By now, “BoJack Horseman” has made it punishingly clear that cute animal puns and sorrowful storylines needn’t be mutually exclusive. The unusually optimistic conclusion for the animated comedy’s fourth season, however, may have heralded a turning point in the typically gloomy journey of Will Arnett’s title character, potentially paving the way for further personal progress in this next set of episodes.
In particular, Season 5 of the animated comedy will have to contend with the changing relationship between Bojack and Hollyhock (Aparna Nancherla) after it was revealed that the equine actor’s supposed daughter is actually his half-sister. Speaking of family, we’re also likely to see the character’s complicated relationship with his mother Beatrice (Wendie Malick) move into some freshly devastating territory as the abusive parent advances into her twilight years.
The stallion star will be joined once more by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie), whose troubled marriage with golden retriever Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) could finally be coming to a head. Meanwhile, you can expect Aaron Paul to return as BoJack’s best friend Todd Chavez, who might be in the early stages of his first relationship with a fellow asexual character.
As for Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), BoJack’s former agent has had it particularly rough lately, between her recent miscarriage and her breakup, and it’s a safe bet that her desire for a child will continue into the new season. Carolyn is also responsible for bringing BoJack back to work, having roped her ex-boyfriend into performing in a neo-noir detective series that will presumably serve as another channel for some sharp Hollywood satire.
But ultimately, what we’d most like to see from Season 5 is a show that continues to test the limits of what a cartoon about a talking horse can and should be, whether it’s through gut-wrenching moments of emotional honesty or endearing strokes of comedic absurdity.
“BoJack Horseman” returns to Netflix on September 14. Here’s the first trailer: