By Alissa Humphrey

Staff Writer

Usually, when you’re enjoying a show there is always a specific character with whom you resonate with. Watching the last season of BoJack Horseman, I found myself moving away from his character, the destruction, and the never-ending trauma he caused. It’s something I could not handle anymore.

Rather, my appreciation and understanding of Diane grew. The show majorly deals with various aspects of life that are hard for us to get through. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, isolation, sexuality, addiction, etc. Diane’s journey during the sixth season was written with such clarity and more relatability. Everyone got what they deserved, especially BoJack. Diane finally learned how to trust herself, move on and learn from the past, and leap into her happiness.

To me, she was the saving grace of the entire series. In earlier seasons, there were times when she was destructive, but there was a moment where she looked at herself and the relationship she had with BoJack, to realize that she wasn’t like him. 

At all.

He was beyond a whole other level of messed up, nothing that either Diane or he could fix. No one could save him. BoJack had such a small window of happiness, a life where he was able to “start over” and continue to live with and push down all the demons and guilt from the past. Or, at least he was able to see it before everything came crashing down. The series became dark. You cannot ignore the wrongs you’ve caused. What goes up must come down. How can you feel for someone who consciously makes bad decisions that have powerful consequences? That was something I began to ponder during the sixth season.

When BoJack was confronted as a predator and outed for the power he had over women, everything began to make sense. I never realized it fully, though it has been some time since I have streamed the earlier seasons. You start to see that he never loved anyone and that he did, in fact, hold dominance over the women in his life; having them was for selfish reasons of validation and navigation.

Diane escaped, Princess Carolyn escaped, Hollyhock escaped, Sarah Lynn did not. 
Through the years of watching BoJack, I found it important to not lie in too deep with a character’s actions as your own. It really messes with your thought process, your view of the world, and even your own actions. We can take a step back and breathe now. No more holding our breaths for what BoJack can become. He has made decisions and must now deal with the consequences.

Categories: A & E