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 :(
"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 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.
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
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.)
@@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. :(
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
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.
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’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 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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
@@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.
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 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
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
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
What makes it worse is that deep down, he only wanted her to be happy. He knew that she was unhappy just like him and only wanted to comfort her but didn't know how to. Even after learning that they couldn't be together, he still wanted her to be happy.
As Diane would say :" That's the thing. I don't believe in deep down. I kind of thing all you are is just the things you do." And as Bojack would say: "Well, that's depressing." So, at the end it wouldn't matter if he cared about her deep down. I think, throughout the show, he showed it. In his shitty way, he showed it. it was not buried, we could see it on the surface. Because it was obvious, it was shining in the dessert like a piece of glass. And I would like to think that Diane would see it shine. I think she knew Bojack cared about her in his broken way. But, it was still broken and she was done being piecemeal.
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.
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).
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 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.
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.
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. :)
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’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 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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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.
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 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.
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
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
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
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
@@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.
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
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.
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
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
Ok, tv very rarely makes me cry or even tear up, but when bojack said “how is your day” and then Diane said “my day was...good.” And I don’t know why, but I literally almost started balling.
I burst into tears. The loneliness reminded me of when I tried to commit suicide. I felt like I was a burden on everyone I love. If I did reach out for help, people weren't there for me. I found out who loved me that night, when my ex fiance and my friend Haley caught me.
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.
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.
@@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
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.
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
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."
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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 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.
I noticed that when Sarah Lynn looked into the pit while repeating "don't stop dancing" she looked so weary and tired. I think she just jumped in with no problem because she was tired of "dancing" tired of performing and just wanted peace.
She braces for it by plugging her nose and closing her eyes, like she acknowledged she would die tragically young back in season 1, just closing her eyes and trying not to think too hard about jt
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 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.
My heart raced through this entire episode. Having dealt with depression for a lot of my life “The View From Halfway Down” hit me in such a vulnerable place and really changed life
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.
