BoJack Horseman, the washed-up TV star (and humanoid horse) voiced by Will Arnett, was always seen as a lovable anti-hero. The titular character of the Netflix animated comedy — who struggled with alcohol, drugs, and depression over the course of six seasons — was always out to better himself, but it too often came at the expense of others. The final seasons of the series test BoJack's likability by revealing an undeniable pattern of abuse that began early in his career. His long list of indiscretions include an affair with his manager's young assistant, choking a female costar, taking a friend's daughter to her high school prom, and carrying on a sexual relationship with the actress who once played his daughter on TV. His reckoning comes after the press discovers he gave that former costar the drugs that led to her fatal overdose.
"BoJack Horseman" shows what accountability for abusers really looks like. It is more than releasing a public apology and disappearing from the public eye for a few months. BoJack claims he is a different person, but the show doesn't let him off the hook for his past misdeeds. He's forced to put in the work, to try to understand the pain he caused, knowing he may not be forgiven. In the end, he suffers the consequences for what he has done, but learns through the process.
