routine he's familiar with. But much to his dismay nothing happens and his dream continues. What's even more haunting about this, is that once he realizes that this dream is heading in a new direction from what he presumed would happen, he begins to look concerned as if he starting to put the pieces together of what's really going on, and how it's not looking good.
@@Theelectroarcheologist i never even considered that the "i always wake up before the show" thing was connected to his suicide attempts, that's so insightful! I thought he had just been having like a reoccuring dream every night, that's a much better explanation.
One thing I love about the poem is that the POV shifts from 3rd, 2nd, to 1st person. A lot of suicidal people tend to dissociate themselves with their own actions until it’s too late and I think that that’s reflected through this poem. He doesn’t connect his own body with the act of suicide until he realizes it too late
i also saw someone comment that it mimics a 3, 2, 1 countdown as he falls to the water
Don't know if this has been said here, but I think you missed out on a very key part of Beatrices' performance. She becomes entangled in the ribbons, we lose sight of her, and then when the ribbons come away, she isn't there... She never went through the door, only the ribbons did. She was taken by her dementia before she died.
Wow I had never thought of that, that’s even more depressing
@@opntilmidnight4025 really summarises how I feel after reading every comment here
That is quite haunting
Good catch, I would have never seen that
WHY.IS.THIS.SHOW.SO.FUCKING.GOOD?!?!?!?!?!?!?I DONT WANT TO WATCH ANY OTHER SHOWS EXCEPT THIS ONE
Quite possibly the best 26 minutes in Netflix history.
Honestly, this is an amazing episode, but the simplicity of "Free Churros" contrasts so... so heavily with how enrapturing the entire thing is that I think it wins out by a small margin.
@@Tawleyn no way in hell
Free Churro was marginally better. Let me emphasize that *marginally*.
@@shagarumedic Great episode no doubt, it just hit a little too close to home for me personally.
In television history
Bojack says something like "wow Dad never made it to dinner" and technically, Butterscotch still didn't show up to dinner. Secretariat did. Even in his head, Secretariat was there for him when his dad wasn't. The fact that Secretariat has his dad's voice of course means he saw him as a father figure. Butterscotch still failed him, still disappointed him, even when Bojack wanted so badly to connect with him in his dream.
There's so much death symbolism in this episode. Bojack's dinner chair kind of looks like a casket.
Oh shit i had to go back and look. Good eye!
Thought the same thing but wasn't sure if I was overthinking it
It also kind of looks like a pool floatie!
One thing he failed to mention is that hydrangeas in Japan actually represent the dead. Not "death" per se, but ghosts and "those who have passed on". And that if the blooms are red (or pink) it means they were planted on top of a body.
i saw that too!
One thing I haven’t seen people mention is the way Secretariat falls into the abyss. He seems to trip backwards into it, perhaps the same way Bojack’s dad tripped backwards during a duel and ultimately died.
He never dueled, he killed himself. Either his mom made it up or bojack told himself that because a duel sounds cooler than suicide. And he wanted to see his dad as a hero
BoJack said that his dad got killed in a duel because of the book he wrote. People said it was really bad and Bojack’s dad told everyone he would duel anyone who didn’t like it. A random crazy dude shot him
@@therealmr.shaddow2976 He wasn't shot. His dad walked the ten steps, turn around midway, asked of he had really read the book, he tripped and fell backwards hitting his head with a rock.
@@gantzllat Ouch. On Halloween? That's too much, man.
@Lucky Slob and also how bojack seems to fall backwards into the pool in each opening of the show.
i think its really interesting how bojack's drowning mirrors the narcissus painting, considering that narcissus is the myth of a man whose self-obsession killed him
By drowning as well
Also the painting has him being watched while drowning, but not helped, most likely how he saw himself sinking and thought to call Diane but wasn’t able to stop himself from getting back in. A part of him almost definitely knew he would die, just like the lake fantasy in downer ending
I.e. he saw himself drowning and didn’t save himself
The details in this episode are so terrifyingly well put together, I managed to find a couple of creepy Easter eggs.
(Apparently) Bojack only realises he is drowning 17 minutes into the episode. Referencing the 17 minutes he left Sarah Lynn.
The poem “The view from half way down”, has three main verses. The first verse is told in 3rd person, 2 is in second person and the final verse is told in the first person. 3, 2, 1...
All the guests are dressed in the outfits from the peaks of their lives. Most characters died fairly quick, within an episode or so. So they just wear the outfits they are most well known for, which also happen to be the clothes they died in. Herb and Beatrice, however, wear the clothes the had before their lives went down hill. Herb wears the outfit he wore before he joined horsin’ around, and Beatrice wears the dress she wore before she met butterscotch.
The scene where Secretariat and Bojack go for a smoke looks scarily similar to the bridge that Secretariat jumped from. Directly below this bridge lies the pool Bojack is drowning in.
Sarah Lynn takes a deep breath before she tumbled into the abyss. (Apparently) a common symptom of deaths from heroine overdoses involves the victim struggling to breathe.
I'd also point out that you can see that secretariat is holding 4 pages and only gets through 2 before he falls screaming into the abyss. Symbolizing that your life is cut short and you still have more to do when you kill yourself
Gawdawm
Thats.. too much man...
Holy fucking shit
i always thought Sarah Lynn taking a deep breath and pinching her nose, as if she was about to jump into the water, is a direct reference to the metaphor of Ophelia falling into the river
Also, notice how zach braff didn't eat? Well, it was because he died
being eaten. He died serving people. And that's why he was the one serving them food.
Oh
i fucking forgot he was cannibalised i'm cackling
I thought he was just another funny cameo at first I completely forgot that he died
The only thing I don't fully understand is, why is Zach Braff in Bojack's mind? As far as I remember, he didn't play a significant part in Bojack's life like the other guests of this imaginary party, he didn't see him die and he was completely wasted and hiding away with Diane in a seperate room to begin with when that happened.
Holy shit
in season 2 bojack says “I feel like I was born with a leak” with goes along with herb saying “everything must come to an end; the drip finally stops”
I thought he was talking about his IV drip.
that’s what i was thinking about too
Hannah Venturina could be a double meaning
Low key he got the drip ngl
Nah that’s cap🧢 ‼️ the drip never stops😩🥵🥶😈💯
One of the saddest things about this episode for me is that Butterscotch Horseman isn't there. All of the most important people in Bojack's life who have passed are with him - Herb, Sarah Lynn and even his uncle whom he never even met. But instead of his father, Secretariat is there instead. Even Bojack's horrible mother Beatrice is there, but not his dad, but instead, a male figure he actually looked up to and felt close to growing up. Bojack and his father had such a little connection that he's not even with him as he's staring death in the face.
What about the one dude who died spanking it tho. And Zach Braff
@@StoutShako they don’t have anything to do with the original comment. the original comment was pointing out how Butterscotch, Bojack’s Father, didnt even show up in bojack’s dying dream. it reflects how absent he was as a father. and how Secretariat replaced him as a parental figure due to his negligence.
@@StoutShakoZach Braff was also there, as the butler
@@dogwatersoda I think they do. OP said that "all of the most important people on Bojack's life who passed on are with him", but Zach Braff and Corduroy barely meant anything to him and weren't really present in his life either.
@@jordidraws7723 Yeah but their deaths did have affect on bojack. also bojack did find corduroy’s body and i definitely imagine something like that would have some impact on him, regardless if they were close or not. and Bojack was also in the same house/situation when Zach Braff died during the whole trapped underground situation. he was present in both of their deaths (or discovered one of them in the previous explanation).
I always thought the hands on Sarah Lynn's outfit was symbolic of her childhood sexual abuse. Mostly because of the placement on the clothing.
The hands being darker on her funeral outfit could be because the effects were there but not immediately obvious and the lighter hands could mean that the abuse was a contributing factor in her drug addictions and death.
I don't know about the headspace of the artists/directors at the time, but I thought it was a reference to Kristen Shall (however it's spelled) because she wears a similar shirt in Weird Al "Tacky" music video
And i know it's supposed to be all serious but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw her outfit.
Considering that she dressed HERSELF at the funeral and abuse victims don't usually go wearing stuff that reminds themselves of being abused, I think that part is off the mark.
It might take on a different meaning for Bojack because he did (kinda???) See her as his daughter, but the first time it showed up, I strongly doubt someone as fucked up with drugs and stuff would put that much thought into deep symbolism about how she was treated as a kid.
@@StoutShako symbolism is not there for the characters but for the audience.
"if it dosent matter..,can i stay on the phone with you?"
i...i need to sit down
i've known a lot of suicidal people. i always tell them that, if nothing matters, at least stay on the line with me for now. talk to me, stay on the phone with me, don't stop texting me. they always come to. if someone is suicidal, do not ever let them go. don't let them hang up. even if it feels hopeless.
That convo that they then have is a callback from a previous episode where diane and bojack are making up a fake conversation and saying the exact same things. The phrase that goes after "my day was good" was "I love you" but we never get to hear bojacks answer before he is absorbed by the tar.
I didn’t start tearing up until I heard Diane go “Yeah” with that bittersweet tone. It just gives off this “temporary happiness” feel.
That phrase just hits me so hard. Sometimes you only need one person on the other side of the line listening, one person yo make hoy feel loved, yo make you feel cared about.
IT'S A BOMB!!!!!!!
Oh wait, wrong show.
This episode was just nominated for an Emmy. Needless to say it deserves the nomination AND the win.
@Zaymly no
First Name Last Name it hasn’t happened yet
If it doesn't win then that bs
YourPal Nathan yer lol watch it be big mouth 🤦♂️
@@harryhauff6704 I've watched this show gets snubbed for Emmys every year, hardly got nominations apart from Free Churro, which again should have won given what it was up against. But nah Big Mouth has to win, it's dumb and is watched by more people.
English Classes out there analysing "hot cross buns" meanwhile this is what would make classes actually interesting
I never heard someone analysing hot cross buns. It's a kindergarten poem.
English teachers are analysing poems and they should analyse a masterpiece like this too. Also , Todd analysed Hokey Pokey in the last episode.
@@yahya2920 it was more like a figure of speech and somewhat an exaggeration, no one analyzing hot cross buns
Actually as an English major, I thought of James Joyce's "The Dead" one message of which being the living can never compete with the memory of the dead, like Bojack to Crackerjack.
we actually analyzed free churro in our class! not all english classes are old and dusty :P
@@piperbrooke2957 lucky! bet that class was fun!
Beatrice’s dress stands out to me so much because not only was it the dress she wore the night she met Butterscotch and Bojack was conceived, but it only further pushes the fact that she considers Bojack to be the thing that ended her life.
Secretariat’s poem was one of the most chilling thing’s I’ve ever heard. His tone shift from confident and sure, to regretful and horrified, is so intense and impactful. It’s probably one of the greatest anti-suicide pieces I’ve ever seen, and has definitively embedded itself into the hearts of all us viewers.
Did anybody noticed that BoJack has the exact same reaction? Bojack decided years ago to dance at the edge of the cliff always taunting death. But once he falls he shows the exact same reaction.
@@Hennesg where did you see or read that? I've seen the show through like 3 times and I've never even heard of that.
Dude my shit dropped with the distorted voice of Diane and the heartrate monitor. I dunno. Just something about that is very unsetteling.
Inflexxible it was an incredibly strong ending but i do feel cheated that they used that and completely reversed it the next episode
@@clarkwilmerding4343 I think the idea is that this was the true death of his former self, the self he thought he left behind after rehab. I have a lot of respect for the final episode; it felt real instead of grandiose
Have you ever felt so fear-stricken and haunted at that moment. Where Herb touches the darkness then progresses to engulf him, Bojack says "see you on the other side". The piano drops that tone as Herb replies, "oh Bojack, no, there is no other side. This is it." And that one moment terrified the shit out of me.
Those words still haunt me
It’s a hard truth, makes me question what life even is.
To be fair it's bojacks brain telling him this so there's no guarantee it's telling the truth.
@@GuardianTam Yeah, it just means that deep down Bojack doesn't believe in an afterlife (or at least has some doubts that are represented by Herb). Whether there is or not is still a mystery.
It is a haunting moment, though.
Same
I know this video is a year old.
But the one thing that always makes me wonder is when bojack realizes that Diane isn’t coming to him and he accepts his “death” is if Sarah Lynn went through the same thing he did in an overdose.
Did she have a realization in her final moments that bojack wasn’t going to save her, she couldn’t rely on him in life so why would anything change in death or her final moments. We never get to see the inside of her mind in those final moments but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was something similar to bojack. Except bojack got to live and she didn’t.
17 minutes is a long time. Never thought about this before
Bojack did not live. No one came to save him.
But yes, your statement is chilling and fascinating.
I’m a huge fan of both Bojack and Rick and Morty, and the fact that the Vat of Acid episode won over TVFHD at the Emmy’s still shocks me to this day.
Forever this. I love Vat of Acid- but this episode emphasizes so many facets of humanity and is so well done. I think about the view from halfway down all the time.
Bojack: yeah, i dont think the creators actually put that much thought into it
Todd: But isnt that the point of art, what ppl take out of it?
I loved todd
Todd really had some profound things, didn't he?
@@crystalgemgirl731 in like three episodes lolz.. but yea.. he was a good man
@@cayde7293 Ok
@@imalittlestinker when did you stop?
i always felt like the handprints on sarah lyns outfit might be referencing her being molested by her stepdad
Yeah, handprints painted on bodies is often used as a metaphor for assault leaving physical marks, matching the mental ones.
😮😯
When was this mentioned?
@@gorilla-grip-pussy-support7976 It wasn't specifically mentioned, but hinted at throughout every season where Sarah Lynn was alive, and a couple after that. Sarah Lynn states that: "My stepdad's being weird" when BoJack is having a flashback to when he accidentally got Sarah Lynn drunk which, along with dozens of other quotes, basically implies he is grooming/molesting Sarah.
sarah lynn has got to have one of the, if not the most, tragic arcs in the show
People always mention Beatrice being directly and visibly verbally and emotionally abusive to Bojack but I feel it’s worth noting, then when a young Bojack was under the table trying to avoid performing the Lollipop Song and Beatrice pointed to him, he flinched. He was fully expecting her to hit him, and only opened his eyes when the impact didn’t come. Beatrice more than likely abused him physically, and Bojack likely lived on edge that her berating and taunts and invalidations would also come with physical abuse.
i just read this comment and i can't help thinking about that flashback afterparty scene when little Bojack crawls on Beatrice's lap while she's passed out from drinking. It's the only time we ever see any physical contact between them, and that happens in a moment when Bojack feels safe enough his mother won't harm him - or simply push him away. Heartbreaking.
I believe he also mentions at some point early on (though I could be wrong) that his mother extinguished her cigarettes on his arm as a child.
the fact that everyone willingly went through the door yet they didn't chose to die at the time that they did, only secretariat 'chose death' (aka he commited suicide) yet he was still forced through, it shows his regret, his depravation to a second chance yet what's done has been done. It truly is the ultimate anti-suicide message. really beautifully executed. :)
I think the reason Sarah Lynn was eating a burger and fries was related to the story about her mom counting every carb she ate. That meal is loaded with carbs. I assume there’s some significance there.
I talked about this a bit in my full season review!
I thought it was everyone's favorite meal. Or last meal.
@@journeyyyyyy It's the last thing they ate before they died. Herb is eating the peanuts from the truck he crashed into, Bojack is eating pills and drinking pool water, Courdroy has that lemon. They're all eating their last meals, except for Zach Braff. He was killed for cannibalism which is why he's the waiter, serving everyone
@@chickencurry420 yeah that's what I thought. I said last meal.
Maybe it's that she is dead now so she can eat whatever she wants I dunno
I went into this video thinking "I got their messages and meanings". Now I realize I missed like 90% of them. I always wondered what the hell was up with that bird bit.
same!!!
I knew right away Amy Winfrey directed this episode when that happened lmao
@@laura-ni8ym may I ask why ?
@@icedwater3149 She's the girl who made Making Fiends and it felt EXACTLY like that indoor recess episode
I know its unrelated but it reminded of that chid bird that died off-screen because they couldn't fly. I don't remember which episode.
The part where he just wants to talk to Diane literally kills me
a neat little detail is secretariats face as he slips into the abyss, it is the same face Bojack makes when describing his mom being dead at the funeral, I don't think its any deeper than that
I never noticed that💀
It's also worth noting that hydrangeas are toxic to horses. 😭 His Apologies bring nothing but destruction to those who take them and aren't well thought out, even if heartfelt.
Oh wow 😮 i didn’t know that. Nice observation!
Thank you. I was looking for a more solid interpretation of the hydrangeas than culturally-dependant flower symbolism, and her it is.
damn that hurts 😭
eh his mom earned that
@@seanr.6498 here*
from a suicide attempt survivor- “the view from half way down” is chilling and so extremely realistic.
Also as a survivor - im not going to lie, _i completely agree with you_
I got chills when he read that and almost cried because my brother successfully killed himself. And I just know that once he was halfway down he felt the same way.
Fr its so crazy
I hope you're doing okay now, my friend.
@@libertylibertylibertyliber1520 I’m so sorry 💔
Dude, we don’t give enough credit to how detail oriented the animation was throughout the ENTIRE series, it’s so incredible
I find it interesting that Beatrice and Herb are the only ones who didn't fall or walk physically into the door, possibly a representation of how the two of them were dying while they lived, in reference to Herb's Cancer and Beatrice's Dementia.
I’d like to point out that Herb never performed, while everyone else did. I think that this speaks towards how he considered himself to lack a true legacy, only giving one to others.
i like to think that it’s because he was a director he wasn’t part of the show he’s just the one that gets it started hence the reason why he didn’t “perform” instead he lets everyone else perform
funny how he was able to accurately describe others and their stories but never his own. remember his memoir failed bc it was so terrible?
THE FCKN BOOOKK
@@cayde7293 It was never released to the public and was terrible.
@@FlailSnail222 exactly, yup! Thats y he never preformed in the dream.. he never left his “legacy” as herb himself called it
the message in this episode is so strong. i don’t think i’ve ever seen a stronger anti suicide message. i don’t think i’ll ever forget this episode, especially as someone who has dealt with suicidal thoughts and depression. This honestly deserves an award.
It really just makes me think about how dirty our brains can do us. Your mind can urge you to the edge.....only to kick your desire to live into full gear once it's too late.... Dick move
@@tamialuster4666 exactly. our brains are probably the most deadly things to humans.
@Crystal KayNine it was terrifying, but oddly beautiful. it’s honestly amazing, i agree.
Yes
Yes
The big-eyed crying horse painting is a parody of the big-eyed waif paintings by Margaret Keane, an artist whose life was characterized by an oppressive relationship similar to the dynamic of the Horseman family
One thing I noticed was Sarah lynn going into the door, after her performance she slowly walks to the door, probably representing that it was her choice to go on that bender, and she waits for a moment there, representing the time it took bojack to call for help while she was still alive, she then held her breath, because heroin (the drug she overdosed on) stops your breathing, and then, she suddenly falls.
From Season 1, Episode 1: "We probably went a little too dark with the series finale."
No shit, Sherlock!
Haha great catch!
Also from Season 1: “Princess Carolyyyynnnnn! John Stamos died! We thought night swimming was a good idea!”
@@froggyplatypus "You said it with your action."
@@froggyplatypus "But the current was too strong!".
Ok can we just appreciate the fact that a show with a talking horse is able to talk about mental Illness in very relatable way and with much more perfection than any season of 13 Reasons why .
or basically any other movie or show in... well, ever.
I said to my husband that for a show with a horse protagonist, Bojack Horseman is profoundly human.
@@Nightriser271828 I feel like that's the whole point of the show. I've been discussing this show with my brother for a long time and I tell him that the appeal of it is that anyone can relate to someone in the show. It's a very human show with very human characters. Everyone in the show has their own struggle and their own coping mechanisms even Mr. Penutbutter like I've never struggled with drugs but I can relate to the sufferings of some characters and the absurdity of it all is that the characters aren't even human sometimes. I love the fact that sometimes there's side characters that seem to be super important at the time then they just disappear completely. If you've ever had a break up you can relate to this.
13 reasons why made consider suicide so many times as a form of revenge
@@chicken0w044 Well yeah, it’s a fucked up show, at least season 1 is. It’s a depressing experience and it’s controversial for a reason. They shouldn’t have framed it like some anti-bullying campaign, they should have owned the fact that it triggers the victim complex many people have. Whether it be for small or significant things, we precieve events within our own lens which leads us to believe that everything bad is intentionally targetted at us.
Haven't seen comments on this yet, but reasons why Bojack's dad appeared as Secretariat are probably because:
- Butterscotch Horseman was absent from his life
- Bojack viewed Secretariat as a father figure
- Even Secretariat "abandoned" Bojack when he committed suicide
- Both Butterscotch and Secretariat fell to their deaths
- Bojack's antics and Butterscotch's antics are almost identical, and Bojack played Secretariat
omg ur right
🤯
didn’t butterscotch die in a duel?
@@jinorism he tripped and bashed his head while asking the guy that wrote a bad review if he had actually read the book
I think the character's clothes are representing when they sealed their fate, Herb is wearing the clothes he wore when Horsin' Around became a thing, Crackerjack is wearing the clothes he wore during the war, Beatrice is wearing the dress she wore when she met Butterscotch. Sarah Lynn's clothes change throughout the episode along with her age, which, in my opinion, implies that her fate was sealed from the very beginning
Also crackerjack has the wound in his head, showing that the best part of his life or his peak included this wound, as in he was glorified as a martyr in death and put on a pedestal for the family despite having been a terrible soldier in life
When Sarah Lynn sings "the needle drops" it may be a heroin reference
She snorted the heroin. She probably means it music wise
Well, dont know what they did on the bender and we know that she has had problems with drugs before so I think that its a double entendre
So it isn't a Fantano reference?
@@lunaleonem3378 , fuck, youre right
also im pretty sure heroin greatly affects your oxygen intake, and sarah lynn held her breath before falling down.
The two freakiest/most completely miserable things in this show for me were the lobotomy of Beatrice's mother, and this episode, in its entirety
The perfect representation of „Show, don’t tell” i’ve seen in the past decade
Just realize when Scretariat/Butterscotch and Bojack went to smoke they were stand on the bridge when Scretariat killed himself. And bojack looks over to see his body in the pool.
Wait how did Butterscotch die again?
@@greenclawclip challenged a guy who insulted his novel to a duel, while taking the steps you take before turning around and shooting, he turned his head to ask the guy whether he'd even read his book, and tripped on a root, bashed his head and dies
@@talhahayat4419 oh cause for some reason cause it was the body of secretariat and butterscotch they had both killed them selves
@@talhahayat4419 but thank you:)
Yes
Outside of the horror of it, this episode REALLY understands what its like to be dreaming. The way they’ve all shifted in age, the fact that you cant tell what their relationships are at this point, the fact that bojack never asks any questions about it, its all exactly like a dream, good or bad.
And especially when Secretariat says “I know this part is confusing because I’m secretariat but also your dad”. It made me chuckle at how accurately Bojack Horseman portrays the quirks of the human brain.
@@chowdersalt It's hard to remember them, try writing them down as soon as you wake up and see how your dreams evolve as you grow older
@@chowdersalt if you have an alarm clock in the middle of your dream, you should be able to remember the dream you were having right before you woke up. if you remember really fast to write it down it should work
YEP
Yeh like how the kitchen is mixed in with his family home kitchen and the horsin around kitchen, my dreams do that too
Never will fail to amaze me how perfect this episode is. Most tv shows don’t directly deal with the philosophy of death so directly and for so long. Yet this one did and knocked it out of the park. Probably the best tv episode ever
“Herb was eating peanuts, as his peanut allergy was related to his death”
I forgot that detail and thought he was eating them because he’s gay…
SAME OMG HAHAHAH
yeah especially because him being gay was related to his demise
Lol
Jeff
Btw the lyric change Sarah Lynn did "old sport" was commonly said by Gatsby in the great Gatsby who died in a pool like bojack (wow 2.6k likes that's the most I've ever gotten thanks)
Bradley Paul waiting for the call of his beloved
After reading The Great Gatsby (ap lang and comp gang) there are quite a few parts of the great gatsby that you could tie to BoJack Horseman, such as the similarities between Nick Carraway and BoJack (Nick is very judgemental and his story is told as if he’s not even affecting what’s going on around him and he’s a victim of circumstance and not action) as well as all of the obvious class commentary, but this is an awesome observation!
Another connection is references such as the green light quote
Adam Castanos omg I hadn’t even thought of that!
I think this might be a bit of a stretch. Sure, "old sport" is Gatsby's catchphrase but it wouldn't make sense to refer to The Great Gatsby as it has little to no correlation with this show, and therefore wouldn't add anything meaningful to the scene; the only similarities are that phrase and the fact that both of them died in a pool (and even that is a stretch since Gatsby is shot whereas BoJack just drowns from his own inebriation). Maybe I'm wrong and it's just an Easter egg or maybe there is a deeper correlation between the two, but on the surface, that connection seems a little far-fetched, especially since it's only said once to BoJack in the entire show (to my knowledge) and there seems to be no other obvious Great Gatsby references. I think it verges more on coincidence but, again, I may be completely wrong.
Sarah Lynn was talking about how all her life she was denied the joy of eating burgers and fries when they were taking about what gave they're life meaning
Oh thats deep
I don’t get it
@Sean Creed
Sarah Lynn had an eating disorder instilled in her by her abusive mother. Sarah Lynn barely ate because she was taught that if she wasn't skinny with big tits, the audience wouldn't love her anymore. That's why her last meal is something that's actually tasty and she doesn't have to feel guilty for it since she's dead.
Also maybe a metaphore for the career she wanted. She wanted to be an architect and she was also denied the joy of doing that
Shit that's like Beatrice not being allowed ice cream and sweets.
11:05 “Bojack’s best part was the time after his toxic childhood, and before future toxic decision making plagued his life. Before he started to make the kinds of mistakes that he couldn’t take back” chills at that line
I think you missed one small but important detail about SLs song. The final line: "A song you taught me when I was small" sounds like its meant to imply that Bojack is responsible for SLs death in more ways than one. In S:1,E:3 Bojack tells SL that her fans are the only ones who matter which is probably why as an adult SL had such a grim outlook on her life and only listened to her sycophants as opposed to the people who wanted to help her.
'There is no other side.' I was fairly shaken by how they delivered that whole sequence. Being indifferent to the afterlife, this show managed to dislodge my comfort in that eternal unknown. Gotta live while you're alive. There's no redemption, there's no you, once you're gone . . .
I have always had it like this, just cause i would like something to be true, dosent mean it is, i would like there to be a afterlife but i know there isent even if it hurts admitting.
But after this episode, i felt a little more stable about it, i wont go around taking everything so serious all the time cause we all end the same place, but i want to live life more as life should be lived.
"BlazBlue ACTIVATE!!!! BLACK ONSLAUGHT! I'll show you THE POWER OF THE AZURE, BoJack Horseman! I'LL SHOW YOU FEAR!!! There is no death... there is no hell... there is no other side... only darkness. ONLY THE VOID!!!! This is the power of the azure."~Ragna the Bloodedge
i always see death as an escape this episodes made it just seem horrifying i think that was the message the writers wanted to give that death is not an escape there is no other side as we all hope it's a nothing
@@taltigolt That's why there is only darkness.
@Lacey Kean you can't confirm anything, at best you just falsely belive that you can. You have never experienced death (you may have come very close for all I know but you are still alive) and therefore have no more knowledge of what happens after you die than anyone else.
So hydrangeas are kept alive by being completely submerged by water, I think they were foreshadowing bojack in the water
Yooo, I like that better than anything I said about them haha
FFS how many more hidden meanings can we find in that single bloody flowerpot? How insanely good are those writers? Jesus. Seriously.
Hydrangeas literally have water prefixed in their name. They need a constant water source during their blooming season or they'll die.
@@goodcorwin627 hydrangeas need a more alkaline soil to turn pink, a decaying body could cause a alkaline soil. The flowers are being colored by the death around them
@@aylishmorehouse666 holy cow
When he and Sarah Lynn first walk into the house, he says "Thanks for having me, mom..." Interesting turn of phrase that I never noticed before
Death is such a hard concept for me, so when I watched that episode I could barely get through it without choking down tears. This especially was a hard fight as it is a break down of the episode.
Amy Winfrey is such a genius. she directed this episode, Free Churro, Downer Ending, etc. and she has this distinct, scary but light-hearted tone to all of her work. She was so perfect for this episode. For those of you who don't know she was one of the original people behind South Park and she also created Making Fiends :)
Wow, a network takes away her show and she goes on to direct stuff as good as this.
According to "the sources" she was an animator for southpark. "Original people behind South Park" doesn´t quite fit well.
Holy shit no way! I knew of her from making fiends. And now you're telling me she made all my fave bojack episodes?? I also love south park. What a legend
A lot of the best Bojack episodes were directed by Amy Winfrey, and some of the ones she didn’t direct still had her trademarks, eg the inner-monologue animation in Stupid Piece of Shit
@@ShamelessLainLover Reminds me of Karen Kitada...
when the last seasons came out, my friends and i had what we call “bojack parties” we would pile into a tiny room, order pizza and watch the seasons. we all had predictions on what the last episode was gonna be like. we all agreed that bojack was gonna die. my favorite was my friend’s who said hes gonna be on the edge of a building about to jump off, then someone stops him and says “hey are you the horse from horsing around?” and then the screen goes black and credits roll.
That would've been a surreal ending. But even the canon ending is kind of the same, in that there is nothing neat and tidy, with Bojack worrying about relapsing, even as he enjoys the nice night with Diane.
I thought the last moment of the show was all gonna be the end of the joke ''a horse walks into a bar...'' :')
I feel stupid.
@@narvo69 that would be good
We had Breaking Bad dinners.
I never got the idea that just because the ending is dark and impactful it means it’s the best ending. The thing about BoJack Horseman is that the show has always been cynical and depressed but ultimately hopeful, there’s always hope as the light of the end of the dark tunnel.
I think the absolute best part of this episode was how it made me feel so conflicted at the ending. By the time the final minute was coming, I was bawling my eyes out. I had kind of expected BoJack to die the entire time I watched the show, and I thought that this episode was going to be it for him, the finale a final note on all the other characters. A part of me didn't want him to die, but at the same time it felt natural. And when the final credits played, hearing the monitor beeping and that BoJack had lived, I was in complete shock. I still debate with myself if BoJack living is what I truly wanted to happen.
I think the depiction of Herb is really sweet. They ended things on bad terms, and it would make sense for Bojack, being Bojack, to villainize Herb in his head, to depict him as being just as antagonistic as in that last encounter between them, but throughout the episode not only is Herb amicable and fun spirited, he is genuinely supporting others (Secretariat and Bojack) as they face their mortality. "Find your peace, big guy."
Imagine how dark this would be if this episode was the finale, and the heart monitor at the end never beeped
I like the show’s ending as is, but I imagine I probably would have been perfectly content had that actually been the end of the show
i totally understand the desire for this hard hitting ending but i think i disagree that it would've been more meaningful. personally i think if the show ended with bojack's death it would've contradicted the message of the show & potentially been super detrimental to people who related to him. so much of the show is holding onto the fact that no matter what mistakes you make or how bad you feel, life keeps going. that there will be tomorrow to turn things around; "life's a bitch and then you keep living". bojack is addicted to chasing the highest highs & lowest lows, hence why he does drugs & wallows in his depression. the writers deciding to instantly take us out of that lowest of lows & instead end of an ambiguous, borderline unfinished story (just as life is) was the most fitting end & a testament to the lessons of the show!
@@infinitech_industries One of the re-occuring themes in Bojack horseman is that there is always the next day, even if you are on the lowest point of your life , life will keep going and it goes the opposite way also, even if you have a good day in your life , you dont know how tomorrow will be. There is always time for repenting and bettering yourself. You can notice this patern in every season , in which episode 11 is the episode where things get fucked up and episode 12 is the episode in which there is some light shed in bojack life, episode 12 represents the next day . While bojack dying in the end would be dramatic , it would contradict the message this show wanted to pass for over 5 seasons. As Diane said life's a bitch and then you keep living
Or even if it did beep and you were left thinking 'Is he alive?? What happenned??'
@@jkspam the point of the show is to not give up and learn how to care at least how I see it so I disagree
In free churro, Bojack mentions how his mother had a dress that she would only wear to these parties and i always figured it was her debutante ball dress. Later Bojack said how his father watched his mother dance in awe, just like that first night they met. Idk i thought thats also why she had that dress on. It made sense to me that she would wear her nicest dress again to a dinner party, like this one kinda is.
Yeah, why should Bojack know her debutante dress if not for that
I'm happy we got to see the dance he mentioned in free churro
Also the shadow on bojack of Beatrice’s dance directly mirrors the one from the episode Free Churro
I actually love how he doesn't die here. Why? Because the entire series he says "then you die" but at the end, Diane says "or you keep living" and it was the reason why the short last season is still amazing and this is one of my favorite shows of all time. Death was an almost escape from all the things he's done but at the end he needs to live and deal with it as a true punishment
I like that, but he did die. Gina was never in Fire Flame, so the last episode was just Bojack trying to put his mind at ease.
One of the greatest lines spoken in the entirety of the show is probably Herb's final words to Bojack. Bojack inquires that he will see him on the other side and Herb simply says oh Bojack no, there is no otherside this is it. All this while slowly being absorbed by the same black tar that symbolized death
I've become a bit obsessed with watching Bojack Horseman analysis videos and this is the best one I've seen, it's incredibly insightful
Thank you so much!
This was very good, but i also recommend you the videos Savage Books did on Bojack
Savage is top notch
Fr
Honestly the Savage one seemed really basic. This one was top notch though.
BoJack Horseman is the one show, in which binge watching is dangerous for your mental health. Take it one episode at a time.
too late- now I'm awake at 2:35 in the morning and crying because I feel a million things at once. 😎
It helps me understand my deep rooted truma. Its therapy
I binged the whole thing in 6 days. I am not okay.
I binged the first 4 seasons In 3 days and had to stop. Needed a serious break.
Just finished the last episode today.. I haven't slept in 24 hours
I imagine that every character takes the form where BoJack thought they were most themselves. Corduroy is dressed like when he died (giving in to his kink), Beatrice is dressed exactly how she was before she met Butterscotch which would lead to her wasting her life on him, and Sarah Lynn has no concrete form throughout because she never got to figure out who she was.
All time stamps for this amazing video analogy:
1:18- The Hydrangeas
2:48- Painting and Portraits
4:38- The Bird
5:58- The Dinner Guests
8:06- Best Part, Worst Part
11:16- The Show
19:19- The View from Halfway Down
Thank you so much for such an amazing analysis Johnny 2 Cellos!
One thing I found was an interesting subject is Crackerjack. Bojack grew up with the constant reminder that his mother loved her brother more than him. Now in the situation where Bojack is able to speak to Crackerjack everyone treats him like a hero who died fighting against the Axis. But Bojack's version of him is of a cowardly soldier who only ever shot his own men and was killed by a bullet that had previously killed the general he was supposed to be defending. Bojack does everything he can to tear down the man who he sees as having taken his mother's love.
This actually reminds me of how Crackerjack and Beatrice entered the door. It's obvious that, in real life, Crackerjack's death caused a domino effect on Beatrice's life. In a way, he took her down with him, just like in the dream.
But in real life, it was accidental. In the dream, Crackerjack intentionally ties the ribbon around himself to purposely drag Beatrice into the door.
This always struck me as Bojack subconsciously blaming Crackerjack for everything that went wrong in his life. If he hadn't died, Honey wouldn't have been lobotomized, Beatrice would never have been left alone with an emotionally absent father, she never would have met Butterscotch, and Bojack would have never been born and never had such a sucky childhood.
To Bojack, it's all because of Crackerjack.
That reminds me of way back in the first episodes, when Bojack gave his rant about the troops on TV. He questioned the heroism of soldiers and had to backtrack and apologize. Could well be from that trauma of always being compared to your uncle, who you can never live up to.
What if Beatrice is wearing the dress from the debutant ball because that was the night that bojack was conceived, which could be the night that her life figuratively ended (since she was so unhappy with her life onward)
Well that makes a lot of sense
wow
Yes !!!
I don't know if anybody else has pointed this out, but Bojack's views on troops being heroes in episode two were fueled by him having his uncle's heroism shoved down his throat growing up.
the tar was chasing him and how it finally consumed him, I think is a metaphor for his life, he did so many terrible things *and it finally came back to consume him* but he still was able to get out of it because he was trying and you can see the him trying since season 4 but he ultimately always gets consumed by the tar sadly, it’s a terrible cycle
Also, in the dining room, the fireplace behind BoJack is glowing very brightly because he still has life in him. But then fireplace starts to dim later on as the episode progressed.
Man, this show......