Hey all, if you liked this breakdown make sure to check out the last one that I tackled with my friend offbeat kiki! It was on Good Damage which has very similar themes and execution to this episode! ua-cam.com/video/eJwyKMMQWis/v-deo.html
I definitely see those two as a pair. I also see "Fish out of Water" and "Free Churro" as an inverted pair: vast majority without words versus vast majority with only one person speaking in the same location, but both with a unique storytelling device leading up to an unexpected punchline.
I got my dad to binge this show with me, and something he said during season one has stuck with me, especially with this episode: "He's self aware enough to hate himself, but not self aware enough to improve."
I feel like that quote applies to me a lot. I am aware enough to recognise that a lot of my actions have caused those around me as a result of a lot of unresolved personal insecurities and perhaps still living in a broken home doesn't help. No fame, no fortune, just working class 22 year old trying to stave off the dark of the world.
@@hammer1349 hey dog. I know I'm just some stranger in a youtube comments section, but don't ever stop trying to be your best self. there is a whole world outside the home that created you, and as beautiful and wonderful as it is it's also shitty and terrifying. all you can do is take life one day at a time and believe in the person that you can be
@@trustedroot thanks chief. Inside somewhere I know there is a good man waiting to come back out. Sorely wounded by lost love and regrets, he secluded himself and let the underdeveloped adolescent take the reigns. Admittedly thanks to this video, I've started to be more aware of my thoughts. Especially at work when I screw I catastrophise a lot. Admittedly every mistake is permanent when working with metal but I'm starting to see the cracks in my psyche and confronting the shadows that seep through them. It's going to be a long road but the longest and hardest walkest generally lead to the best places. Sacrifice now for victory later
I think the beauty of Bojack's character is exactly that: he reflects the most toxic and harmful traits we all have, so we always want to see him succeed to prove that we can be better too. But even just seeing our own worst selves reflected can be really impactful and maybe even helpful.
Until the final season, when we look back at everything he did and realize that he really is the problem, and there are some things he did that shouldn't be brushed off
I think a difficult part of Bojack Horseman is that sick people can look at the show and see where they are not as sick as Bojack. This is a double edged sword. It can give hope to a person that is going under for the last time. Or it can cause a person to decide they are good enough, when they can absolutely improve.
It didn't scare me, it made me cry. And I hated relating to bojack, but the fact that I'm not the only one who deals with it. And listening to someone else think it helps realizing how stupid that voice is.
The jealousy of the doll is very valid. Beatrice was nothing but terrible to BoJack, never showing him any love or support. He is seeing his mother, a woman who abused him, treat an inanimate object with respect. If she is capable of loving a doll, why couldn’t she love her own son?
I’ll give an answer even though I know your question is rhetorical: because the beatrice who loved the doll was actually a much younger beatrice, who hadn’t yet been so traumatized that she was incapable of love. In that moment, she is once again the little girl who just loved her doll, and hadn’t yet watched it get burned in the fire, or been told to never love anyone as much as her mother loved her son, or any of the other traumas she faced. Bojack obviously can’t see that and has no way of knowing. But that’s why. Because she was transported back in time to a moment when she actually was capable of loving others.
@@bxnny0374 This is actually true, especially in people who suffer from dementia. My grandmother was a very stern, strict, and quiet woman for as long as I knew her she wasn't unloving like Beatrice but never showed affection. When she had a stroke and it began the onset of dementia, she changed, she was very loving, and caring, just showing affection towards people but that wasn't the only change. She was Japanese and grew up in Tokyo, Japan during World War II and had a lot of trauma she had suppressed. She had started to hoard food in the retirement home because that's what she had to do during the war, when there was a History program on about Pearl Harbor she was in shock watching the screen and paid very close attention to what they were saying and she never really cared much for the TV. She was a younger self one that hadn't been traumatized and still wanted to show love.
I have a different take on this matter. I see it more plainly that the doll is infinitely easier to care for than an actual baby. Even in her demented state, she's still a narcissist who needs to validate to herself that she's a good, caring mother. It just so happens that the baby doll is the perfect projection for her affections that don't require any more work than play pretend. Narcissistic mothers are awful to have because u see these moments where they seemingly display the capacity for empathy. It's just that you are not their choice because, God forbid, you're a (little) human with needs that demand more work than play pretend.
@@ThePomeranianPrince honestly when you poison someone against you, my understanding the point is trying to consciously or unconsciously force someone against you. Rather than a person deciding the boundaries they have on who they can have in their lives. As someone who has done both there's a distinct difference when it's unhealthy, a person avoiding dealing with their own trauma and a person who doesn't deal with their trauma regarding a situation or person. Hollyhock has her own issues that she's dealing with and I think she's trying to be healthy about it.
This episode used to be dangerous for me. It took many watches to stop internalizing Bojack’s dialogue. Eventually I began to see this episode as a tool for challenging negative self thought, now I find watching it very therapeutic.
big same here ! I tend to hear a lot of negative talk towards myself , a lot that are very similar to bojacks. adding onto the fact my life path aligned with bojacks a lot. definitely a hard one to watch. but a rly rly awesome one too :)
YES my negative self talk became much worse after this episode, despite how much i absolutely love the show and connected with this episode. i still have a tough time not doing the same thing when watching, but I'm glad to hear it doesn't effect you in the same way
It was triggering when I first saw it, because I’ve never seen a more relatable approach to anxiety and depression at the same time. A lot of those same phrases I would notice I would feel about myself constantly without really thinking about why those thoughts didn’t go away. My favorite part of this show, is that it helped show me things and find new perspectives on things that I didn’t know how to deal with, or how 1 decision or word can affect so many. Bojack did so much more for me than all the years of therapy made me feel even worse for myself, so here’s 🖕for the mental health industry, for drugging kids into emotionless zombie states of mind, and convincing them that they are broken and the only thing that can fix them is 💊 that make them wanna 🔪 themselves or others. Sorry I know it’s helpful for some, but for me, it always made things worse and the medication would always convince me that there is no hope. I feel better knowing that it’s all me working at it to be better and to keep working towards a better goal for myself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to take something just because you have emotions. Try to work through them, otherwise they take over your life.
I thought I was the only one who does this with shows! I have a terrible habit of picking up, rationalizing, or worsening my bad habits whenever i see characters do it. This episode definitely had that effect on me and still does
Bojack becoming jealous of a doll hit incredibly close to home for me. I became jealous and annoyed when my former abuser was kind towards others yet cruel to me, even holding slight resentment towards innocent people. I love that this shoe talks about stuff like this, it's not discussed alot in media (atleast that I've seen)
Same here, I couldn't bring myself to hate him in that scene cause I saw myself during that scene so much it hurts seeing ur abuser be kind to others yet cruel to you that's why I low-key resent my little brother I know it isn't his fault and he doesn't understand what I went through with our mom before he was born since he's pretty young it just sucks wondering why I wasn't ever good enough for my mom why she never loved me as a kid to now as a teen vs how she is with him she isn't the best to him either don't get me wrong she still has issues but compared how she treated me to him he has it easy. So I was surprised to see that in the show too since it isn't talked about like you said as much as it should be
Same situation here expect instead of a doll or another human mine was a dog. My abuser which was also supposed to be my father knew everything about the dog and yet couldn’t lost three facts about me. I hope your doing better it’s the worst feeling to feel neglected.
One thing im just now realising is that Beatrice's horrified scream is not only because she's just seen what she believes to be her real baby thrown out the window, its directly evocative of her father throwing her childhood baby doll into the fire in front of her. Without knowing it Bojack unearthed a piece of deep deep trauma and had her relive it exactly
Something I think is important is that season 6 Hollyhock actually followed this advice when distancing herself from Bojack and ultimately cutting him off. "If I do shitty things, that's because I'm shitty. And you're allowed to be mad at me, but you need to know that /whatever I do/, it's not your fault." Hollyhock may have thought back to that during the time she was making decisions on how to move forward in her relationship with her brother after learning about one of the shittiest things he's ever done, and especially when she learns about all the shitty things he's done. It's not her fault, it's not her responsibility, and she's allowed to be mad at him for what he's done. She always was allowed to be. It's incredibly unsettling to me how much of the fandom wants Hollyhock to have stayed in a familial relationship with someone who she could barely stomach to see in the end because of how he's behaved his whole life... for HIS benefit. She doesn't owe Bojack anything, especially not hating herself, he made that very clear to her this early on. And I am so glad that he did. It's the healthiest thing he could have instilled in Hollyhock to break the cycle that he and his mom and his grandad were in of children being told they owe something to their family just for being born. She got out, she's hopefully going to break this cycle, and she's going to be okay.
It was really hard for me to understand the concept that self-loathing is still “self-centered”. It’s worded terribly. But as shown in this essay, it’s true. When we focus on ourself, even negatively, we unintentionally can’t look at and focus on others.
I think it's cause "self-centered" has a negative connotation. You have to think of it sorta neutrally here to be able to understand the phrase. But yeah, it's definitely not a phrase you want to hear in the middle of a sessions when you counselor or someone is talking to you if you're like currently in a breakdown lmao
Idk if i went to therapy and my therapist told me im selfish for hating myself id either have a breakdown or want to punch them in the face. I do my darn hardest to try to not focus on only my problems and be there for others and still im self centered?
What's the line? "Pride isn't the solution to shame, but rather its source" It *seems* contradictory, but piling up on yourself at the first sign of trouble rather than decompressing and working through it *is* a form of vanity. It's the insistence that the problem in your head is more important than the rest of the world and the people within it. And honestly, what's more self-centered than putting yourself in front of everyone and everything in the world? Especially when you're sacrificing everything in service of feelings *you don't even like*! ...because growth and work would mean sacrificing that last crumb of pride you wouldn't admit you had.
@@Liide12it’s weird because honestly I’m being 100% honest it literally feels impossible to change I don’t know what to do anymore in moments like these I wish I wasn’t here
This episode honestly took me by surprise, as not a lot of people talked about it, which is a darn shame. Other than Good Damage, this is my favorite episode of the series.
One of the many things I love about this show is how different kind of characters interact. Sometimes Bojack needs Diane's cynical criticism, PC's pragmatism, Mr PB's optimism. I think Herb was the best friend Bojack could have had because he provided the three kinds of responses depending on what Bojack needed to hear. (my opinion obs)
That's actually a really good point! Mr. Peanutbutter was a really good foil for BoJack throughout the whole series, He really embodied that Labrador retriever personality of loving everyone in spite of what they've done.
one thing i noticed too about when bojack has his deep inner thoughts, i think he might have body dysmorphia, rewatching the show and all, the harsher he is on himself the more "fat" he becomes, in the show they never really talked about it but from time to time they kind of hinted that he dislikes his body and appearance
I never noticed this but the black scribbles around the edges of the frame (which I’m sure is a metaphor for either his anxiety, depression, or both) when bojack is in his inner monologues is also inside the little drawing version of him too. It really makes him seem even more like the source of those dark scribbles that haunt him.
The terrifying thing about Bojack is that he really *does* represent the worst-case scenario, that thing that the episode's voice tells him he is. Just not the way that he thinks. The brilliant thing about the show is that it demonstrates how that mindset actually works and how we can become better versions of ourselves.
I really like Bojack as a character. It'd be really easy for the writers to screw up and make it seem like they're endorsing his toxic behaviour, but what makes Bojack different from actual problematic protagonists is that he and the show are both very well aware of how bad he is. The show writers don't pull any punches when exposing the awful things Bojack has done, and Bojack, as shown in this episode, constantly blames himself for the way he is, in a way that people with low self esteem can sympathize with him. Not only that, but he has development. He is clearly capable of change, so it's all the more heartbreaking to see him fall back to his bad habits after growing so much.
This episode made me finally go to a psychiatrist and change my anti-depressants to stop my "you're a stupid piece of shit" inner voice finally. I love this show so much and has changed me in so many ways for the better ♡ Great episode Johnny!
He diserved it. He "killed" Sarah Lynn; ( if he wouldn't be to busy to saving his reputation, he could have save her. It's caused a few seconds only. He forced kids to drink, 'til become sick and almost lost their life. Don't forget: they do as he said because he should had to be the responsible adult who procect them. But he wouldn't.
Bojack Horseman really helped me deal with my own depression especially thanks to episodes like this. While watching 'Stupid Piece of Shit' I kept thinking about how surprised I was at how accurately the episode was depicting a lot of the thought processes that would go through my head and how freeing it was to know that those processes were going through other peoples' heads as well.
Exactly. I go through this a lot. I will overthink everything or make myself feel upset just so my confidence could be lower because I don’t wanna have high expectations for myself. This episode and this series in general helped me in some ways. Even tho it’s been damn over a year since I last seen it.
About Beatrice handling the doll, At first I thought that Beatrice was showing the way that she thought she cared for Bojack as a child. That from her perspective she was a caring mother. Worse, she's remembering the doll from her childhood, which she referred to as "my baby"
I know it’s horrible to treat someone with dementia like that, but somehow I just don’t feel sorry for Beatrice at all. Even though she had a traumatic childhood herself, she doubled down on Bojack and blamed everything on him. Even though he hurt a lot of people, you can tell Bojack is trying to stop the cycle and I admire that.
I'd argue that Beatrice eventually did start working on stopping the cycle with Henrietta (at least that was her intention) and treating the baby doll kindly. But her relationship with Bojack was far too broken for her to even know how to apologize to him. And unfortunately, Bojack perpetuated the cycle with Sarah Lynn.
I love how Bojack has this…invisible best friend in Mr. Peanutbutter. PB is only his frenemy one sided. He gets angry with him, but he’s one of the few characters who never seems to fall into hatred of him. Like a typical dog, he’s extremely forgiving and even oblivious of some of Bojack’s worst traits. He even pays attention to the good traits that most ignore, including Bojack himself. And it’s sad that Bojack can’t see him as one of his better friends until honestly, close to series end. PB annoys him to no end, but it’s not through malice or attempt to do so. It’s just PB being PB. I’m glad that by the final episode, Bojack seems to recognize PB’s value as one of his good friends who’s always been there, even though it’s been from a distance most of the time.
For such a long time I had been looking for the exact expression, the one you described as “catastrophizing”. I have the same catastrophizing tendency within me and seeing that in so many of my closest friends and family as well, knowing what it is called makes it easier for me to notice whenever I’m doing it so I could stop and reflect. Thank you for the video Johnny, it’s great as always.
Bojack's lie to Hollyhock is actually the most helpful thing he could have told her. One of the reasons that Bojack fails to improve time and time again is because he has learned - mostly because he was told - that the shitty things he does, and the emptiness he feels, and the insecurities that constantly ruin everything he touches are all a part of him. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that Bojack rarely ever tries to subvert because he doesn't believe he is capable of change. By telling Hollyhock that the voice goes away, she knows A) that the voice is not a part of her and she doesn't have to be defined by it, and B) that if it doesn't go away, it means that something is wrong, but not with her as a person. If it persists, she'll think, "This was supposed to go away. Why hasn't it yet?" And both those things would make her more likely to seek help in the future.
This episode connected with me so much, I got the version of himself Bojack sees in his head as a tattoo on my leg. Love your videos (and podcast) Johnny!
this episode cemented in my mind that bojack, like me, has borderline personality disorder. the way he thinks and the way it’s presented in a kind of manic/chaotic way. from his decision making to his way of dissociating during conversations. i love bojack cause he shows the worst parts of me. he is everything i’m scared to become. but he also shows me that i don’t have to be. that i can be better. that the cycle ends with me cause if it doesn’t it will consume everything and everyone around me. that’s what this episode reminds me of. watching him spiral and spiral all episode only to at the end try and stop the cycle by comforting and caring about hollyhock and assuring her that she is not the problem and that it will get easier
I know your comment is over a year old but I appreciate this comment because I feel the same way. I am a guy with BPD and him as a character is someone I deeply connected to as I felt like there was finally some character that understood my pain in addition to helping me feel less alone in my diagnosis when I got it. He has always felt cathartic as a character because he is flawed in an honest and unpalatable way while still wanting to do right by the people in his life. He helps me see that I don’t have to keep making bad decisions. He helps me stay committed to getting better and that it doesn’t have to be like this. You really worded this perfectly and it’s nice to know that other people with BPD relate to him too. Hope it gets better for you. It’s hard but you’ll get through it.
This episode really helped me realize how stupid my inner monologue was because it was basically the same as Bojack’s but I’ve never done anything even close to as bad as Bojack. Now I just need to work on fixing it
This episode is incredibly significant to me. I use to have this idea I was "terminally unique" . I struggle with the same insecurities, anxieties, and catastrophic thinking. And for a long, long time my brain made me think I was the only one. Which made it difficult to change, to seek help and support. It really threw me through a loop that it took seeing something in a cartoon about talking animals to start me on a path towards healing.
Stupid piece of shit was such an iconic episode that came to me in JUST the right time of my life. I didn't know how to describe the feeling of that little voice, how bad it was getting for me and then this episode dropped and I had a visual representation of exactly how I was feeling, almost scarily accurate and it was honestly wonderful to be able to draw those parallels between your mind and seeing it illustrated and broken down on screen in such a jumbled and .. ugly way, the sketchiness of the segment only nailed it home more. I love Bojack as a source of entertainment, but I also love how accurately the show depecits a lot of human emotion and direction...especially when most characters comically have an animal head.
I can feel my problems justified in this episode. All my life, I used to think it was all my fault. And then I realized how much damage that kind of parental neglect can do to a child.
When this episode aired, I was going through a hard anxiety and depression episode. It was exhausting to wake up feeling just like BoJack felt: useless, stupid and lazy. After I saw this episode I realized I didnt understand why was I being so hard and unfair to myself, it didnt have to be that way. Seeing my own experiences and mentality through BoJack helped me to reach for help. I will forever be grateful to the team of this episode.
yes!!! so interesting to see how everyone piles work onto him because they assume he's "not doing anything" but is constantly doing the most for everyone
Thank you for spotlighting this episode. Watching this episode made me realize that this is how I talk to myself and how fucked up it is. It ultimately was the reason I started going to therapy and it holds a very special place in my heart.
This is good explanation, but I need to add, that this is how depression works. Depression is egoistic, it let us think only about ourselves, and only in a bad way. When we think about someone we love, it's still only ours perspective, depression perspective, just to feel worse and worse about ourselves. That's why Bojack don't really care about Hollyhock while thinking about her all the time.
I disagree. Not with how it works, depression and most mental health tends to have effects on ego, but that he doesn't actually care about hollyhock despite thinking about her all the time. I think that whilst he's unable (at that point in the show, and especially at that point for him) to perfectly express through words that he cares about her, his actions (when he's not being eaten up by terribly low self worth) show that he does. He forces himself out of his bad mindset by having courage and biting the bullet to go speak to her, even when the only things he's expecting to hear are horrible. He cares enough about her to listen, and later down the line he visits her, and he's actually being much better and controlling himself more on her (and his students) behalf, before it all comes crashing down again. They're olive branch actions, ways for them to have some sort of relationship that isn't completely defined by his lack of functionality the way that a lot of his other relationships are. Hollyhock is young, and he has a chance to do better by her, so maybe she won't turn out like him, and he tries his best to seize that whilst he can. He's not great at it, but it's an attempt. And when you're that deep in your own head and insecurities, attempting anything is just really difficult, so it means a lot more than any words he could provide.
@@heatherheath3834 your explanation is very cool. i think he tried to be reassuring, but he is not immediately good at it because he did not have kind things said to him during most of his life. But he still tried to do something nice for others benefit, some conforting (but kind of empty) words that would be what he needed to hear years before. so it has been some projecting from his part, but he actually had nice intentions while talking in the pool with Hollyhock
When I saw this episode it hit SO close to home. I told myself all of that stuff, that voice inside my head told me how shitty of a person I am, made me ignore what other good things people said about me, told me that was just to not make me feel bad about myself when I know how bad of a person I truly am. And the final line kind of broke me. This won't stop. The shitshow will continue. But at the same time this episode gave me so much relief. I didn't understand it at the time, but it showed me how fucked up it is to listen to this voice. And now it's gone. I'm free.
I honestly loved the episode because that's what my head sounds like 24/7 even though I'm still young (literally 15) and it's why I shoves so much stuff into me as possible. I'm always looking for a distraction. Tiktok, yt, music constantly. Like I need music to sleep so I'm not just sitting alone with those terrible thoughts. It's worse when it's violent, generally self directed and I don't go through with them. But that voice never shuts up or go away.
Your breakdowns of Bojack Horseman never fail to be insightful. Have you considered doing these kind of videos for episodes of Helluva Boss once the first season ends?
I have legit showed this clip to my therapist to illustrate the damaging internal dialogue I struggle with. He was impressed at how it addressed issues a lot of us have.
This… this is one of the best episodes, and one of the reasons I really can’t watch Bojack. I’ve tried, but honestly I relate to BoJack’s debilitating depression and insecurity so much I just… can’t. I unfortunately relate too deeply to all that bc of my own brain. So amazing the writing ability of those on the BoJack team. It’s a reason I find creative endeavors so hard to complete as well, because I’m too busy worrying over the impression I could have on others, and the self-doubt can really stop a great thing before it starts! The catastrophising. Or however you spell it. Anyway I’m working on it lol I’m glad I got to see how BoJack grew! And your little bit at the end was really nice, relatable. I love your videos, Johnny, they’re a great way for me to experience the shows brilliance without having to watch it directly! I appreciate you, and so do lots of others!
This episode is also extremely interesting in hindsight, knowing what happens between Bojack and Hollyhock by the end of the show. Since we never see her again, one has to wonder how that poolside conversation impacted her later decisions. Hollyhock is an extremely interesting character and a part of me loves how we never read the letter. We as the audience can decide what was written, whether it was cold and callous, or if it sympathetic but firm on her decision to cut him off.
this show is a literal masterpiece it talks about the hard things, intrusive thoughts, self hatred, severe anxiety and depression, overthinking & triggers and how exhausting it is to be in your head so much this show has helped me in such a way 😭
Jesus, this was a great breakdown. Teared up a bit at the part with Beatrice and BoJack's pattern of "parents being shitty isn't about you, it's about them". I feel like that's something every kid with parents with unresolved mental issues-which is a lot of them-needs to hear. It's one thing to hear it from someone unrelated, but it...would have meant a lot if my parents said that to me. It's also great to hear about the self-loathing causing problems. I remember hearing the take that self-loathing isn't any less self-centered than arrogance, and I feel like that's really on display this episode. That makes it more heartwarming when BoJack's able to push past that to try to patch things up some with Hollyhock at the end.
Bojack may not be the best guy, but I do relate to his life: the negative parts and how he thinks. He did the best thing his parents never did. He told Hollyhock the way he is wasn’t her fault.
it scares me how real the show is, i’ve never relate to a show this much in my entire life. it scares me how i can also be like this if i keep up those negative traits. it’s too accurate for everyone
Sending much love and a hug to everyone who identifies with Bojack's inner thoughts. You are not alone, you are not a piece of shit and I swear it gets better.
This is the episode that broke me, had to take a break from the show for months. It made me reflect on who i was at the time, i eventually was in a better place and managed to watch the entire show. Thank you for this breakdown
it's okay if you relate to him but in actuality we are all different people so naturally each of us will relate to different characters. long story short; yes...yes you’re wrong.
The mindset of Bojack is what I'm referring to. That state of mind of thinking all the possibilities how something can wrong prevents you from taking a rational course of action. "Stupid piece of shit" phase floats around in my head before the series came out and actually seeing a protagonist (and antagonist depending how you look at it) go through these mental loops kinda makes me smile like, "hehe, I know the feeling."
As a person who has a serious problem with over thinking do to past trauma i can sadly relate to bojack as he really is only cocky because he was not loved but at some point you can't blame others for the over thinking and self dedication behavior. Its hard to love yourself when all your life others have shown you that you don't deserve love. Doing even simple tasks can be hard and you just feel like you disappoint others. He is his own worse enemy but is not blameless. Its even harder when you are aware what you do is wrong but have a feeling you can't stop. Sometimes you need other but going to them won't help. He is at the point of no return, he can be better with work but can never be on the same level as others.
Sometimes our wounding is so severe, that it takes over ourselves. The trauma is a like a monster that can overtake us, and it feeds on all sort of addictions. I started my addiction very young because of emotional neglect.
Beautiful analysis on one of my favorite episodes; I always took the final scene as a disheartening fallacy that that nagging sense of self-worthlesness would cling to Hollyhock despite Bojack's affirmations, due to their familial ties. But I think you put it best, that in breaking the cycle it can create something new for her. Great work as always :)
There are several episodes of Bojack that I can't watch with other people because well... "I'm in this photo and I don't like it". This is one of them. The inner monologue is brutal.
To be honest I can relate to Bojack because not only do I over think everything and have insecurities, I do to have a neglective mother. She may be nice to me sometimes, but she can always make someone feel low about them selves like saying "I hate my body!" And then say "We're the same even our self body imagerie issues." When I was 7... Only 7 year old me never had an insecuritie until she started to tell me these things.
@@Johnny2Cellos hey, I know it's been awhile since you dine a video this, but i was wondering next year like March or something, do a video on Khan: The American Dreamer.
this is the episode that completly changed my persption of bojack. Until that point i hated him, i hated everything about him i thought he was an awful person but then this episode.. when they showed me how he constatly thinks i couldnt hate him anymore because thats how i think, thats what i think when i get up in the morning, when i eat cookies when im with my friendes, etc.. bojack was.. is me. I cant hate him
I’ve self sabotage a lot in the past bc of trauma and hoping to grow on this. I hate it , I have a lot of good traits but this is a awful thing n relate to this episode a lot
I'm leaving a comment here because I'm not sure where else I could ever talk about this, but this is the episode that made me realize something was wrong. I won't play a violin for myself, but it was rough growing up, then trying to be a self-sufficient young adult during/post COVID-19 - ironically around the same time I started watching Bojack Horseman. And this was the episode to make me realize hating yourself was not normal. Most people didn't have a constant, cruel, self-loathing monologue in their head telling them they were constantly worthless and stupid and just the worst. Watching these thoughts actively push Bojack away from the few people that cared about him made me pause, both literally and mentally, and realize I needed serious change and help. Since then I've been working on changing myself. Sometimes it's in minor ways, sometimes in bigger ways. And I find more often than not I keep ending up in the same toxic situations. Even if it's not perfect, it's a little easier to look at myself in the mirror, I don't immediately feel like vomiting when most people express affection towards me. That's enough improvement to prove I'm doing something right. If anyone bothers reading this and they're in a similar shitty boat, not sure if they are capable of change or even that you're doomed to be like *this* forever, I will personally tell you. You're not doomed. You're not evil. You're not incapable of change or good things. You are human, so treat yourself humanely.
don't know if anyone already mentioned this, but to me, it feels like BoJack was constantly having these kinds of thoughts throughout his entire life. maybe not to this extent, but close to it. it can't be that it happened only once during one specific period. it's just the episode that was to depict it. and knowing how's he self-conscious - that may be indeed would've explained a lot of his rushed reactions and misdeeds, as if trying to stop that inner self-abuse right that moment...
This episode is my favorite. As someone who has anxiety attacks this episode portrays inner thoughts perfectly. Some days it does feel like no matter what you do you feel like crap
Thanks for explaining this! This is one of my favourite episodes because of how I relate to the inner monologue that Bojack has, and I'm so glad that you broke it down.
In the end the lie he tells Holly is only a lie to him. The voice never left him alone, but it doesn't mean Holly can't fight it off and win. Probably the most important lie he's ever told.
This episode actually helped me try to control more of these self-deprecating and loathing habits and thoughts that I have. I often just wake up hating myself and my choices. To a point where my mood is just sour all day and my depression just takes over and I get nothing done.I’ve gotten better but I still slip up every now and again. It’s just part of the process of trying to get better mentally.
This is my favorite episode in the series. Bojack actually cares about hollyhock, and wants her to know he cares. But that nagging voice that we all have inside of us just won’t let that love shine through.
Cool detail I just noticed: in the finale of bojack, there’s a magazine cover and you can see that Wanda went into a second coma and woke back up and was named the president of her network that she worked for in season 2. Cool ending for her character, even if it’s small
I dunno if this is actually necessary but in regards to the ending... I was really looking forward to this breakdown and it came on a day where I really needed it. I don't just come watch them because I have an interest in Bojack, I come because your dissections of the characters as people help me make a little more sense out of people in real life, including myself. These are always heartfelt and interesting and I love each breakdown, even outside of this show. Again, I'm sure it wasn't needed but just on the off chance.
This episode is a good examination of how intense anxiety can make you lash out or otherwise be… well, shitty, to people around you, because of how focused you are on beating yourself up and seeing the worst in every situation. It’s an ugly truth and an aspect of anxiety that very rarely gets any focus, but it’s an important thing to recognize.
When I first started watching this episode, I took it as a possible not so dark ep, but the further the episode went, the more my anxiety manifested itself, because I know these feelings and it was hard even to rewatch it sometimes
It’s so scary how accurate this is to me, that part where he says I think about every shitty thing I have done and why I am undeserving of love then I always over analyze what I did wrong and come up with a bunch of negative reasons for why people hate me.
I can relate to this episode because I have the same thoughts of negative thoughts just like Bojack. But while watching this, I wanted to cry. Its a relatable episode for everyone who is dealing with self doubt, but it shows that you can change & become a better person.
this episode is one of the most dangerous ones in regards to relating to Bojack. He is a terrible person... but that inner dialoge he has is something I struggle myself with. Even though I didnt want it i related SO deeply to him in this episode! The thought spirals, always seeing the worst in every situation... Its so relatable
This breaks down a lot of what I’m going through right now. Watching the episode was extremely emotional and reliving it through this analytical lens is getting to me again
This episode hit home for a lot of people And Honestly don't we all feel like stupid pieces of shit like Bojack did in this episode Mr peanut butter has a good point everyone deserves to be loved hang in there
Hey all, if you liked this breakdown make sure to check out the last one that I tackled with my friend offbeat kiki! It was on Good Damage which has very similar themes and execution to this episode! ua-cam.com/video/eJwyKMMQWis/v-deo.html
I definitely see those two as a pair. I also see "Fish out of Water" and "Free Churro" as an inverted pair: vast majority without words versus vast majority with only one person speaking in the same location, but both with a unique storytelling device leading up to an unexpected punchline.
This was fantastic as always, bro. Thanks so much for another video!
Hi Johnny can u do a breakdown of S6ep1 especially the ending scene🥺 plssss
Next Free Churro, please.
Don't listen to that voice, this video was amazing, Johnny!
I got my dad to binge this show with me, and something he said during season one has stuck with me, especially with this episode: "He's self aware enough to hate himself, but not self aware enough to improve."
I feel like that quote applies to me a lot. I am aware enough to recognise that a lot of my actions have caused those around me as a result of a lot of unresolved personal insecurities and perhaps still living in a broken home doesn't help. No fame, no fortune, just working class 22 year old trying to stave off the dark of the world.
@@hammer1349 hey dog. I know I'm just some stranger in a youtube comments section, but don't ever stop trying to be your best self. there is a whole world outside the home that created you, and as beautiful and wonderful as it is it's also shitty and terrifying. all you can do is take life one day at a time and believe in the person that you can be
@@trustedroot thanks chief. Inside somewhere I know there is a good man waiting to come back out. Sorely wounded by lost love and regrets, he secluded himself and let the underdeveloped adolescent take the reigns.
Admittedly thanks to this video, I've started to be more aware of my thoughts. Especially at work when I screw I catastrophise a lot. Admittedly every mistake is permanent when working with metal but I'm starting to see the cracks in my psyche and confronting the shadows that seep through them. It's going to be a long road but the longest and hardest walkest generally lead to the best places. Sacrifice now for victory later
Ur dad might be an empath
Damn, your dad summed it up perfectly
I think the beauty of Bojack's character is exactly that: he reflects the most toxic and harmful traits we all have, so we always want to see him succeed to prove that we can be better too. But even just seeing our own worst selves reflected can be really impactful and maybe even helpful.
wait you commented on the south park meme battle video right?
Until the final season, when we look back at everything he did and realize that he really is the problem, and there are some things he did that shouldn't be brushed off
yes
@@Tom-vx7qh And I like that. I love how we can see the consequences of acting on our most toxic traits through Bojack.
I think a difficult part of Bojack Horseman is that sick people can look at the show and see where they are not as sick as Bojack. This is a double edged sword. It can give hope to a person that is going under for the last time. Or it can cause a person to decide they are good enough, when they can absolutely improve.
Bojack's inner thoughts felt *scarily* similar to my own, and it fucking terrified me the first time I saw this episode.
Same, I relate so much to what BoJack feels and how he thinks
It didn't scare me, it made me cry. And I hated relating to bojack, but the fact that I'm not the only one who deals with it. And listening to someone else think it helps realizing how stupid that voice is.
For me it wasn’t terrifying, but it was jaw dropping
It's a very common symptom of depression and PTSD. His inner monologue eerily mirrors my own, especially on bad days.
me too. it made me feel more hopeless than anything.
The jealousy of the doll is very valid. Beatrice was nothing but terrible to BoJack, never showing him any love or support. He is seeing his mother, a woman who abused him, treat an inanimate object with respect. If she is capable of loving a doll, why couldn’t she love her own son?
I’ll give an answer even though I know your question is rhetorical: because the beatrice who loved the doll was actually a much younger beatrice, who hadn’t yet been so traumatized that she was incapable of love. In that moment, she is once again the little girl who just loved her doll, and hadn’t yet watched it get burned in the fire, or been told to never love anyone as much as her mother loved her son, or any of the other traumas she faced. Bojack obviously can’t see that and has no way of knowing. But that’s why. Because she was transported back in time to a moment when she actually was capable of loving others.
@@bxnny0374 This is actually true, especially in people who suffer from dementia. My grandmother was a very stern, strict, and quiet woman for as long as I knew her she wasn't unloving like Beatrice but never showed affection. When she had a stroke and it began the onset of dementia, she changed, she was very loving, and caring, just showing affection towards people but that wasn't the only change. She was Japanese and grew up in Tokyo, Japan during World War II and had a lot of trauma she had suppressed. She had started to hoard food in the retirement home because that's what she had to do during the war, when there was a History program on about Pearl Harbor she was in shock watching the screen and paid very close attention to what they were saying and she never really cared much for the TV. She was a younger self one that hadn't been traumatized and still wanted to show love.
I have a different take on this matter. I see it more plainly that the doll is infinitely easier to care for than an actual baby. Even in her demented state, she's still a narcissist who needs to validate to herself that she's a good, caring mother. It just so happens that the baby doll is the perfect projection for her affections that don't require any more work than play pretend.
Narcissistic mothers are awful to have because u see these moments where they seemingly display the capacity for empathy. It's just that you are not their choice because, God forbid, you're a (little) human with needs that demand more work than play pretend.
When Bojack said she will poison his own daughter against him: that’s subtle foreshadowing to the fact that Beatrice was drugging Hollyhock for months
And even more foreshadowing to hollyhock severing ties with bojack. He lost his only living relative because of a self fulfilling prophecy.
@@ThePomeranianPrince what was the self fulfilling prophecy
@@cameronspalding9792 that he was going to hurt hollyhock and have her leave him. (Which she did when she found out what happened in New Mexico.)
@@ThePomeranianPrince honestly when you poison someone against you, my understanding the point is trying to consciously or unconsciously force someone against you. Rather than a person deciding the boundaries they have on who they can have in their lives. As someone who has done both there's a distinct difference when it's unhealthy, a person avoiding dealing with their own trauma and a person who doesn't deal with their trauma regarding a situation or person. Hollyhock has her own issues that she's dealing with and I think she's trying to be healthy about it.
Bravo vince
This episode used to be dangerous for me. It took many watches to stop internalizing Bojack’s dialogue. Eventually I began to see this episode as a tool for challenging negative self thought, now I find watching it very therapeutic.
big same here ! I tend to hear a lot of negative talk towards myself , a lot that are very similar to bojacks. adding onto the fact my life path aligned with bojacks a lot. definitely a hard one to watch. but a rly rly awesome one too :)
YES my negative self talk became much worse after this episode, despite how much i absolutely love the show and connected with this episode. i still have a tough time not doing the same thing when watching, but I'm glad to hear it doesn't effect you in the same way
It was triggering when I first saw it, because I’ve never seen a more relatable approach to anxiety and depression at the same time. A lot of those same phrases I would notice I would feel about myself constantly without really thinking about why those thoughts didn’t go away.
My favorite part of this show, is that it helped show me things and find new perspectives on things that I didn’t know how to deal with, or how 1 decision or word can affect so many. Bojack did so much more for me than all the years of therapy made me feel even worse for myself, so here’s 🖕for the mental health industry, for drugging kids into emotionless zombie states of mind, and convincing them that they are broken and the only thing that can fix them is 💊 that make them wanna 🔪 themselves or others. Sorry I know it’s helpful for some, but for me, it always made things worse and the medication would always convince me that there is no hope. I feel better knowing that it’s all me working at it to be better and to keep working towards a better goal for myself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to take something just because you have emotions. Try to work through them, otherwise they take over your life.
@@scottoleson1997 Yes I absolutely agree!
I thought I was the only one who does this with shows! I have a terrible habit of picking up, rationalizing, or worsening my bad habits whenever i see characters do it. This episode definitely had that effect on me and still does
Bojack becoming jealous of a doll hit incredibly close to home for me.
I became jealous and annoyed when my former abuser was kind towards others yet cruel to me, even holding slight resentment towards innocent people.
I love that this shoe talks about stuff like this, it's not discussed alot in media (atleast that I've seen)
Ever seen the channel TheraminTrees? They have given me great tools for processing past abuse.
Same here, I couldn't bring myself to hate him in that scene cause I saw myself during that scene so much it hurts seeing ur abuser be kind to others yet cruel to you that's why I low-key resent my little brother I know it isn't his fault and he doesn't understand what I went through with our mom before he was born since he's pretty young it just sucks wondering why I wasn't ever good enough for my mom why she never loved me as a kid to now as a teen vs how she is with him she isn't the best to him either don't get me wrong she still has issues but compared how she treated me to him he has it easy. So I was surprised to see that in the show too since it isn't talked about like you said as much as it should be
Hit hard😭
How are you now?
Same situation here expect instead of a doll or another human mine was a dog. My abuser which was also supposed to be my father knew everything about the dog and yet couldn’t lost three facts about me. I hope your doing better it’s the worst feeling to feel neglected.
One thing im just now realising is that Beatrice's horrified scream is not only because she's just seen what she believes to be her real baby thrown out the window, its directly evocative of her father throwing her childhood baby doll into the fire in front of her. Without knowing it Bojack unearthed a piece of deep deep trauma and had her relive it exactly
I was about to comment the same thing!
Something I think is important is that season 6 Hollyhock actually followed this advice when distancing herself from Bojack and ultimately cutting him off. "If I do shitty things, that's because I'm shitty. And you're allowed to be mad at me, but you need to know that /whatever I do/, it's not your fault." Hollyhock may have thought back to that during the time she was making decisions on how to move forward in her relationship with her brother after learning about one of the shittiest things he's ever done, and especially when she learns about all the shitty things he's done. It's not her fault, it's not her responsibility, and she's allowed to be mad at him for what he's done. She always was allowed to be. It's incredibly unsettling to me how much of the fandom wants Hollyhock to have stayed in a familial relationship with someone who she could barely stomach to see in the end because of how he's behaved his whole life... for HIS benefit. She doesn't owe Bojack anything, especially not hating herself, he made that very clear to her this early on. And I am so glad that he did. It's the healthiest thing he could have instilled in Hollyhock to break the cycle that he and his mom and his grandad were in of children being told they owe something to their family just for being born. She got out, she's hopefully going to break this cycle, and she's going to be okay.
This episode was painfully relatable
Literally made my day to see another Bojack Episode breakdown, in case you are still catastrophizing.
Love your profile pic btw
hey 2d
It was really hard for me to understand the concept that self-loathing is still “self-centered”. It’s worded terribly. But as shown in this essay, it’s true. When we focus on ourself, even negatively, we unintentionally can’t look at and focus on others.
I think it's cause "self-centered" has a negative connotation. You have to think of it sorta neutrally here to be able to understand the phrase. But yeah, it's definitely not a phrase you want to hear in the middle of a sessions when you counselor or someone is talking to you if you're like currently in a breakdown lmao
@@salemcrow5078 LMAO absolutely not.
Idk if i went to therapy and my therapist told me im selfish for hating myself id either have a breakdown or want to punch them in the face.
I do my darn hardest to try to not focus on only my problems and be there for others and still im self centered?
What's the line? "Pride isn't the solution to shame, but rather its source"
It *seems* contradictory, but piling up on yourself at the first sign of trouble rather than decompressing and working through it *is* a form of vanity.
It's the insistence that the problem in your head is more important than the rest of the world and the people within it.
And honestly, what's more self-centered than putting yourself in front of everyone and everything in the world?
Especially when you're sacrificing everything in service of feelings *you don't even like*!
...because growth and work would mean sacrificing that last crumb of pride you wouldn't admit you had.
@@Liide12it’s weird because honestly I’m being 100% honest it literally feels impossible to change I don’t know what to do anymore in moments like these I wish I wasn’t here
This episode honestly took me by surprise, as not a lot of people talked about it, which is a darn shame.
Other than Good Damage, this is my favorite episode of the series.
Same here. Good Damage is the most relatable episode of TV I’ve seen
yep
One of the many things I love about this show is how different kind of characters interact. Sometimes Bojack needs Diane's cynical criticism, PC's pragmatism, Mr PB's optimism. I think Herb was the best friend Bojack could have had because he provided the three kinds of responses depending on what Bojack needed to hear. (my opinion obs)
That's actually a really good point! Mr. Peanutbutter was a really good foil for BoJack throughout the whole series, He really embodied that Labrador retriever personality of loving everyone in spite of what they've done.
It’s scary how accurate this is. All the self-depreciation and self-loathing in the one place you can never escape: your own goddamn head.
one thing i noticed too about when bojack has his deep inner thoughts, i think he might have body dysmorphia, rewatching the show and all, the harsher he is on himself the more "fat" he becomes, in the show they never really talked about it but from time to time they kind of hinted that he dislikes his body and appearance
I never noticed this but the black scribbles around the edges of the frame (which I’m sure is a metaphor for either his anxiety, depression, or both) when bojack is in his inner monologues is also inside the little drawing version of him too. It really makes him seem even more like the source of those dark scribbles that haunt him.
as charlotte said, he's the tar pit
The darkness is a metaphor for darkness
omg i never noticed that
@@michaelroy3203 scribbles equal anxiety depression self doubt black or darkness in this series is death
I honestly both love and hate that this episode is so relatable, it really makes you think about the mistakes that we've all made in our lives.
kind of yeah
The terrifying thing about Bojack is that he really *does* represent the worst-case scenario, that thing that the episode's voice tells him he is. Just not the way that he thinks. The brilliant thing about the show is that it demonstrates how that mindset actually works and how we can become better versions of ourselves.
I really like Bojack as a character. It'd be really easy for the writers to screw up and make it seem like they're endorsing his toxic behaviour, but what makes Bojack different from actual problematic protagonists is that he and the show are both very well aware of how bad he is. The show writers don't pull any punches when exposing the awful things Bojack has done, and Bojack, as shown in this episode, constantly blames himself for the way he is, in a way that people with low self esteem can sympathize with him. Not only that, but he has development. He is clearly capable of change, so it's all the more heartbreaking to see him fall back to his bad habits after growing so much.
This episode made me finally go to a psychiatrist and change my anti-depressants to stop my "you're a stupid piece of shit" inner voice finally.
I love this show so much and has changed me in so many ways for the better ♡
Great episode Johnny!
That is great! How are you doing now?
good for you that's awesome your awesome
The destruction of the relationship between Bojack and Hollyhock was probably the most depressing aspect of the show for me.
Me too. Then again, Hollyhock cutting Bojack out of her life doesn’t tarnish the relationship they had before.
Even more heartbreaking is the fact that Hollyhock may have completely cut Bojack out of her life... that's too much, man :/
He diserved it. He "killed" Sarah Lynn; ( if he wouldn't be to busy to saving his reputation, he could have save her. It's caused a few seconds only. He forced kids to drink, 'til become sick and almost lost their life. Don't forget: they do as he said because he should had to be the responsible adult who procect them. But he wouldn't.
Bojack Horseman really helped me deal with my own depression especially thanks to episodes like this. While watching 'Stupid Piece of Shit' I kept thinking about how surprised I was at how accurately the episode was depicting a lot of the thought processes that would go through my head and how freeing it was to know that those processes were going through other peoples' heads as well.
Exactly. I go through this a lot. I will overthink everything or make myself feel upset just so my confidence could be lower because I don’t wanna have high expectations for myself. This episode and this series in general helped me in some ways. Even tho it’s been damn over a year since I last seen it.
Please never stop making Bojack Horseman videos
He probably will have to after he runs out of stuff to talk about, but that won’t be for a long time…
@@sesereddead465 i get that but ill still cry when it happens lmao
About Beatrice handling the doll, At first I thought that Beatrice was showing the way that she thought she cared for Bojack as a child. That from her perspective she was a caring mother. Worse, she's remembering the doll from her childhood, which she referred to as "my baby"
I know it’s horrible to treat someone with dementia like that, but somehow I just don’t feel sorry for Beatrice at all. Even though she had a traumatic childhood herself, she doubled down on Bojack and blamed everything on him. Even though he hurt a lot of people, you can tell Bojack is trying to stop the cycle and I admire that.
You have the right to feel that why however, as hollyhock would say "Whatever beef you have with your mom that's just a sweet confused old lady!"
I'd argue that Beatrice eventually did start working on stopping the cycle with Henrietta (at least that was her intention) and treating the baby doll kindly. But her relationship with Bojack was far too broken for her to even know how to apologize to him. And unfortunately, Bojack perpetuated the cycle with Sarah Lynn.
@@ding-dong_bing-bonga sweet old lady who maliciously put weight loss supplements into hollyhock
I love how Bojack has this…invisible best friend in Mr. Peanutbutter. PB is only his frenemy one sided. He gets angry with him, but he’s one of the few characters who never seems to fall into hatred of him. Like a typical dog, he’s extremely forgiving and even oblivious of some of Bojack’s worst traits. He even pays attention to the good traits that most ignore, including Bojack himself. And it’s sad that Bojack can’t see him as one of his better friends until honestly, close to series end. PB annoys him to no end, but it’s not through malice or attempt to do so. It’s just PB being PB. I’m glad that by the final episode, Bojack seems to recognize PB’s value as one of his good friends who’s always been there, even though it’s been from a distance most of the time.
For such a long time I had been looking for the exact expression, the one you described as “catastrophizing”. I have the same catastrophizing tendency within me and seeing that in so many of my closest friends and family as well, knowing what it is called makes it easier for me to notice whenever I’m doing it so I could stop and reflect. Thank you for the video Johnny, it’s great as always.
Bojack's lie to Hollyhock is actually the most helpful thing he could have told her. One of the reasons that Bojack fails to improve time and time again is because he has learned - mostly because he was told - that the shitty things he does, and the emptiness he feels, and the insecurities that constantly ruin everything he touches are all a part of him. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that Bojack rarely ever tries to subvert because he doesn't believe he is capable of change. By telling Hollyhock that the voice goes away, she knows A) that the voice is not a part of her and she doesn't have to be defined by it, and B) that if it doesn't go away, it means that something is wrong, but not with her as a person. If it persists, she'll think, "This was supposed to go away. Why hasn't it yet?" And both those things would make her more likely to seek help in the future.
This episode connected with me so much, I got the version of himself Bojack sees in his head as a tattoo on my leg.
Love your videos (and podcast) Johnny!
I want that tattoo! Love it :D
i have the same tatto in the same place, as i reminder of aiming for self improvement
this episode cemented in my mind that bojack, like me, has borderline personality disorder. the way he thinks and the way it’s presented in a kind of manic/chaotic way. from his decision making to his way of dissociating during conversations. i love bojack cause he shows the worst parts of me. he is everything i’m scared to become. but he also shows me that i don’t have to be. that i can be better. that the cycle ends with me cause if it doesn’t it will consume everything and everyone around me. that’s what this episode reminds me of. watching him spiral and spiral all episode only to at the end try and stop the cycle by comforting and caring about hollyhock and assuring her that she is not the problem and that it will get easier
I know your comment is over a year old but I appreciate this comment because I feel the same way. I am a guy with BPD and him as a character is someone I deeply connected to as I felt like there was finally some character that understood my pain in addition to helping me feel less alone in my diagnosis when I got it. He has always felt cathartic as a character because he is flawed in an honest and unpalatable way while still wanting to do right by the people in his life. He helps me see that I don’t have to keep making bad decisions. He helps me stay committed to getting better and that it doesn’t have to be like this. You really worded this perfectly and it’s nice to know that other people with BPD relate to him too. Hope it gets better for you. It’s hard but you’ll get through it.
This episode really helped me realize how stupid my inner monologue was because it was basically the same as Bojack’s but I’ve never done anything even close to as bad as Bojack. Now I just need to work on fixing it
This episode is incredibly significant to me. I use to have this idea I was "terminally unique" . I struggle with the same insecurities, anxieties, and catastrophic thinking. And for a long, long time my brain made me think I was the only one. Which made it difficult to change, to seek help and support. It really threw me through a loop that it took seeing something in a cartoon about talking animals to start me on a path towards healing.
Stupid piece of shit was such an iconic episode that came to me in JUST the right time of my life. I didn't know how to describe the feeling of that little voice, how bad it was getting for me and then this episode dropped and I had a visual representation of exactly how I was feeling, almost scarily accurate and it was honestly wonderful to be able to draw those parallels between your mind and seeing it illustrated and broken down on screen in such a jumbled and .. ugly way, the sketchiness of the segment only nailed it home more.
I love Bojack as a source of entertainment, but I also love how accurately the show depecits a lot of human emotion and direction...especially when most characters comically have an animal head.
I can feel my problems justified in this episode. All my life, I used to think it was all my fault. And then I realized how much damage that kind of parental neglect can do to a child.
When this episode aired, I was going through a hard anxiety and depression episode.
It was exhausting to wake up feeling just like BoJack felt: useless, stupid and lazy. After I saw this episode I realized I didnt understand why was I being so hard and unfair to myself, it didnt have to be that way. Seeing my own experiences and mentality through BoJack helped me to reach for help. I will forever be grateful to the team of this episode.
Amazing as always. I really hope that one day he does an analysis of "hooray Todd episode" I kind of think it's one of the most underrated episodes.
yes!!! so interesting to see how everyone piles work onto him because they assume he's "not doing anything" but is constantly doing the most for everyone
@@colleenc.8051 Yeah Todd is a much more interesting character than people give him credit for
Yes!! Not even just for Hollyhock but also just how much Todd does for everyone, despite nobody noticing!
Thank you for spotlighting this episode. Watching this episode made me realize that this is how I talk to myself and how fucked up it is. It ultimately was the reason I started going to therapy and it holds a very special place in my heart.
This is good explanation, but I need to add, that this is how depression works. Depression is egoistic, it let us think only about ourselves, and only in a bad way. When we think about someone we love, it's still only ours perspective, depression perspective, just to feel worse and worse about ourselves. That's why Bojack don't really care about Hollyhock while thinking about her all the time.
I disagree. Not with how it works, depression and most mental health tends to have effects on ego, but that he doesn't actually care about hollyhock despite thinking about her all the time. I think that whilst he's unable (at that point in the show, and especially at that point for him) to perfectly express through words that he cares about her, his actions (when he's not being eaten up by terribly low self worth) show that he does. He forces himself out of his bad mindset by having courage and biting the bullet to go speak to her, even when the only things he's expecting to hear are horrible. He cares enough about her to listen, and later down the line he visits her, and he's actually being much better and controlling himself more on her (and his students) behalf, before it all comes crashing down again. They're olive branch actions, ways for them to have some sort of relationship that isn't completely defined by his lack of functionality the way that a lot of his other relationships are. Hollyhock is young, and he has a chance to do better by her, so maybe she won't turn out like him, and he tries his best to seize that whilst he can. He's not great at it, but it's an attempt. And when you're that deep in your own head and insecurities, attempting anything is just really difficult, so it means a lot more than any words he could provide.
@@heatherheath3834 your explanation is very cool. i think he tried to be reassuring, but he is not immediately good at it because he did not have kind things said to him during most of his life. But he still tried to do something nice for others benefit, some conforting (but kind of empty) words that would be what he needed to hear years before. so it has been some projecting from his part, but he actually had nice intentions while talking in the pool with Hollyhock
"Use the shoulder, asshole!"
"He gets it"
I don't know why but that bit always gets me on this episode. Always loving the Bojack content 👏
When I saw this episode it hit SO close to home. I told myself all of that stuff, that voice inside my head told me how shitty of a person I am, made me ignore what other good things people said about me, told me that was just to not make me feel bad about myself when I know how bad of a person I truly am.
And the final line kind of broke me. This won't stop. The shitshow will continue.
But at the same time this episode gave me so much relief. I didn't understand it at the time, but it showed me how fucked up it is to listen to this voice.
And now it's gone. I'm free.
I honestly loved the episode because that's what my head sounds like 24/7 even though I'm still young (literally 15) and it's why I shoves so much stuff into me as possible. I'm always looking for a distraction. Tiktok, yt, music constantly. Like I need music to sleep so I'm not just sitting alone with those terrible thoughts. It's worse when it's violent, generally self directed and I don't go through with them. But that voice never shuts up or go away.
Your breakdowns of Bojack Horseman never fail to be insightful. Have you considered doing these kind of videos for episodes of Helluva Boss once the first season ends?
I have legit showed this clip to my therapist to illustrate the damaging internal dialogue I struggle with. He was impressed at how it addressed issues a lot of us have.
This… this is one of the best episodes, and one of the reasons I really can’t watch Bojack. I’ve tried, but honestly I relate to BoJack’s debilitating depression and insecurity so much I just… can’t. I unfortunately relate too deeply to all that bc of my own brain. So amazing the writing ability of those on the BoJack team.
It’s a reason I find creative endeavors so hard to complete as well, because I’m too busy worrying over the impression I could have on others, and the self-doubt can really stop a great thing before it starts! The catastrophising. Or however you spell it.
Anyway I’m working on it lol I’m glad I got to see how BoJack grew! And your little bit at the end was really nice, relatable.
I love your videos, Johnny, they’re a great way for me to experience the shows brilliance without having to watch it directly! I appreciate you, and so do lots of others!
This episode is also extremely interesting in hindsight, knowing what happens between Bojack and Hollyhock by the end of the show.
Since we never see her again, one has to wonder how that poolside conversation impacted her later decisions. Hollyhock is an extremely interesting character and a part of me loves how we never read the letter. We as the audience can decide what was written, whether it was cold and callous, or if it sympathetic but firm on her decision to cut him off.
The conversation by the pool is one of my favorite scenes in the whole show.
this show is a literal masterpiece it talks about the hard things, intrusive thoughts, self hatred, severe anxiety and depression, overthinking & triggers and how exhausting it is to be in your head so much this show has helped me in such a way 😭
"And you would rather do that than spend time with me..." Wow, that hurts...
Jesus, this was a great breakdown. Teared up a bit at the part with Beatrice and BoJack's pattern of "parents being shitty isn't about you, it's about them". I feel like that's something every kid with parents with unresolved mental issues-which is a lot of them-needs to hear. It's one thing to hear it from someone unrelated, but it...would have meant a lot if my parents said that to me.
It's also great to hear about the self-loathing causing problems. I remember hearing the take that self-loathing isn't any less self-centered than arrogance, and I feel like that's really on display this episode. That makes it more heartwarming when BoJack's able to push past that to try to patch things up some with Hollyhock at the end.
Never watched this show but after this insightful look into the Bo's inner struggle I have added it to my must watch list. Thanks again J2C
Bojack may not be the best guy, but I do relate to his life: the negative parts and how he thinks. He did the best thing his parents never did. He told Hollyhock the way he is wasn’t her fault.
This show is a perfect example of how representation in a show, whether it be ethnicity, sexuality, or mentality is important to see in Media.
Ah yes, its one of the many episodes that completely wrecked me....10/10
it scares me how real the show is, i’ve never relate to a show this much in my entire life. it scares me how i can also be like this if i keep up those negative traits. it’s too accurate for everyone
Sending much love and a hug to everyone who identifies with Bojack's inner thoughts. You are not alone, you are not a piece of shit and I swear it gets better.
Amazing breakdown as always. This was one of the first episodes i related to, and i loved seeing how accurate you wrote things out
This is the episode that broke me, had to take a break from the show for months. It made me reflect on who i was at the time, i eventually was in a better place and managed to watch the entire show. Thank you for this breakdown
Bojack is the most relatable animated character in history. Correct me if I'm wrong.
plank?
it's okay if you relate to him but in actuality we are all different people so naturally each of us will relate to different characters. long story short; yes...yes you’re wrong.
immuna be real, in his mindset he is relatable, in his actions he is not
The mindset of Bojack is what I'm referring to. That state of mind of thinking all the possibilities how something can wrong prevents you from taking a rational course of action. "Stupid piece of shit" phase floats around in my head before the series came out and actually seeing a protagonist (and antagonist depending how you look at it) go through these mental loops kinda makes me smile like, "hehe, I know the feeling."
@@zigaskakauskas Nah Rocko.
As a person who has a serious problem with over thinking do to past trauma i can sadly relate to bojack as he really is only cocky because he was not loved but at some point you can't blame others for the over thinking and self dedication behavior. Its hard to love yourself when all your life others have shown you that you don't deserve love. Doing even simple tasks can be hard and you just feel like you disappoint others. He is his own worse enemy but is not blameless. Its even harder when you are aware what you do is wrong but have a feeling you can't stop. Sometimes you need other but going to them won't help. He is at the point of no return, he can be better with work but can never be on the same level as others.
Sometimes our wounding is so severe, that it takes over ourselves. The trauma is a like a monster that can overtake us, and it feeds on all sort of addictions. I started my addiction very young because of emotional neglect.
His lie to her is a nice gesture. But he would be correct in saying "No, but you can work with it"
giving false hope like that is harm, exclusively.
True although Bojack has no hope for himself and has never learned so.
@@y.9645 yepperoni. And by passing a poor coping mechanism on he perpetuates a dangerous deloosion
Beautiful analysis on one of my favorite episodes; I always took the final scene as a disheartening fallacy that that nagging sense of self-worthlesness would cling to Hollyhock despite Bojack's affirmations, due to their familial ties. But I think you put it best, that in breaking the cycle it can create something new for her. Great work as always :)
There are several episodes of Bojack that I can't watch with other people because well... "I'm in this photo and I don't like it". This is one of them. The inner monologue is brutal.
To be honest I can relate to Bojack because not only do I over think everything and have insecurities, I do to have a neglective mother. She may be nice to me sometimes, but she can always make someone feel low about them selves like saying "I hate my body!" And then say "We're the same even our self body imagerie issues." When I was 7... Only 7 year old me never had an insecuritie until she started to tell me these things.
I was waiting for this one since the episode ranking video! Hell yeah let's goooo
I would love an episode breakdown on either Ruthie or The Amelia Earhart Story! PC episodes are top tier
very good news for you then, stay tuned in the next week or so :)
@@Johnny2Cellos hey, I know it's been awhile since you dine a video this, but i was wondering next year like March or something, do a video on Khan: The American Dreamer.
this is the episode that completly changed my persption of bojack. Until that point i hated him, i hated everything about him i thought he was an awful person but then this episode.. when they showed me how he constatly thinks i couldnt hate him anymore because thats how i think, thats what i think when i get up in the morning, when i eat cookies when im with my friendes, etc.. bojack was.. is me. I cant hate him
YES I’ve been waiting for this! This is my favorite episode of Bojack Horseman
I’ve self sabotage a lot in the past bc of trauma and hoping to grow on this. I hate it , I have a lot of good traits but this is a awful thing n relate to this episode a lot
I'm leaving a comment here because I'm not sure where else I could ever talk about this, but this is the episode that made me realize something was wrong. I won't play a violin for myself, but it was rough growing up, then trying to be a self-sufficient young adult during/post COVID-19 - ironically around the same time I started watching Bojack Horseman. And this was the episode to make me realize hating yourself was not normal. Most people didn't have a constant, cruel, self-loathing monologue in their head telling them they were constantly worthless and stupid and just the worst. Watching these thoughts actively push Bojack away from the few people that cared about him made me pause, both literally and mentally, and realize I needed serious change and help. Since then I've been working on changing myself. Sometimes it's in minor ways, sometimes in bigger ways. And I find more often than not I keep ending up in the same toxic situations. Even if it's not perfect, it's a little easier to look at myself in the mirror, I don't immediately feel like vomiting when most people express affection towards me. That's enough improvement to prove I'm doing something right. If anyone bothers reading this and they're in a similar shitty boat, not sure if they are capable of change or even that you're doomed to be like *this* forever, I will personally tell you. You're not doomed. You're not evil. You're not incapable of change or good things. You are human, so treat yourself humanely.
don't know if anyone already mentioned this, but to me, it feels like BoJack was constantly having these kinds of thoughts throughout his entire life. maybe not to this extent, but close to it. it can't be that it happened only once during one specific period. it's just the episode that was to depict it. and knowing how's he self-conscious - that may be indeed
would've explained a lot of his rushed reactions and misdeeds, as if trying to stop that inner self-abuse right that moment...
This episode is my favorite. As someone who has anxiety attacks this episode portrays inner thoughts perfectly. Some days it does feel like no matter what you do you feel like crap
Fun fact: this was the first episode of the show I ever saw and I fell in love due to how relatable it is to me
Thanks for explaining this! This is one of my favourite episodes because of how I relate to the inner monologue that Bojack has, and I'm so glad that you broke it down.
In the end the lie he tells Holly is only a lie to him. The voice never left him alone, but it doesn't mean Holly can't fight it off and win.
Probably the most important lie he's ever told.
The end of this episode always chokes me up. One of my favorites!
Can't wait to see you breakdown Ruthie, possibly one of my favorite BoJack Episodes
This episode actually helped me try to control more of these self-deprecating and loathing habits and thoughts that I have. I often just wake up hating myself and my choices. To a point where my mood is just sour all day and my depression just takes over and I get nothing done.I’ve gotten better but I still slip up every now and again. It’s just part of the process of trying to get better mentally.
This is my favorite episode!! You explained it so well!! I love the way your analyze and explain everything!!
Johnny I have few things to say and that is you piece of amazing. This is the best best bojack horsejack videos among your videos I have seen. Thanks
This is my favorite episode in the series. Bojack actually cares about hollyhock, and wants her to know he cares. But that nagging voice that we all have inside of us just won’t let that love shine through.
Cool detail I just noticed: in the finale of bojack, there’s a magazine cover and you can see that Wanda went into a second coma and woke back up and was named the president of her network that she worked for in season 2. Cool ending for her character, even if it’s small
I dunno if this is actually necessary but in regards to the ending...
I was really looking forward to this breakdown and it came on a day where I really needed it.
I don't just come watch them because I have an interest in Bojack, I come because your dissections of the characters as people help me make a little more sense out of people in real life, including myself. These are always heartfelt and interesting and I love each breakdown, even outside of this show.
Again, I'm sure it wasn't needed but just on the off chance.
I love your videos and how you explain everything! Keep the amazing job
This episode is a good examination of how intense anxiety can make you lash out or otherwise be… well, shitty, to people around you, because of how focused you are on beating yourself up and seeing the worst in every situation. It’s an ugly truth and an aspect of anxiety that very rarely gets any focus, but it’s an important thing to recognize.
This is the episode that stuck with me the most. I think about it all the time. So I am very glad you decided to do a video on it
I was just binging these, took a break, and a new one released, incredible
I love the different animation. It’s pretty humorous.
Hearing bojack think all those things in this ep his like a brick and is sometimes way too relatable
This episode is so relateable, and the last scene just crushed everything.
S tier episode. Double S Tier media representing and demonstrating the mind of someone who has High anxiety and depression.
Thank you for covering this episode. This show means a lot to so many people and this episode really shows why.
When I first started watching this episode, I took it as a possible not so dark ep, but the further the episode went, the more my anxiety manifested itself, because I know these feelings and it was hard even to rewatch it sometimes
It’s so scary how accurate this is to me, that part where he says I think about every shitty thing I have done and why I am undeserving of love then I always over analyze what I did wrong and come up with a bunch of negative reasons for why people hate me.
I can relate to this episode because I have the same thoughts of negative thoughts just like Bojack. But while watching this, I wanted to cry. Its a relatable episode for everyone who is dealing with self doubt, but it shows that you can change & become a better person.
this episode is one of the most dangerous ones in regards to relating to Bojack. He is a terrible person... but that inner dialoge he has is something I struggle myself with. Even though I didnt want it i related SO deeply to him in this episode! The thought spirals, always seeing the worst in every situation... Its so relatable
This breaks down a lot of what I’m going through right now. Watching the episode was extremely emotional and reliving it through this analytical lens is getting to me again
I’m a simple gal. I see Johnny with a new BoJack video. I click to watch.
This episode hit home for a lot of people And Honestly don't we all feel like stupid pieces of shit like Bojack did in this episode Mr peanut butter has a good point everyone deserves to be loved hang in there
I just wanted a quick thing to watch in the morning and now I'm crying. Great video