Regina McCullough
Contributing Writer
Raphael Bob-Waksberg is largely considered the man behind what has been described as one of the most poignant “meditations on depression and self-improvement” by The Verge. His Netflix show, “Bojack Horseman,” has been discussed in publications from Buzzfeed to The New York Times. Everything written about the show seems to be focused on the title character, Bojack, and by extension, Bob-Waksberg. However, when one closely engages with the wry, sadistic, at times depressing and at times uplifting humor of “Bojack Horseman,” it is not about a single man (or anthropomorphic horse), but about the mosaic of characters, artists, writers and background designers that create the show.
When discussing the hidden jokes that riddle the background of the show with Entertainment Weekly’s Dana Schwartz, Bob-Waksberg noted that even he finds new ones added in by various contributing staff members along the way to final production. This kind of collaborative effort is what makes the show so watchable.
Although publications often focus on Bojack as the exclusive character, Waksberg has confirmed that the show follows every member of the main cast — Bojack, Diane, Princess Carolyn, Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter — individually.
In fact, the origins of the show are firmly based on the exploration of that ensemble cast and the creators behind it. Lisa Hanawalt is the production designer and producer on the show and someone Bob-Waksberg cites as his long-time friend as well as his inspiration for the show’s universe when she showed him a series of drawings she had done of anthropomorphic animals and humans living together. From its genesis, the show was not only about the singular Bojack character, but about how each of these characters’ narratives interact with each other.
Season four continues this tradition wholeheartedly, using the narrative of the show to bring through topics of marital abuse, mental illness, death and miscarriage, to name a few. The show has its allegiances to Bojack, but Waksberg and his writers are not afraid to delve deeply into their surrounding cast of characters and explore the same poignant themes that are often exclusively relegated to male leads.
Waksberg noted that after season one, he specifically sought to write an independent arc for each character and enjoyed the story he was telling so much he decided to continue writing this way for the rest of the show.
This is particularly poignant in season four wherein the first episode “notably includes no Bojack” (Entertainment Weekly) and Waksberg insists that the joke most people are missing is the opening line, “Let’s do the show about the horse — without the horse.” The community of the show and the ability of the writers to rely on the depth of each of their characters is what makes the show so moving. Though some may be disappointed that the newest season, picking up where season three left off with Bojack at a reckoning point of personal crisis, did not focus more on the dark inner ruminations of a broken man, that kind of cyclical ebb and flow of happiness and the continuous forward flow of time calls to themes that Bob-Waksberg proudly attributes to his show, referencing his non-belief in endings or resolution.
Season four’s continued focus on crafting each main cast member’s narrative with effort and care is a reaffirmation that Bojack Horseman has never been just about the horse, or the arrogant ex-celebrity abusive asshole beneath it, but an exploration of the kind of stories Bob-Waksberg is interested in telling. I encourage anyone reading this and interested to check out the Twitter of Raphael Bob-Waksberg (@RaphaelBW) and check out Lisa Hanawalt’s art at her website: www.lisahanawalt.com.