Scroll down to take a look at some of the most gut-wrenching episodes of ‘BoJack Horseman’.
No one expects this amount of sadness from an anthropomorphic animated show, but ‘BoJack Horseman’ was different. The saddest moments in the show came from nowhere and left us teary-eyed.
Highlights —
- Most heart-wrenching episodes of ‘BoJack Horseman’
- No show wore depression as proudly as ‘BoJack Horseman’
- The saddest episode came in the end
No show wore depression as proudly as ‘BoJack Horseman’
Be it the view from Halfway Down when BoJack came to know that no one’s coming to help him, or the finale episode where BoJack and viewers realize that consequences of your past don’t simply go away, the show was bittersweet and brilliant till the end. There is no show that can match the depth of emotions and empathy that ‘BoJack Horseman’ presented.
We are sure ‘BoJack Horseman’ made you cry

‘BoJack Horseman’ took us from rock bottoms to rockier bottoms, exploring the depths of human emotions through the course of the show. The final season continued to break our hearts on multiple occasions just like the previous seasons. But, particularly, the last episode gave such a punch in the gut, we are still reeling under its pain and gloom.
10) Season 5, Episode 9 titled “Ancient History”
The friendship with Hollyhock was Bojack’s best shot at redemption. We saw him squandering it in this episode. Hollyhock flushes his painkillers down the drain when she finds out about BoJack. He drags her along into a shady drug deal. But, at the end of the episode, she makes him promise he’ll get sober. Later, he decides to drive into traffic just so he can get a prescription for more painkillers. Are you teary-eyed already? Well, this is just the beginning.
9) Season 1, Episode 8 titled “The Telescope”
We get a taste of Bojack’s bitter relationship with his old friend Herb Kazzaz (Stanley Tucci) on season 6. This is not a mere coincidence. They have a long painful history as shown in “The Telescope”. BoJack tries to mend fences after discovering that Herb is dying of cancer. But Herb isn’t able to forgive him for his past ugly betrayal. Herb dies later. BoJack had to carry the burden of gloom throughout the course of six seasons (especially in S6).
8) Season 2, Episode 11 titled “Escape From L.A.”
In this episode, BoJack goes on a road trip to visit an old friend. He did not know that he is going to get a taste of his own existence in the visit. He finds out that his friend is married through a montage of photos with an upbeat song called Kyle and the Kids. It is revealed later that Charlotte has a family. She is happily married to a human named Kyle. The couple is very much in love and they have two children together – a teen deer girl named Penny and a teen human son named Trip.
Towards the end of the episode, she opens the door and finds Penny and BoJack on his bed, seemingly about to undress each other. Charlotte is horrified on seeing BoJack and Penny in this position. She angrily asks Penny to go to her room. She runs out crying. BoJack tries to apologize, but Charlotte, furious, threatens him that if he doesn’t leave within thirty minutes, she will call the police. And she breaks ties with him forever. Worse could have happened if Charlotte hadn’t walked in. It was a time when fans had to reconsider who they were rooting for.
7) Season 5, Episode 6 titled “Free Churro”
This remarkable episode sees Emmy-nominated Bojack delivering a eulogy to his cruel, mentally-ill mother Beatrice (voiced by Wendie Malick). This is ironically the funniest single episode on this list. The episode still lingers on in viewers’ heads and is a reflection on the wreckage wrought by Beatrice. It was a close reminder of the fact that death does not close the lid on past abuse. Will Arnett was brilliant in this particular scene.
6) Season 4, Episode 6 titled “Stupid Piece of Sh*t”
In this episode, we see Bojack continuing to care for his dementia-addled mentally sick mother (now nursing a “baby” doll). We also get to hear his innermost thoughts, a cacophony of self-loathing, brilliantly emphasised by the frenzied animation. In the end, we get a hint that Hollyhock may be carrying this family’s self-loathing trait too.
5) Season 4, Episode 9 titled “Ruthie”
Bojack had previously considered the option of abortion with Diane (voiced by Alison Brie). In this episode, we see Princess Carolyn (voiced by Amy Sedaris) dealing with miscarriage trauma. The episode chooses to tell the pain from the perspective of her never-to-be-born daughter, making it all the more heartbreaking. To make things even more painful, Todd (Aaron Paul) is starting a Clown Dentist practice in Princess Carolyn’s apartment.
4) Season 5, Episode 11 titled “The Showstopper”
The writers of the series decided to take Bojack’s misdeeds to the optimum so that there is no point of return. It was really hard-hitting to watch Bojack choke his girlfriend and co-star Gina (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) in a drug-induced haze. This is all happening while they are shooting gritty cop drama, Philbert. This was one of the most disturbing scenes on ‘BoJack Horseman’.
3) Season 3, Episode 11 titled “That’s Too Much, Man”
Well, it was BoJack who was responsible for former child star Sarah Lynn’s addiction. He certainly helped the former child star off the track. He certainly failed to protect her when she needed him the most. BoJack failed to provide better parental boundaries that she needed as a kid.
In the episode, both are adults and outside of their senses. But, she dies of a heroin overdose and there’s no excuse that can cover this up. We get to experience more of it in season 6. However, before that judgment arrives, there’s this episode where Sarah Lynn’s imagines another, better life, only to lose the only one in which she was doomed to live.
2) Season 6, Episode 15 titled “The View from Halfway Down”
We will not write down what happens in this episode. Those who have already watched the episode will fight back their tears just by reading the title. For those who haven’t watched the last season as of yet, they must see it themselves. And, yes keep the boxes of tissues along.
1) Season 4, Episode 11 titled “Time’s Arrow”
This is the best of the best episode ‘BoJack Horseman’ created. We finally get to see the world, and the past, through Beatrice’s increasingly mangled mind. The plotline ends with a simple act of generosity on BoJack’s part. Moreover, the returned act of politeness from Beatrice is the only and last kindness they’ll share.
Let us know how you felt while recalling these episodes. Drop your thoughts in the comments section below.
