10 Most Shocking Bojack Horseman Moments

10. Bojack Is Abused By His Mother

The series developed a darker tone in the second half of its first season. Nevertheless, that season’s overall atmosphere was one of irreverent comedy, making the opening of season two all the more shocking. The season pretty much opens with a minute and a half of child abuse. This firmly cements sadness as the show’s mainstay.

In this shocking season introduction, we see the full force of Beatrice Horseman’s cruelty as she blames a young Bojack, her son, for all the woes of her life. While upsetting, the short scene reveals so much about Bojack. We glimpse the origins of his offbeat humour, inherited from his father. We see the start of his cycle of successes which are immediately soured. We see the thrill of his first mention on television. We see his mother plant the bitter motivation for success and in all this, the beginnings of his complex self-loathing.

It’s a huge amount of character development in just a minute and a half. In these moments the depth of the character increases dramatically, establishing Bojack as a tragic anti-hero to rival any of his human counterparts.

From this moment on the show became a critical darling noted for its melancholy, bravery, complexity, wit and tragedy. What a way to open a series.