“Everyday it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day, that’s the hard part. but it does get easier.”

As I get older, and everyone in my life does the same (cause that’s how time works), I have witnessed a lot of depression take on varying forms around me. This is sad. I find solace in the Netflix Original series, Bojack Horseman A show about a horse, who is also a man. Once the main character of a successful cheesy family sitcom, now, a man drinking and battling a depression he can not seem to get away from. Season 2 came out this past weekend. Now, while I was out of town when it came out, it is now the following Wednesday and I have just finished binging down the second season of this fantastically depressingly drollery TV series. Here are some thoughts.

The beautiful thing about Netflix and the Internet media (the not-so-”new” media) is our lives are no longer structured to a TV executive’s schedule. No longer do we have to “tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel.” Those days are over! Got a free weekend? Catch up on that TV show all your friends talk about, or that you’ve just been meaning to watch. If you’re going to binge watch Bojack Horseman though, be sure you’re ready to indulge in some introspective idolization of an idiocentric anthropomorphic horse that will actually make you feel more human in the end. This show is great.

“The animals are animal-people… no pets… It’s a world of Goofys not Plutos”

-Waksberg (The show’s creator) on the world Bojack Horseman is set in

The show has horse characters, human characters, cat characters, turtle characters and all sorts of species, all taking on a human like identity. The surreal inter-species environment the series is set in is a necessary component to make the show bearable. A story about a washed out cynical has-been struggling with depression and alcohol abuse is a pretty “been there, done that” story, often told in an exclusively serious dark tone. There’s not much room for jokes for a man…. but a horse! Now that’s comedy, am’iright? Many of the jokes and plot devices for the series would not be possible if not for the variety of different animals that are seamlessly a part of an otherwise very human world. This isn’t just because of all the great animal puns/references, but because the subject matter of the character’s minds are very relatable reclusive thoughts. The obvious and subtle references to the animal nature of the characters gives the show a moment of mild amusement. Without the humans, the show becomes too alienating and the world seems more like a Dr. Seuss story. Without the animals, the show could not stumble down the roads it does without an easy way back to a comedy show experience.

In a world that spotlights people like Mr. Peanutbutter, The Yellow Labrador “friend” and parallel of Bojack (He’s just more successful, lovable, and seemingly happier), it is easy to fall into a slump in life. Bojack states:

“I don’t know how people live. It’s amazing to me that people wake up every morning and say, Yeah, another day, let’s do it! … How do people do it?”

We see these people everywhere, and instead of striking hope that “yes, it is possible to be happy!” it just makes people wonder… why can’t I?

(SEASON 1 SPOILERS) Bojack has everything: millions of dollars for hardly any work, a childhood dream role in an upcoming film, an endless amount of opportunities given to him and yet the steed is never satisfied. This is more than just a story that money doesn’t buy happiness. This isn’t some cliche lesson “you just need to surround yourself with people that love you” no, this is Bojack Horseman, a man who was born broken hoping for happiness he simply can not have. He envies the enthusiasm he sees in everyone else, but anytime some bit of happiness rolls into his life he finds a way to “make it weird”;Ruining relationships and squandering opportunities for self improvement.

The beginning of Season 2 starts with Bojack’s BNA (Brand New Attitude) He’s listening to motivational audio books, he’s jogging around the house, he’s drinking smoothies and feeling good about himself. Typical “I’m going to change my life” actions taken when one tries to get out of a slump. He laces up his shoes, and treks out to “conquer that hill” (the literal hill outside his house). Sure enough, Bojack falls before getting very far up the hill at all, as an old silver monkey looking dude (It’s a baboon) calmly passes him “On your right” and continues treading up the hill past a tired Bojack. This is where it becomes evident that his depression can’t be fixed overnight with just some advice from an audio book. While his oddly out of character optimism lingers for a little longer in the first episode it surely won’t last forever as the pressure of starring in a major motion picture starts to get to him, and the walls start closing in on ol’ Bojack.

Throughout this episode he is continually rejecting a phone call from a certain character in his life. He finally answers by the end of the episode, inevitably, this rids him of his new lease on life. The rest of the season returns to the selfish cynical character the audience is accustomed to from season one. Despite his character flaws you learn to sympathize with him through flashbacks to his upbringing that delve into why Bojack is the way he is. Sometimes he makes mistakes, sometimes he meant well and it didn’t quite go the way he expected, sometimes he’s so incredibly self-aware of the wrongdoing but is unable to operate any other way. He’s so hard on himself you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Don’t beat a horse while he’s down, right? Or Don’t kick a dead man? (It works both ways, he is a horseman after all)

Like many that struggle with depression Bojack feels alone and misunderstood. Everyone is living a fulfilling life with love and support from the people around them. However, season 2 holds some dynamic changes for many of the characters in the series. A slacker who has never been good at anything, a writer looking for meaningful world-changing purpose, a working lady seeking stability in life, as well as many new characters you’ll see throughout the season. Season 2 really dissects depression in every form it takes. We all have different demons that we have to learn to deal with. Bojack Horseman is best suited for the binge watching experience Netflix caters to. It’s probably not for the best to leave the series lingering around in your head too long unconcluded. That being said, it is a show well worth your time.