'BoJack Horseman' season 6: The wisecracking horse may finally get a chance to redeem himself
Spoilers for 'BoJack Horseman'
In the very first scene of Netflix's 'BoJack Horseman', the creators of the series give us an insight into the eponymous BoJack Horseman, voiced by Will Arnett.
The pilot episode opens with a conversation with Charlie Rose, where BoJack talks about his 'Full House'-style family sitcom. For this interview, BoJack has turned up drunk, he doesn't know what he is blabbering on in the interview. His attitude is extremely nonchalant for someone who has been out of work for quite a long time, he is still riding on his decade-old popularity as a sitcom star.
From there on, over the next few seasons, we see BoJack descend into the darkest shades of his character. Playing a failed legendary 90's sitcom star from the favorite family sitcom Horsin’ Around, who has been trying to find his way through a muddle of self-loathing, whiskey and failed relationships, Arnett's BoJack is that character we are hoping will see a redemption arc in the sixth season.
In the last season, BoJack finally gives in and agrees to go to a rehab clinic after what had happened on the sets of his new series – he tried to strangle his co-star and girlfriend Gina (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz).
It is likely that the sixth season will show us BoJack's time at the rehab – at least we hope to see that. We have already seen BoJack at his most vulnerable when he was at his mother's funeral and ends up delivering the eulogy to a completely different set of mourners not realizing the space. It is an immensely sad scene and as the audience, once we realize this, it feels like there is no going back.
We think this right here was a turning point in his life. He has spent a lot of time angry, hurt and hating on his mother – and now, faced by her mortality, BoJack is at a crossroads.
In an interview, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg said that sixth season could see the character coming closer to redemption. "If we're really telling that story, or trying to be responsible with that story, and he's not there yet, then there are steps we need to take to help him get there," he said. "There were more rock bottoms to hit before this character could make the correct effort to start climbing out of the pit he had dug for himself."
The more important question, however, is does BoJack deserve redemption at all?
Undoubtedly, he is not a good person. But it is not as black-and-white – there are several grey areas. Like how Reddit user 'u/Davethehippie' points out, "at his core, BoJack is insecure, lonely, self-destructive and selfish.. but there are little moments that he tries to be genuinely good. But like my good friend Todd says “ You can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep doing shitty things, and then feel bad about yourself like that makes it okay.” It seems that BoJack is beyond saving, even though his motives shift to trying to be a better person, he’s Bojack horseman and there’s no cure for that." (sic)