This season BoJack is much more a force of helpful change than he is one of destruction. When BoJack does make mistakes, there’s an earnestness to them and they feel different from his past indiscretions. Even after BoJack is able to move beyond rehab, the real world has a much scarier sheen to it. He’s haunted by all of his past deeds and the ways in which he’s messed up now that he doesn’t have something like alcohol to wash away the painful memories. It’s an insightful, realistic look at sobriety that the series doesn’t belittle. The way in which BoJack now feels vulnerable and like an outsider in the world isn’t unlike if he just got out of prison. This season hammers home how innocuous things can now be newly dangerous to BoJack.

read more: BoJack Season 5 Proves The Show Can Last Forever

One of the darkest and most important moments in both the history of the series and character is his association with Sarah Lynn’s drug overdose. It’s an event that’s always bubbling under the surface, but hasn’t been directly addressed in a while. Now that BoJack is in the Pastiches rehab center he’s forced to deal with this past traumatic event in a big way. Sarah Lynn’s name is even the phrase that begins this season as BoJack flashes back to rock bottom. Her role in BoJack’s life and how he let her down is incredibly important to his inner pain and this season really wants you to understand that.

Not just the memory of Sarah Lynn, but all of BoJack’s major catalysts return in this final season in a cathartic way. They assess truly how much BoJack has grown and if he’s able to healthily process old wounds. This season appropriately explores the nature of where BoJack’s addictions began in the first place, his need for acceptance, and how these vices are so baked into his DNA.

This final season has BoJack at the precipice of improvement, but every major character matures and breaks new ground this year (even Todd). Each episode in the first half of this season is essentially structured around a different character’s dilemma as BoJack checks in for support. Everyone experiences different forms of compromise and codependency. BoJack and Diane’s relationship remains a pillar of the series. Their time together remains brief, even more so than in previous seasons, but every moment they’re together is electric. They share an important, caring bond that goes beyond actually being physically together.