BoJack Horseman: Escape from L.A.
October 27, 2015 10:01 PM - Season 2, Episode 11 - Subscribe
BoJack skips town, and his shoot, to go to Santa Fe. BoJack adopts a family. BoJack runs into trouble.
I couldn't watch more than one episode a day, it's just so heartrending.
And this one's a gutpunch, especially as everyone else's stories* are completely backgrounded and BoJack's quixotic attempt to play house with a normal family just completely unravels the way you know it will. Present-day Charlotte is not his fantasy, yet he just can't let go until he's forced to.
*Diane's arc, of finally getting to run off and try something "meaningful" and then slink back to LA unable to face her supportive husband, is among the most devastating I've seen in a good long time.
posted by psoas at 9:18 AM on October 28, 2015 [6 favorites]
And this one's a gutpunch, especially as everyone else's stories* are completely backgrounded and BoJack's quixotic attempt to play house with a normal family just completely unravels the way you know it will. Present-day Charlotte is not his fantasy, yet he just can't let go until he's forced to.
*Diane's arc, of finally getting to run off and try something "meaningful" and then slink back to LA unable to face her supportive husband, is among the most devastating I've seen in a good long time.
posted by psoas at 9:18 AM on October 28, 2015 [6 favorites]
Especially so because of the fact that she's probably the most relatable and sympathetic character on the show. That was sort of trivially true for a while in the first season since she was just sort of the audience's avatar, but I think it only becomes more true as the show actually takes time to explore her obsessions and frustrations.
It probably says something about me though that I found the depressed slacker camaraderie between BoJack and dgaf-Diane in the previous episode to be pretty cute in its own way ("go sit on a sharp dick, you piece of shit!"). Everything else I want to say about that really pertains more to the episode after this one, though, so I guess I'll have to write that up.
posted by invitapriore at 12:08 PM on October 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
It probably says something about me though that I found the depressed slacker camaraderie between BoJack and dgaf-Diane in the previous episode to be pretty cute in its own way ("go sit on a sharp dick, you piece of shit!"). Everything else I want to say about that really pertains more to the episode after this one, though, so I guess I'll have to write that up.
posted by invitapriore at 12:08 PM on October 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am rewatching this season and I keep actively avoiding this episode by finding other things to watch instead. Oof. This is so despairingly awful. I may actually end up just skipping it in this runthrough.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:37 AM on October 29, 2015
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:37 AM on October 29, 2015
This was an fantastic, awful, depressing episode.
posted by Pendragon at 11:04 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Pendragon at 11:04 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, I forgot that one part of the Diane situation I wanted to talk about is actually from the previous episode, and in fact it sets up this one: that last talk they have on the porch is great, in part because you realize that BoJack can be a really good and compassionate person to talk to for someone in Diane's position precisely because he's done so many shitty things that he can talk to Diane about what she's doing without any judgment. For a brief moment, it's an image of what him being whole could look like: not ignoring his faults, but using his knowledge of them to connect with people. But then this episode happens.
posted by invitapriore at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2015
posted by invitapriore at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2015
This episode wrecked me. I did a rewatch of season 1 before binging this season, so the whole Maine fantasy was still fresh in my mind. It was heartbreaking enough then. Now, "Kyle and the kids!" No, Maine is never going to happen. Not even a little bit.
Bojack, of course, in typical Bojack style, manages to dig his hole even brutally deeper.
Poor Penny.
posted by Gordafarin at 3:48 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bojack, of course, in typical Bojack style, manages to dig his hole even brutally deeper.
Poor Penny.
posted by Gordafarin at 3:48 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
New Mexico pedantry: BoJack runs off to Tesuque, not Santa Fe. Tesuque is a rural community, which Wikipedia helpfully identifies as a census-designated place with less than 1,000 people, separate from Tesuque Pueblo. I don't know if Tesuque actually has much of a shopping district, it looks like more of a small, rural community. It feels like they wanted to be somewhere remote or specifically in New Mexico, but not in Taos or Santa Fe because people have heard of those places.
Back to the episode itself: Pendragon summed it up well - fantastic, awful, and depressing. It's also the episode that made me honestly like Mr. Peanut Butter - he's not just a happy dog-person, but genuinely a good dog/person. For so long, he seemed like the cliched Everything's Great in LA actor, and I disliked him for being a phony. But his scene with Diane in the restaurant was pretty great.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:15 AM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Back to the episode itself: Pendragon summed it up well - fantastic, awful, and depressing. It's also the episode that made me honestly like Mr. Peanut Butter - he's not just a happy dog-person, but genuinely a good dog/person. For so long, he seemed like the cliched Everything's Great in LA actor, and I disliked him for being a phony. But his scene with Diane in the restaurant was pretty great.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:15 AM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
Brutal
posted by bq at 3:30 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bq at 3:30 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
"Where the hell are you?" "Tesuque." "Te-who-ca?" "Tesuque New Mexico. Outside Santa Fe." "Are you Te-stupid? If you don't get your ass back ta-set, you're gonna get te-sued!"
I remember watching this one for the first time in complete disbelief that they actually went there. It's what's emotionally correct for Bojack's character and it's fucking devastating. That blink-and-you'll miss it moment—when he goes back into his room on the boat he leaves the door open.
I think this is the third time I've seen it. Maybe by the forth or fifth time (2023?) I'll be able to come back and articulate my emotions. Poor Charlotte, poor Penny.
posted by What is E. T. short for? at 8:49 PM on May 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
I remember watching this one for the first time in complete disbelief that they actually went there. It's what's emotionally correct for Bojack's character and it's fucking devastating. That blink-and-you'll miss it moment—when he goes back into his room on the boat he leaves the door open.
I think this is the third time I've seen it. Maybe by the forth or fifth time (2023?) I'll be able to come back and articulate my emotions. Poor Charlotte, poor Penny.
posted by What is E. T. short for? at 8:49 PM on May 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by invitapriore at 10:04 PM on October 27, 2015 [9 favorites]