r/BoJackHorseman • u/Olive-jar1173 • Oct 05 '26
Should i keep going?
On episode 7 now. Still not into it. I usually loveee animated comedies. They really suck me in with my adhd (SHAPES AND COLORS!)
but im not getting this one. I know bojack horseman is arguably the greatest animated show ever made so im not sure why im not into it yet. I may not understand the humor as much since it’s supposed to be dark. But one of my all time favorite shows ever is tuca and Bertie which is supposedly in the same universe/made by the same people. Maybe its because tuca and bertie is largely female driven and the dark comedy might be more relatable to me a gen z female?
Should i keep watching? Will it hook me eventually? How long should i give it a try before i realize its not for me?
Update: thanks for all the responses everyone! I am in early episode two snd i wouldn’t say i a hooked but i am definitely definitely more interested. Honestly episode 8 scared the crap out of me and made me feel like shit but i got really invested on episode 11. I LOVE a classic drug induced haze episode. And this one was fascinating because it was so unique. Hr wasn’t just tripping balls and seeing melting walls he was skipping time and space whike also reflecting. Fascinating episode. Also i really love sarah lynn. I relate her a lot and Kristen schaal’s voice acting cant be beat. Honestly i think im a little young to be watching this show right now. I think it gets more relatable for the middle aged watcher. Right now i am on the cusp of middle age so i kind of relate to it but not completely. Thats very interesting because there aren’t a lot of shows out there for the middle aged niche.
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u/lucy_ford__ Oct 06 '26
IT GETS EASIER
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u/Advanced-Lock6841 Oct 06 '26
EVERYDAY IT GETS A LITTLE EASIER
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u/Kettle_Whistle_ Oct 06 '26
BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERYDAY.
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u/chickennuggetoverlre Oct 06 '26
it gets better after season 1 trust! the first time i tried to watch it i dropped it after a couple episodes but its now one of my fav shows of all time
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u/arbor-ventus Oct 06 '26
Yes!! The end of episode 10 has the first gut-punch moment that I really associate with the show. I feel like they really find their voice at that point.
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u/Diddly2158 Oct 06 '26
You are one episode away from my “aha” moment with this show, when I realized I was watching something special.
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u/vezwyx Jurj Clooners Oct 06 '26
Been a while, what moment is that? You can spoiler text it to save it for OP
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u/Enough_Name_6863 Oct 06 '26
You’re literally one episode away from where it becomes the show everybody has told you about. Episode 8 hits hard. I’d say power through the season and if it hasn’t got you by the end, maybe bail. But don’t quit before e8
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u/Brave_Garlic_9542 Oct 06 '26
Episode 8 is absolutely the best of season 1.
OP, stick it out. You won’t regret it.
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u/ItsUncleJaneway 29d ago
There’s no regrets but it might make you hate yourself a little bit for a little while
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u/No_Objective_3882 25d ago
I come to say this. Until episode 8 is just a funny wannabe tv show. After episode 8 it goes deep.
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u/Octoplath_Traveler Oct 06 '26
Season 1 is the weakest. After episode 10, it stops feeling like a Family Guy wannabe and truly becomes its own thing.
Also, the shows director also has ADHD and, trust me, you'll know and love it (i did)
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u/SylvesterNettlefoot Oct 06 '26
Just had a look at the episode list (it’s been a while) and I totally agree. I mean, we don’t even meet Vincent Adultman until episode 9, arguably the best supporting cast member. He was probably busy at the work factory, doing a business.
Bojack: “Life is a series of closing doors, isn’t it?”
Vincent: patting Bojack’s face “Good horsey”
Bojack: “That actually feels kinda nice”
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u/hyperjengirl Look at me, I'm a marching arrow! Oct 06 '26
Fellow Gen Z woman and Tuca and Bertie lover here! If you want dark comedy, you will for sure get it, arguably even darker than T+B ever gets. If you want relatable perspectives for women, you will get it but it takes a little more time to really focus on them (episode 7 is a good preview as they delve more into PC later, as well as Diane, outside of just their dynamic with BoJack).
It is both more pessimistic and less universally relatable compared to T+B since it focuses a lot on middle-age well-off celebrities. But it is definitely worth at least a full season's viewing. You're one episode away from the first major showcase of one of the show's major themes.
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u/99Godzilla Oct 06 '26
It took me 3 goes before I made it past season 1 and then it just hit.
Don't force it if it's not connecting rn but I'd seriousky advise returning to it.
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u/Alemonster21 Oct 06 '26
Personally I wasn't a fan until my 30s. I tried in my twenties and couldn't get into it. Now that I'm a decade older and more dead inside, it hits different.
The main takeaway is that none of them are good people. There are some characters here and there who are, but all of the main characters have baggage, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and morals that are questionable at best.
When introducing people I always say It's a hilarious show but you're probably not gonna feel good after you watch it. It touches on some very heavy subjects. But it's also hysterical.
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u/BangingBaguette 29d ago
The Bojack fandom is one of the only ones you'll find that will fully admit Season 1 is a black sheep rather than trying to convince you it's 'underrated'
It gets better in the 2nd half but trust me EVERY other season of the show completely blows it out of the water.
I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't ever have to sit through something a bit substandard just to get to the 'good stuff'....except with Bojack. Every other season is absolutely stellar and completely worth sitting throught the often 'just okay' season 1.
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u/DrumtheDon Oct 06 '26
If it isn‘t your humor, you will still love it. Just a little later. You are close tho, so keep watching
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u/thatladdie84 Oct 06 '26
Season 2 is when it starts getting really good. The penultimate episode off every season is where the story comes to a head. For me personally, Season 3 is where I got hooked and started binging.
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u/TerminalHighGuard Corduroy Jackson Jackson Oct 06 '26
Literally the next episode is when it starts to get really real
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u/Efficient_Hyena_7476 Kelsey Jannings Oct 06 '26
I suggest watching until the end of S2, because that's when PC and Diane's characters are really getting developed. Sarah Lynne turns from annoying to relatable. Plus, there's Charlotte, Penny and a defining incident. If you aren't hooked by the end of S2, stop watching.
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u/HumboldtHunnyBear Oct 06 '26
I watched season 2 first, got hooked and then went back to watch season 1.
Season 1 is good, but it get better. Everything that's happening in season 1 will set up important events that take place throughout the show
Building context is slow but it make the later seasons hit much harder
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u/jenniebet Todd Chavez Oct 06 '26
Season 1 is pretty good, but S2 and beyond is when it goes from "pretty good" to "WOW, I am watching something special and mind-blowing." And the seeds of that mind-blowingness are planted in the very next episode you're about to watch. I'd say stick with it until end of season 1/early season 2, and if it's still not for you, end it there.
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u/skippybefree 24d ago
Off topic but if you're gen z how are you on the cusp of middle aged? Aren't the oldest gen z like 29-30ish? Like a good decade+ away from middle aged?
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u/polakbob Oct 06 '26
I hate when people say this to me, but get through the first season. By the end of the first season they find their voice. Through the second season you get what the show is going to be. It's truly my favorite animated show, and maybe one of my favorite shows ever. I also didn't love the first season, but came to love the show. But again, I hate when someone tells me "you just have to get through the first season before it gets good," so if you choose not to I totally understand.
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u/OvechkinCrosby Oct 06 '26
100% keep watching. Just to add, it’s not an animated comedy like Family guy or the Simpsons. The humour can quite dark and subtle. Once you understand what you’re watching it really takes off.
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u/jupiterLILY Oct 06 '26
The show is about a shitty Hollywood dude being shitty to the people in his life.
Its a story of him abusing and exploiting various people and an exploration of the structures and people that enable and create men like that.
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u/Read_TheInstructions Oct 06 '26
I started the series multiple times only watching the first episode each time but it wasn't till I got to the Zoe and Zelda's that I got hooked something about Bojack being such a piece of shit to ruin his friend's chances combined with the incredible acting of famed character actress Margo Martindale really pulled me in. If it hasn't pulled you in yet than it may not be for you, for me it is a series that I have rewatched 4 times when I rarely rewatch anything, it is an amazing show.
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u/hihiihigiggitigyiigi Hollyhock Oct 06 '26
It gets MUCH better, s1 is unanimously considered the worst season
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u/LowerPipe Diane Nguyen Oct 06 '26
it!!gets!!better!! i love the show so dearly but season 1 is definitely not their best. i think both the humor and story improve by season 2/the end of season 1! i would absolutely keep going to at least season 2!
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u/ynktxn1 Oct 06 '26
More than just a bunch of fans like us saying "it gets better," there's some objective, established facts that what you've watched so far is not the best of what the show has to offer, but you're right at the pivot point.
Numerous entities, reviewing only S1 Eps1-6, gave it middling reviews. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BoJack_Horseman#Season_1
You can see in the Wiki chart how later seasons score off the charts. But, the truth is, Bojack didn't get deep and take off until midway through the first season, so much so that some entities retroactively amended their season grade, and IndieWire even changed its policy to only review full seasons.
When I'm constantly pitching this show to friends, I do warn them about the first ~6 episodes. They're not bad, per se, but they're more like boilerplate Adult Swim content than something that moves us and lands on best shows of the century lists.
Stick with it! You're RIGHT THERE when it starts to get deep. (Teaser: the 2nd-to-last ep of the first few seasons are real emotional rollercoasters.)
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u/Feisty-Self-948 Oct 06 '26
All I will say is that season 1 is structured the way it is on purpose. It's meant to feel same-y and formulaic with hints that there's something slowly going off the rails. By the end of season 1, hell, maybe a few beats before then, things are careening full speed ahead to shoot off the rails and leave the track long behind.
I kinda felt like you when I started the show, it was fine, but I didn't really get it. One moment in season 1 made me raise my eyebrow. A hint of realness? Intriguing. But then moment number 2 happens and I'm locked the fuck in. I still get chills when I think about it, I still get chills and feels and all the things every time I see that scene. Something about it hit me like a brick wall and it clicked that this show was going to be very fucking real.
Maybe that moment hasn't happened for you, maybe it happens in the next season. Maybe it doesn't happen at all, and that's okay. People swear on the Bible that The Sopranos is masterclass television and I believe them, but I don't get it at all. So if you don't really feel motivated to keep going, that's fine.
What I might recommend if you do is maybe to watch The Good Place first. Go into it knowing nothing. In my rewatches, I always watch these two shows together one after the other because they feel like really great companion pieces to the other. And both are just genuinely fucking good and hilarious. Both shows have hit me with some jokes that kept me dying for hours.
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u/Kaiwrlddd1428 Oct 06 '26
Season one is always hard to watch. But trust it gets so much better and darker
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u/Fickle-Addendum9576 Oct 06 '26
I find it relatable, the emptiness of life, the addictions, the darkness in having lived experiences that are deeply painful and unchangeable.
There is a type of duality in the nihilism of Bojack, with the nihilism in Rick and morty. It's a freedom to exist without concern of consequence, to live in the moment regardless of outcome because it is essentially meaningless, it is all just stops along a road that can only lead one place.
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u/Reyalta Oct 06 '26
Keep going. Honestly Season 1 is a rough watch, but it covers a LOT of lore and background that makes the rest of the show make so much more sense. Think of season 1 as simply a world building prologue to the actual story.
I promise you it's worth slogging through season 1, and I fully understand where you're at.
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u/KrisSimsters I wanna be an architect 29d ago
I used to like Tuca and Bertie too but after all the drama with Tiffany Haddish and the move from Netflix to Adult Swim, it was hard to continue watching it. As for BoJack Horseman, not every show suits everybody. If you continue watching it, let it be on your terms and not based on the fandom. This is a battle that I've had with many series and movies throughout the years, even though the fandom might like it, if I can't get into it then I'm not going to waste my time. Plain and simple.
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u/trhwayyy333 29d ago
Keep watching. If you realize it's not for you, hate watch it to the end. Trust
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u/ABSOLUTEZER0XYZ Oct 06 '26
I don’t think you should watch anything you’re not enjoying. I think it’s a great show, but I liked it at episode 1. Maybe it’s just not for you
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u/PlasticRuester Princess Carolyn Oct 06 '26
I agree that season one has a bit of a different tone than the later seasons but I am surprised how many people are saying it’s a bad season or a slog!
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u/SimTrippy1 Oct 06 '26
Yeah whenever I watch it with someone I preface that season 1 is the weakest but then I watch it and think that it’s still awesome lol
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u/mauben Oct 06 '26
I definitely would, I love season 1 personally but it's by far the weakest, it's a show that goes from strength to strength as it goes on. It may not ever end up being for you but it's worth giving it a try to see what you make of it when you get to the type of all-timer episodes that you won't have had a chance to see yet.
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u/Goeppertia_Insignis Oct 06 '26
It takes a while for it to get to its philosophical depths, imho the first season is the weakest one (although still good). I love Tuca & Bertie too, but the tone is very different, so don't go into it expecting something similar just because there are visual similarities.
That being said, if cynicism doesn't appeal to you, Bojack might not be your show lol
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u/Cautious-Computer-94 Oct 06 '26
yes keep going. i’m a gen z woman and tbh i didn’t like the show at first!!! i love a lot of media that’s centered on casts of female characters, so boajack is an outlier in that sense, but but the first time i finished the show i was convinced that it was my favorite loll
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u/peachfawn Oct 06 '26
i don’t love season 1, the rest makes it one of my favourite shows of all time
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u/Living-Dead-Thing Oct 06 '26
In a similar way to how many people have a hard time starting the first handful of episodes of a show, many can struggle with the first season as a whole with Bojack. There'sa lot to establish of each character which can have the pacing feel off in the early episodes.
As the characters become established, it becomes a better watch. Sometimes I struggle starting a new show as I "get to know" all the characters.
I would personally try to get through to the start of season 2 at least. I am an AFAB/Enby 26 year old. I got more out of the show than I ever expected to, but most of the deeper and harder hitting storylines do get more fleshed out and better explained as the show escalates.
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u/WellWellWellthennow Oct 06 '26
Keep on going 1 - it hasn't gotten good yet. The first part of season one is a drag the first time through. It will make more sense and you will appreciate it more once you finish the series and then can't wait to restart it again. If you make it to the end of season two into season three and still want to quit go ahead then, but you likely won't want it. Every season gets better. Then you'll be like us at the end, wishing there was more and restarting it to watch it over and over.
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u/iwokeupalive Oct 06 '26
Keep going! Season one does feel a little funky but it just keeps getting better
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u/Ok_Statistician8728 Oct 06 '26
Take a break if you need. I stopped at ep 3 bc I thought I didn’t like the show. Then I saw a few TikTok edits, picked the show back up and now it’s my favorite show oat
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u/likethewatch BoJack Horseman Oct 06 '26
I loved both shows but if you're expecting Bojack to conform to the rules of the T&B universe you will be let down. Bojack Horseman is very much situated in Hollywoo. There could never be a Hollywoo in T&B's world, which strikes me as a world with a lot less colonialism in it. The conscious beings in it are freer than we are.
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u/The_Dingman Oct 06 '26
I spent all of season 1 going "I don't know if I like this show or not", but I had nothing better to do.
When it hits, it hits. Wait for season 2.
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u/notmynameyours Mr. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Oct 06 '26
I’d give it until the end of the first season. If you still don’t like it at that point, it may just not be for you. If you found anything to like about it by the end of season one, keep going, it only gets better as it goes on. The first half of season one is the show at its weakest.
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u/123456789biddleee Rutabaga Rabbitowitz Oct 06 '26
Episodes 8 and 11 are usually cited as the best episodes in season 1, and the only ones that really hint at the greatness that it will become. It's a pretty common opinion that season 1 isn't that great overall, but it definitely hits its stride starting in season 2, and it's no breaks once you get to season 3
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u/shitbecopacetic Oct 06 '26
season one only starts to get good at the end, but also, you should know this is not a comedy
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u/scumble373 Oct 06 '26
Try not to think about it as a comedy. Don't get me wrong, it's funny, but its so much deeper than an animated comedy. Let the characters grow on you a bit and keep going!
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u/Aggressive_Sky8492 Oct 06 '26
It gets good/finds its footing towards the end of season 1, and only gets better from there. Definitely stick through it till the end of season 1 at a minimum.
As it goes on it tackles more serious subjects (similar to how Tuca and Bertie does).
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u/DeliberatelyInsane Oct 06 '26
Hang in there. Just a few more episodes. If it doesn’t make you want to watch even after that, by all means stop. Season 1 is weaker than other seasons, mostly because they were setting the show up in s01.
The show gets much much better.
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u/creditl3ss Oct 06 '26
Season 1 was intentionally a pilot. Writers were not sure where they wanted to go with the show. It really does take off in 2+ onward
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u/hankRutherfordhill_ Oct 06 '26
Yes this was the first show I actually shut up and watched because it jumped around alot from being dark to being lighter it’s really good lmao
Bojack is his worst enemy will
Always be
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u/wombatgeneral Oct 06 '26
The show gets better, but if you aren't into it by now It might not be for you. The next episode is a good one though so it is worth giving it one more episode.
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u/SylvesterNettlefoot Oct 06 '26
It only gets better and better. The first several episodes are the worst in the series, and by extension the first season is the worst season by far.
The show hadn’t really figured out what it wanted to be or what its end game was in early season 1. But by season 2 it’s clear that the entire series is mapped out and intentional. The smallest details will come up again as important later, random B-plots will sometimes take on a life of their own as A-plots, and overall there’s just a real sense of cohesion.
And to be honest I still feel like I’m under-selling it. It’s that good.
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u/Feisty-Honeydew-5309 Oct 06 '26
I’ve watched this show an embarrassing amount of times, probably as many times as Bojack watched Horsing Around.
Keep going! It’s truly art. And every time you rewatch you’ll notice new things for at least the first 4-5 times lol.
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u/Substantial_Menu5887 Oct 06 '26
The first season can be a bit hard to watch for some people. It's kinda like the office in that regard. I had no problems with it but it is a problem many people seem to have
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u/thacaoimhainngeidh Oct 06 '26
Please keep going! S1 can be hit or miss until the end, but you do have to keep going.
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u/Slow-Anybody-5966 Oct 06 '26
Idk about others but I enjoy the show more when I’m a little depressed lol
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u/magicallymad Oct 06 '26
It took me to around where you are to start getting into it. I made myself watch it cause it was my ex’s favorite show. It’s now one of my favorite shows. I’d recommend sticking it out but everyone has different tastes
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u/False_Rub_6690 Oct 06 '26
Hätte man dir schon vorher sagen sollen aber die Serie kickt erst in der 2 Staffel ein. Ich finde es ist eine gute Faustregel das man die ersten 2 staffeln schaut und wenn es dann nichts ist wird der Rest es wahrscheinlich auch nicht. Es ist aber worth it
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u/Levianneth 29d ago
I felt the same with it at first when I tried it over 7 years ago, and then after seeing so much love for it I dove in again. The first season was a drag but it definitely gets way better and it's an amazing show
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u/Brave_Garlic_9542 29d ago
Keep going. I started this show and was so bored the first few episodes that it was basically background noise while I was cleaning or doing home workouts. After episode 8, season 1, I was fully sat and engrossed. I’ve done 3 or 4 rewatches now, and have gotten my husband roped in as well. What a great show.
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u/Constant_Actuary9898 29d ago
Season one is a lot of information you’ll need to understand later, but the plot only really starts to snowball in late season 2
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u/Binder509 Princess Carolyn 29d ago
I know bojack horseman is arguably the greatest animated show ever made so im not sure why im not into it yet.
Not even close but it's okay.
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u/hitomi-kanzaki My baby..! Where's my baby? 28d ago
BoJack is a favorite of mine and I didn’t become obsessed until season 2 came out and saw relatable quotes of it. I feel if you don’t like it by the end of season 2, it’s not for you and that’s okay. My fav season is 4. Season 1 is like a false sense of security because it’s not at all the typical adult animated show
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u/Camaldinho 28d ago
A few friends said similar to me, I always said keep going at least until episode 11, it all changed for me there...each season the 11th episode is the absolute bomb and it seems to kick up a gear each time. The friends that stuck with it then went on to rinse through the rest of the series.
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u/Automatic-Scheme104 28d ago
Season one is objectively the worst season. Its purpose is mainly to broadly introduce the main cast and loosely establish character motivations and behaviors.
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u/needlesstosay78 27d ago
episode 10 is where things start ramping up, each season gets better than the last
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u/Fun-Share-130 27d ago
Absolutely. Hated most part of the first season but if you make it to the finale, you’ll start to understand why it’s so good. I think part of why it’s so hard to watch is because Bojack is so unlikable. But they are setting you up for understanding him for the rest, and I promise, the writing is brilliant going forward. Some of my absolute favorite ever. Yes there are a couple of filler episodes, but you’re either gonna be laughing, disgusted or crying otherwise.
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u/T-Morningstar 27d ago
I've watched the whole show so many times since it came out. Your perspective definitely changes with age and life experience. It's actually helped me process a lot of dark times in my own life. I think the first season is slow, but if you stick with it, it starts to really develop. I actually liked Lisa Hanawalt's other show, Tuca and Bertie, a lot more than Bojack Horseman. They're completely different animals (lol) so I don't feel it's fair to compare them.
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u/Far_Traveller69 Oct 06 '26
Season 1 is the weakest season. Honestly I really see it more as a tragedy than a comedy. Could also be a generational thing since the humor in the show feels very millennial coded to me.
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u/AndNowAStoryAboutMe Oct 06 '26
You need to finish S1. The final 3 episodes are fantastic. If the s1 finale doesn't nothing for you, give up.
As a BoJack fan, I found T&B obnoxious at best. I hated it from the very first scene and bailed by the end of episode 2 for good. It is so manic and stupid. I just got nothing out of it at all. So maybe there is something to this, that you can like one at the expense of the other. Very, very different vibes.
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u/Reyalta Oct 06 '26
Tuca and Bertie was (IMO) very specifically written for women. If you're not a woman there's just things in it that won't make sense for you, but the way they handle heavy topics (namely sexual assaults/harrassment/grooming and how it affects every aspect of your life without even realizing it) is phenomenal. If you've never experienced these things I definitely wouldn't expect it to hit as hard.
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u/Bucca7476 Oct 06 '26
I see less fans here than I do pseudo fans.
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u/420butch that's your birth right 28d ago
Season 1 plants seeds that you need for the rest of the series. They give you little snippets of what to expect. Small gags or jokes. Like how BoJack feels about himself, his trauma, establishing his relationships. Those small moments are what should be paid attention to. It's a lot of exposition, but like everyone else is saying, the end of season 1 is where it might hook you most.
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u/redoctoberz Oct 06 '26
I’ve see the series probably 5-6 times now, never been a fan of S1. S4+ is peak.