Secretariat as a Suicide Narrative in BoJack Horseman

Originally published in Jelly Bucket (iss. 14).

You can't talk to me about television for too long without hearing about BoJack Horseman. I've been a huge fan since I binged the first season the day it was released, back in 2014. BoJack is an original animated television show starring Will Arnett as the titular character, a 50-something anthropomorphic horse. BoJack is an actor. He played a dad for nine seasons of a 1990s sitcom. But with his heyday in past, he is left to come to terms with a lifetime of addiction, trauma, and abuse—both suffered and perpetrated. BoJack is depressed, self-destructive, and often suicidal, and this gives the show—ostensibly a comedy—a thread of sadness and heartbreak that allows it to delve into serious topics.

I will pause here to note that the rest of this essay contains heavy spoilers. Here's your last chance to bail if you don't want to know what happens.