Anna Daniels
In an interview with NPR published the day after the series’ final episodes premiered on Netflix, BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg waxed philosophical about the series legacy, and how he used an ostensibly silly cartoon about talking animals to explore issues that many creatives can’t or won’t touch.
“I think in terms of the show, we kind of come at it from two levels,” Waksberg said. “One, is what is the redemption or forgiveness that BoJack is owed, or is seeking from the public at large? And then also, what are the private amends he needs to make, or how does he salvage the personal relationships that he has with the people in his life? And I think those are two different questions that require two different answers… And I don’t know if we as an industry, or a society, or as individuals have found satisfying answers to these questions.”
Waksberg headed into similarly heady territory with his recent Amazon series Undone, and while BoJack may be over, we get the feeling that he’s not finished shining a light on the personal and interpersonal struggles that define the human (or horseman) experience.
“[BoJack] was not a show that set the world on fire,” he said. “This is not Friends, but it’s a show that’s connected with people. And every time I meet someone who says, you know, your show meant something to me, your show changed the way I see myself. Your show helped me articulate a feeling that I had that I was never able to identify. I think, like, wow, we did it, you know, which is — it’s tremendously encouraging.”
If you ask us, Friends is fine, but we’ll take BoJack — in our humble opinion, one of the three or four greatest television series of all time — any day.
Written by: Looper
