Not only is Endgame the most ambitious movie Marvel has made, but it also is the grandest. Even more so than Infinity War. No other movie can utilise the emotional ties that have been embedded within our hearts over the build of 11 years. And boy does it use them well. Stringing together scene after scene of nothing but impactful tension in the third act. But this doesn't leave the other two boring or bland. It allows these parts to build off of the aftermath of Infinity War. Never once was I bored, or felt like I was sitting there for three hours. For the action is no letdown, lovely dynamics are interwoven for a fantastic spectacle.
I don't want to say much, but it is hands down the best Marvel can offer. It is not Infinity War, Part II. It's something much better, the true culmination of everything and I do mean everything. The fan service here is through the roof and done so damn creatively. Not one thing feels hammered into the story. Even some major elements in its plot stem from the smallest details of previous movies I would have never seen coming. Taking even lesser liked fragments and stringing them into a more meaningful poetic story than the original movie would have ever told.
Using style and grace to tell this bold epic is strong with this movie. Gone are the golds and purples of Infinity War. And in comes a bleak atmosphere with hope lingering yet far. Visual storytelling is a bit lacking, but that is not what you come here to expect. You have been supported with all the exposition you need in previous movies. Since this is the case, it must be judged as a singular part of a series.
The themes in this movie are unity, utilisation, and more importantly; revelation. Kevin Feige has given this movie a lot to work with through these themes and has finally made his magnum opus.
Yes, there are a few hiccups. But that's to be expected. Captain Marvel was not given her full potential again sadly. But worked well with what was given. There is an amazing moment within the third act that truly gives her and a certain cast of characters time to shine. Plus the time it takes to leave out is a bit jarring. Not to mention, that to me Thanos seemed less threatening than in Infinity War because of something that happens. Still great impact by Josh Brolin of course.
Everyone will cry. Everyone will laugh. Everyone will leave sad yet satisfied with this amazing conclusion to the MCU so far. It's no Dark Knight, but then again, that was more drama than superhero epic. But this is modern hero gold. Here is the Holy Grail of superhero cinema.
9.6/10
8/10 After second viewing - Hype obviously had its hands around my neck I admit. Review doesn't meet my current thoughts about the film
Check here for my rankings on the MCU:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/my-mcu-rankings?sort=rank,ascCheck here for my 2019 movie rankings that I've seen:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/best-to-worst-2019-movies-so-far?sort=rank,asc
9.5/10. If you'd said to me, "Hey watch this short film that's a cross between Lost in Translation and the opening act of Wall-E," I'm pretty sure I would just look at you funny. And yet that's pretty much what this was, and it worked beautifully. The undersea world BoJack found himself in, where he couldn't eat the food, couldn't engage in his usual vices, and most of all couldn't speak or understand the local dialect, captured the experience of isolation and confusion that can come from visiting a foreign country through a distinctively BoJack lens.
But it also created a great atmosphere for a format-bending episode. Offering a nigh-wordless half hour of comedy in a show that makes its hay from its dialogue could either be gimmicky or bold, and thankfully this episode tended toward the former. It helped to put the viewer in BoJack's shoes -- only able to communicate and express mood through non-verbal cues like gestures, body language, and the score.
And in the absence of dialogue, Bojack Horseman reverts to a certain Looney Tunes-esque vibe where BoJack finds himself inadvertently responsible for an adorable little seahorse moppet. (I had flashbacks to the "Buttons and MIndy"segments of Animaniacs and a dozen other classic cartoons.) The design and personality of the seahorse baby struck the right balance of adorable and mischievous, and it created a nice opportunity for BoJack to be caring, brave, and as always, eternally frustated.
But this being Bojack, of course there's a quiet strain of melancholy through the whole thing. When Bojack returns to the seahorse babe to its father, the dad is mildly grateful, but mostly blase, and the baby doesn't even wave to him when it's time for BoJack to say goodbye. They went through this experience together, through shark attacks and taffy explosions and being stranded, and the moppet is too little to even look up for his soup or appreciate what his equine friend did for him. There's an emptiness there, a sort of existential realization that all that effort, which was quite noble in and of itself, feels a little hollow without someone to share it with or to appreciate it.
So through this experience, BoJack finally finds the words to apologize to Kelsey Jannings, noting that grand acts are nice, but that accomplishments, even ones far more important than winning and Oscar like returning a child to their parent, can seem like building a sandcastle, inevitably fleeting and meant to be washed away with the coming tide. But that those connections between individuals are what sustain us and give us life and reason to go on in a world of sandcastles.
Again, this being BoJack Horseman, those words too are washed away before he can get them to Kelsey in any sort of readable fashion. To add insult to injury, he realizes in the end that he could have talked this whole time, which is the right combination of sad and funny. But overall, this is a wonderful episode that uses some great Warner Bros. silent capering to further the show's project of examining its lead's attempts to find meaning in his life, and finds an inventive way to convey that experience.
So we reach the end of Phase Three, and what an ending this is. Not as epic in scale as Endgame and not as good as it either. But, this to me, is better than Homecoming. Better arcs, a better realisation of character and overall an excellent way to represent story through visuals.
For some Mysterio has been poorly represented in recent media. But here, he is done so well and the abilities are Doctor Strange visuals of good. While still not copying anything we've seen yet. This allows for great tension and using trust against the characters that I don't think has been seen in the MCU since The Winter Soldier.
Tom Halland is Spider-Man. There's no denying it, he was born for this role as Robert Downey Jr was for Iron Man. Which makes this story sink so well into the narrative when it all comes down to loss and how to avoid falling into stress and anxiety's grip. Which makes this an important movie to follow Endgame. Wrapping everything up nicely and even starting some great elements for the future.
So yes, there are end credit scenes in this movie. Two of them. But instead of not caring about a bit of strapped on humour, stay. These scenes are vital for the future of this series of films. Plus, there is an added bonus for those who are fans of the original Sam Raimi trilogy.
So yes, it is a good movie. But there are flaws. For one, there is the whole convenient timing and placement of things. Which I thought they were going to explain but never did. The story does feel like a bit of rehash of Homecoming and how the motives of some are shown, and that was my biggest gripe.
This film is funny, has good action, pretty well-done CGI and amazing performances from all its cast. This movie deserves to follow Endgame and closes Phase Three fluently. Spider-Man: Far From Home is a great movie and has given me hope for the future of Marvel's plan.
8.6/10
Pleased to have this show back on once again.
I like that the police procedural aspect of the show is now more direct than ever when it comes to being used as a framework for character development in a way that drives Lucifer's epiphany home in a much less confusing, much less time consuming way, for both the audience and him. The fact the new Netflix format allows only for 10 episodes has actually benefited the show quite a bit as there are next to no fillers at all, everything ends up tying back to either the central plot or character development.
Story wise, they had a very solid premise for this season and while sometimes the storytelling was slowed down a tiny bit by the police aspect of the show, it was still an intriguing journey that paid off in both story progression and character development, resulting in a conclusion that's unlike anything the show has offered before. Lucifer actually learns something for a change and the rest of the characters also follow suit and grow in the process thanks to their own neat, little arcs.
CGI/effects-wise, the transition from FOX to Netflix is very apparent. The effects were mostly smooth and aesthetically pleasing, though not fairly consistent as the quality did dip a little bit towards the end but not enough that it's painfully noticeable. Although, I appreciate that this time around, they went outside of their comfort zone and explored what more they could do with Lucifer's devil appearance and I've to say, they did a really good job.
Another few things though that deserve massive praise are the new soundtracks. Just absolutely wonderful, perfectly fitted to the show's theme and tone, perfectly capable of immersing you even further in the experience and just perfectly composed. I can not wait for 'em to be made publicly available.
Overall, the wait was worth it as this season was a very much welcomed breath of fresh air. I'm eager to see how the next season picks up from this finale's twist and the direction they decide to take it.
[9.0/10] One of my biggest complaints about the early seasons of BoJack is that its psychology was too simple. It would try to draw a direct line from point A event in BoJack’s past to point B problem in BoJack’s present to try to account for some bit of bad behavior or mental pathology, when the truth is that most of our problems’ causes or more complicated than that.
How encouraging it is, then, to witness the evolution of this show’s take on that sort of cause and effect about what ails BoJack, to an episode like “A Horse Walks into Rehab”, which not only resists oversimplification when trying to account for alcoholism, but which weaves a tapestry of events that led him to this point into a larger frame story about trying to get clean and remember why you’re doing it.
The four vignettes we see to set the stage for the origins of BoJack’s drinking go back in time, tracing each event and unpacking them to make his present state seem more like an accumulation of sad moments and bad reinforcement than some straightforward explanation. He was too nervous to pull off a big scene on his show until an assistant gave him a little extra “juice,” and he’s suddenly pursuing the supermodel he was too nervous to convincingly kiss moments ago. He’s awkward at a party as a teenager, but then one beer later, he’s not only the life of the party, but being cruel to people who were kind to him.
He walks in on his dad cheating on his mom, and has what’s manipulatively framed as a father/son bonding experienced turned into a way for his dad to use guilt and a form of abuse to keep BoJack from spilling the beans. And another sad family celebration of a broken home leaves a tiny BoJack imitating his parents and trying to get that warm feeling of home any way he can. None is the sum total of why BoJack tries to numb himself with substances. Instead, each are a piece of the puzzle.
But we also get to see the endpoint of that, something we’re reminded of in the opening flashback to the night of Sara Lynn’s death, the moment when BoJack hit rock bottom. What’s so striking isn’t just that gut punch to start the show’s final season, but also the way his guilt and resolve not to repeat those mistakes is conveyed visually.
Those cuts to key moments in BoJack’s development as a drinker end with dissolves, the acid realizations boring back into his conscious thoughts. The opening montage starts as a humorous sequence of BoJack not really trying at rehab, only to see Sara Lynn’s picture on the clerk’s selfie wall, and be reminded of why he’s doing this, redoubling his efforts to take this seriously. And when he looks at the bottle he sneaks in, or other hints of his temptation and addiction, he sees the stars of the planetarium, a psychological reminder of what this vice has cost him, and the people unlucky enough to endure it with him.
Despite all that, “A Horse Walks into a Rehab” is a thoroughly funny episode! It finds a deft way to check in on the rest of the cast in a quick but funny ways, that delivers one of the show’s trademark wordplay parades and an amusing interlude about Diane’s phone number of all things. The layered swerves of BoJack and fellow rehab-mate Jameson dealing with their issues inside her dad’s giant movie memorabilia room is a real treat. (“The glass from The Graduate!” had me in stitches.) And even small bits like the idea of a gritty, Zack Snyder-helmed Mario reboot or the title card “Two Jamesons later” are eminently laugh-worthy.
Still, what keeps the episode from feeling indulgent is the story it tells in the present to connect with the past. BoJack’s efforts to keep Jameson from relapsing is a nice echo of his relationship with Sara Lynn, one where he’s working out his own demons but trying to keep the past from repeating. That’s a nice way to dramatize both his guilt and his growth, while letting the difficulties of getting better be channeled and shared by another personality who can act as a foil rather than giving BoJack the whole of the spotlight.
The reveal that Jameson is not merely some BoJack-like young adult with neglectful parents and slim chances to grow up healthy, but rather someone with a supportive dad who’s made some hard life choices, helps drive that home, for BoJack and the audience. It’s a story that portends a season-long theme of taking responsibility for your actions, even when they’re shaped by events and decisions that, if not fully forced on you, were also not fully in control. It’s that difficult line -- between responsibility and an understanding of other forces at work, that makes recovery so hard, and this exploration of it so compelling.
It’s the kind of complex, multi-causal storytelling that is a far cry from the simplicity the show started with. What led BoJack here is not just bad parents or a bottle. What might save him from is not just the memory of Sara Lynn. It’s also the decisions that he made, the people that he’s hurt, the number of friends and confidantes who still gather in his wake, and the possibilities he sees for something better on the other side.
What made BoJack horseman an alcoholic, what makes him the person he is today, is a cocktail of past and present, of kindness and cruelty, of regret and resolve. As BoJack Horseman embarks on its final season, it doesn't shy away from the layers of that, which BoJack starts to finally peel away here, however painful that may be. The person who shows up on the other end may not be the healthy person BoJack aspires to be -- there’s still an acid tongue that comes out when BoJack’s told to stop deflecting -- but with that understanding from him, and from the series, that the road to get here wasn’t simple or easy and that the road to recovery won’t be either, he and the show that bears his name may close things out as a more mature, understanding, complex creature than either began as.
[8.7/10] I loved the structure of this one. The way it fit the BoJack/Hollyhock story, the Governor’s race, the Princess Carolyn plot, and Todd’s dentist clowns into one intersecting timescape was absolutely wonderful, giving everything a sense of flow while also allowing the show to develop some momentum from jumping between stories.
For one thing, I really enjoyed the way the show used the “one week later/one week earlier” bit to drive home how fickle the electorate is. The hoopla over Woodchuck’s new hands, the origin of those hands, and Biel’s anti-avocado position driving the fortunes of the election and the media’s coverage of it is great satire of the 2016 election that nevertheless works well as broader satire of political races and news coverage generally. It also drops more nice hints at bumps in the road between Diane and Mr. PB, with Biel’s “magic eye” story providing a metaphor for why Diane might want to stick it out while waiting for something magical to click between the two of them.
Todd’s story was mainly just for laughs, but they were great laughs. His interactions with the representative of the Better Business Bureau had the dependable comedy from a square interacting with a goofball, and his group’s escapades to put on a show and get Princess Carolyn in position were zany fun.
Princess Carolyn’s story was good stuff too. I like the idea that she’s despondent and slipping after all that’s happened to her, but that the serendipity of receiving a script titled “Philbert” strikes a chord and gives her a reason to get out of bed and try to produce it. Her interactions with Turtletaub are a hoot as always, and I’m interested by the moral ambiguity of her forging BoJack’s signature to make it happen.
But the peak of the episode comes in its bookends, which center on BoJack’s relationship with Hollyhock. I’d naturally assumed that Hollyhock had passed out from starving herself due to BoJack’s blob comment, but it’s a good fake out. The show earns it’s angst from BoJack who reveals how much he knows and cares about his daughter in his efforts to see her in the hospital. His interactions with her eight dads strike the right balance of comedy and tragedy, and you really feel for BoJack in how he’s losing something that enriched his life and which he was on the road to being deserving of for once.
And man, the reveal that his mom was secretly dosing Hollyhock’s coffee with amphetamines is a doozy. It wraps up BoJack’s parental issues in both directions nicely, and makes for an absolute dagger when he bundles her up and gets ready to drop her off at the worst nursing home he can find. It’s the cherry on top of all his past resentments, and that’s what makes her recognizing him at the very end such a splash of cold water. Right when he’s at his emotional low point, she finally figures out who he is and he has to confront his anger and his desire to be seen by her at the same time. It’s a hell of a note to go out on.
Overall, it’s an episode with a creative interlacing of stories, each of which hit, and in the case of the last one, packs a wallop. Superb stuff.
8.3/10. Man, Todd's speech at the end, huh? This is a show full of devastating lines big and small, but that was a major one. BoJack has already been laid low by the knife-twisting reveal that he was not, in fact, nominated for an Oscar, and in the throes of this, when BoJack's desperate for a friend and for support, Todd lays all of BoJack's problems, all of his failures, at his own feet. Todd's point, that BoJack can't keep doing terrible things and then feeling bad about them as though that makes it better, is as accurate and impactful as it is heart-wrenching for BoJack to hear.
But it's not all doom and gloom! The bit about Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter chasing after Mr. PB's phone and then trying to make up the Oscar nominees themselves after they lose the envelope was delightful. The phone-chase was some easy but amusing physical comedy, and the Oscar bits were chuckle-worthy, especially the names on the whiteboard (my favorites were "Tom Hardy (who is a cat)" and "Jennifer Jason Lawrence." Oh, and the Jimmy Fallon callback/swerve was inspired!
I also like how this episode continues the idea that BoJack has alienated everyone in his life. In his post-nomination hubris, he tells off Dianne. He's already broken ties with Princess Carolyn. He can't get a hold of Ana Spanakopita. And he ruins things with Todd to boot. So when he hits the realization that he is not, in fact, one of the "special" people, he has no one to turn to. That's a really interesting, meaningfully dark place to take the show, and I appreciate its boldness there.
Overall, a consequential episode that is full of the raw-nerved truth this show can muster, but also some solid comedy as well.
Ola saying "I love you, dude. I love you like a friend." to Adam was so weird. Two episodes ago she had to point out that she's his coworker from the picture. She's the new kid but suddenly she has deep connections with the people around her? I have 13 Reasons Why flashbacks...
I do think it's problematic that Adam used to be Eric's bully and Adam does need a lot of development and learning how to talk about things, but I think I like him more with Eric than Rahim. Rahim seems so... emotionless? Kind of similar to Ola. Ola is nearly always happy and careless and smiley, and Rahim is always emotionless and matter-of-fact. Eric is so loud, bubbly and extrovert that I'm surprised both of his love interests are so the opposite of him. But I feel like Adam could be louder and more open if he actually came out of his shell. We already saw him laughing a few times with Eric and I would like to explore that tbh.
At first I was a bit annoyed that we're at the same endpoint as season 1, but then I realized that Adam's now out of the closet, so hopefully season 3 will move forward with that. (And I desperately need more happy scenes with Adam because my heart hurts watching him.)
The ending with Maeve/Otis/Isaac just annoyed me. I don't really need Maeve and Otis together, but that was such a cheap twist. It felt so forced to keep them apart even longer now, ugh. If they at least decided to stay friends or something, but this was literally "person A confesses feelings but person B never got the message" trope bullshit. Writers need to remember that you can have the main characters be together and still continue the damn story.
I enjoyed this season, but there was too much love triangle and "will they, won't they" stuff. Jean/Jakob/Remi, Ola/Otis/Maeve, Eric/Adam/Rahim, Ola/Lily drama for a few episodes. And Viv has feelings for Jackson now which I hope won't be too problematic. I would like to see more platonic friendship scenes, therapy scenes or whatever. Not everything needs to be love drama. I feel like it wasn't that much and forced in season 1.
This show is infuriating... it's a great story that keeps you engaged but it's full of really bad dialogue that was written by a 12 year-old. The bickering and fighting between the 'rich' kids and the 'poor' kids are tedious and childish. The story moves along at a good clip, but the Brits would probably have done it in 6 or 7 episodes instead of the 10 we get to watch.
A lot of it doesn't make sense such as the cops are on a manhunt, but they're driving at full speed in packs of three trucks with their lights and sirens on - why?? Or the cops are driving through a neighbourhood - also at full speed with lights ablaze and siren on full-blast. How will you ever find someone doing that?
If it didn't have so many stupid bits I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10, but overall it's maybe a 5/10.
As for the ending... just cause you get to the Bahamas - what makes them think they'll actually get the gold?!! And while you had the cops on the radio telling everyone the guy killed you dad - why didn't you mention that his son killed the cop.. you know, to clear yourself!!
When I saw billboard for "Fireflame" I remembered the storyline I was looking forward the most in the second part of the season.... The rumors probably true - Netflix did pull the plug earlier than creators were planning.
But I, personally, always have conflicted feelings about "meaningful endings" vs "life keeps going" ones.
Previous episode was powerful punch in the gut, the pool was a neat Madman's type bow on the whole ordeal... but it would have been too easy. Too poetic. Too dramatic. For the show itself and it's main character.
This one let's you go easier, there are no catharsis (almost) or as writers very subtly called it ''disaster'' this time. But in away it's even more harsh to Bojack this way. Mr. Peanutbutter does "one's step forward, two steps back" routine. HollywooB didn't change, and therefor Bojack will be 99% chance back running in circles, even through he did changed, ironically enough.And finally the last scene was perfect - Diane delivered the gut punch, amazingly, entirely through subtext. And simultaneously made the right decision to cut him from her life. Overall it was the right call to end story here.
This was amazing show that would be constantly rewatched missed.
I'm really liking how the show is also fleshing out it's backgrounds characters. I really liked learning about Dorshe, former Spear of the King who became Queen Hiling's bodyguard. Watching his relationship with Hiling as her bodyguard was wholesome, as he watching Hiling form a mother son relationship with Bojji, who had just lost his birth mother, with Hiling taking steps such as baking Bojji food and learnign sign language. Also watching Hilling become kinder to Dorshe was nice to see too, at the end of the day Hilling is a nervous sweetheart. I also really like Dorshe's philosphy as a boydguard of Hiling, belieiving that everyone is worth protecting. Today, with Dorshe protecting Hiling from the monsters sent to assasinate Hiling was such a visually-stimulating experience. Everything from the choreography, camera-direction, and animation masterfully combined to giving a beautiful, dynamic fight scene reminisit of One punch man s1's best fights, especially when Dorshe broke through his body armor and went all out against the monsters. Bro I was so worried about his life when he got bitten by them, but luckily he managed to defeat the monsters, sadly with him passing out too. But of course, Hiling was there to heal Dorshe from death. Also, I really empathize for Queen Hiling, not only is Bojji, while alive (which she and the kingdom officials know noow), gone from her, now she has completley lost her son, Daida, knowing nothing of what has happened to him or even if he's alive, losing a child has been tearing her apart, and Bosse, her own husband, is the one whose overtaken Daida's body. Also, after Dorshe's succesful protection, now Hiling basically knows that King Bosse, her own husband, has tried to assasinate her. The confrontation between Hiling and King Bosse was painful to watch, with Hiling just begging Bosse for her son back in his own body, and Bosse seemingly not caring about what's happened to their child. Also, surprisingly, this episode made me empathize for Daida. I meman the guy has now lost everything he's defined his worth with, he no longer has any strength or authority after losing his body to King Bosse, and now he's trapped in this black abyss unable to see or hear anything anymore after Queen Hiling stopped trying to reach out to him when she was knocked out, undergoing an experience akin to his deaf and mute brother. Daida is going insane in this completelty isolated and dark abyss too, especially after it sets in that Lady Mirage was just using him all this time for her own goals and never cared for him. Also the "interaction" between Daida and Hiling was painful to watch, with Hiling being the only person who could hear the cries of Daida being trapped in his own body, but with her having no way to free Daida, leading her to almost cut up Daida's body to try and free him but luckily being stopped and knocked out by bodyguard Dorshe. Also, regarding the inreaction, theres Daida momentarily being reassured that someone could hear him but losing that connection moments later with them no longer replying, just breaking down while he's all alone, but also coming to understand how his brother lives. Also, the relationship between King Bosse and Lady Mirage is pretty intriguing, it almost seems like a romantic relationship with how they interact with eachother, especially with today's dance sequence w/Mirage possessing an inanimate doll, and Im curious what their goals are, I mean even Bosse doesnt seem sure of what the future entails for what he's gonna do. All I know now is that Mirage is goign back to the Underworld to gather some monsters, presumably to finish the assasination job. Also, does Bosse actually care about Queen Hiling, I mean first he gives a heads up to Dorshe about the assasination plan, and now he's warning Dorshe to escape with Hiling for a while before the next one, if Bosse actually wanted her dead could he not just do it herself, or is Bosse's strength limited by the body he overtook?
BRUTALLY HONEST.
BoJack's gotten an Oscar nomination! But he doesn't feel any different. But after some words from Ana, he decides to hold a party because he deserves it! Diane comes around, gets in another fight with BoJack, before Mr Peanutbutter arrives to give BoJack the good and the bad news.
Then the episode time jumps back to a week. Mr Peanutbutter's on the phone with his brother, and can't stop worrying about him. But in the middle of this crisis, he gets an offer to announce the Oscar award nominations. And on the day, he and Todd loses the nomination envelope and have to make it up on the spot.
When Mr Peanutbutter considers BoJack, Todd doesn't want him to have it.
Todd: "I guess I'm just tired of BoJack walking all over everybody and still getting everything he wants."
Mr Peanutbutter announces the nominees, gets found-out and we cut back to the present.
Mr Peanutbutter: "So, the good news is, my brother's surgery was a success. And the bad news is, you're not nominated for an Oscar."
In the end, PC fires Diane and Judah (I think?), and she finally goes on another date with that mouse. Diane's friend points out her weird fixation with BoJack. And then came the final scene.[/spoiler]
BoJack fails to contact Ana, everyone's left his house, and Todd's arrived. They talk, BoJack says Todd owes him, but Todd tells him he knows about BoJack and Emily. Then BoJack tells him what happened, and Todd's in shock. That's not at all what he thought.
BoJack: "I know I screwed up. I don't know why--"
Todd: "Oh great! Of course! Here it comes! You can't keep doing this! You can't keep doing shitty things, and then feel bad about yourself like that makes it okay! You need to be better!"
BoJack: "I know. And I'm sorry, okay? I was drunk, and there was all this pressure with the Oscar campaign. But now-- Now that it's over I--"
Todd: "No! No, BoJack, just stop. You are all the things that are wrong with you. It's not the alcohol, or the drugs, or any of the shitty things that happened to you in your career, or when you were a kid. It's you. All right? It's you. Fuck man. What else is there to say?"
We've already got a pretty eventful episode, and this isn't even the second last of the season. Many things happened, good and bad but Todd's finally had a showdown with BoJack, and he's telling it as it is. An episode about how BoJack uses his guilt to make the bad things he does feel okay and how he fetishises his sadness in doing so.
Not the first time I've watched this one but after giving it another view with fresh eyes, I have to give this one a 5 rating "Meh" at the very best. If you suffer from speluncaphobia, claustrophobia, cleithrophobia, or nyctophobia (fear of caves, enclosed spaces, being trapped/locked in, and darkness) this movie will probably really be a nerve-jangler. Watching it with fresh eyes, however, it's not so much "scary" as overdramatic and utterly ridiculous. So. Many. Holes. in the story, in the plot, in everything. None of the characters are memorable or likable...not even "Sarah" (played by Shauna Macdonald), the bereaved widow/mother. I will say, however, that my heart was moved by her performance when she came to in the hospital and discovered that her child had been killed in the auto accident. She played that part brilliantly, and - mercifully - briefly. I'm assuming the producers/directors/writers wanted to make "Juno" (played by Natalie Mendoza, whose headshot below, incidentally, is far too Photoshop'd to do her justice) the antagonist/villain but they couldn't really pull it off. She came across as a female actress trying to come across as a "tough guy" and it really didn't work. The rest of the cast were such bit-part players that I couldn't remember who was who, who did what, which went missing and how, etc etc. That's how vanilla this entire film was. The creatures were never explained, although a half-hearted sentence was thrown in (for good measure, I suppose; it really didn't say anything we hadn't already figured out by this point) and the lame explanation that was given could be easily debunked: If they were, indeed, "creature who had adapted to living in complete darkness and were totally blind" then why would they go above ground into the daylight to supposedly hunt and bring their prey/kills down into the darkness? Were these "Mole Men" or "Bat People" or what? To make it even more ludicrous, they at one point had to throw in a "Mole/Bat Female", completely with developed breasts that hung down because she - like the others - moved on all fours (hands and knees) like any other nocturnal animal, I suppose. This "mole/bat female" thing became (of course) enraged when one of her offspring attacked the humans and got killed or wounded for its troubles. And so on and so forth.... So many holes in the entire story and it isn't worth my time to sit here and explain everything away. Just suffice it to say that it wasn't a complete waste of time - it had its moments but IMO the "fear factor" was due more to the tight crawl-spaces and harrowing tunnels they had to traverse, more than the "mole people" - but just go into it realizing the plot is as thin as wet tissue paper and just as sturdy, and there's really nothing to buy into about this. Would I watch it? Yeah...if you're bored, it's not a bad way to completely waste 93 minutes. But now that I've watched it with fresh eyes, I won't bother seeing it again. And the ending is just....silly, for lack of a better word.
Not only is this a perfect ending to this fucking madhouse of a show, but it captures the complete essence of what the show is really about, I think.
Sure, maybe I'm attributing too much to this last season, but I never felt, at any point throughout this whole series, that the writers did not know what they were doing, what they were going for, how they were going to end it. It all felt like this was the natural ending for, well, everyone.
Something that this show did so different from every single fucking other adult animation (or many other shows for that matter) is to show that it's not only willing to address and engage with difficult or more taboo topics, but it's more than willing to follow through with itself. How many gags ended up not being gags? How many situations came back in later seasons?
How many times did Bojack bring up the New Mexico shit? That happened in season 2! And it kept going!
What I'm trying to put together is that BJ was not going to shy away from the fact that it deals with topics in a grounded (and many times cynical) way, and this season is that promise coming to fruition.
From the get-go, Season Six offers us the idea of a happy ending for Bojack, because that's how this shit works in sitcoms, right? (This sort of thing is literally brought up in the last episode but whatever) But the reality is, Bojack did shitty things. And he has to make up for it. With the last two episodes literally being Bojack trying to kill himself and then going to prison only to come out and see everyone changed, or even in the case of Hollyhock, just disappearing from his life altogether, what part of any of this was not promised, in some way?
Do you really think you can just get off the hook for what you've done? That even though you atone for your sins, you try to make amends, that no matter how much you have grown and changed as a person, your past can't come back to haunt you? That other people won't change, that other people won't have an image of who you are now because they only have an image of who you were?
That's what I think the last scene of Season Six really doubles down on, as Diane so aptly says:
Sometimes life's a bitch, and you keep on living.
...so yeah I really liked this season, I think it delivered perfectly on everything it had promised (I totally did not binge this whole show in like two weeks) and I think the last season is the perfect way to have ended it. A terrifying look of confronting mortality and yourself, and the even more terrifying thought of being OK with it all.
