Episode Highlights - Bojack Horseman Season 4, Episode 3: Hooray! Todd Episode!

Hooray is right! Thank goodness for Todd episodes. After the heart-shattering despair-fest that was Episode 2: The Old Sugarman Place, we really, really needed one.

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

Basically everything. Todd Chavez is a ray of sunshine in human form. But the most memorable standouts are…

• Keith David’s unmistakably awesome voice as the regal lion from the orchestra (clarinet player?) who tells a dramatic story about Todd rescuing his daughter and delivering his grandchild. And at the end of the episode, he’s just so happy that Todd actually took some time for himself, even if it meant missing his triangle solo—because “no man should be asked to give that much.”
• Through this whole episode, Todd is just constantly helping his friends in ways they often don’t notice or know about. It’s wonderful seeing Todd appreciated, even when nobody else thinks he “does anything.” He does. He tries so hard.
• Mr. Peanutbutter’s political tactics: take a stand. Do not tell the people what stand that is until you know what’s more popular. He’s on the side of facts—and also on the side of feelings!

• Meeting Hollyhock, another adorable ray of sunshine, this time in horse form. (If she can stop chloroforming people. But what is she going to do, not use it?) Hello, Hollyhock Manheim-Mannheim-Guerrero-Robinson-Zilberschlag-Hsung-Fonzerelli-McQuack!
• Hollyhock is looking for Bojack, her maybe-bio-sperm-guy… but she already has eight dads. An octo-dad, you might say. All together in a loving, gay, committed, polyamorous relationship. Seriously, this is more important than it might seem—polyamorous people don’t tend to get much media representation at all, unless it’s the religious polygamy version, or comparing it (multiple people in a consensual or mutual relationship) to cheating, which it definitely isn’t. Hearing this so casually alluded-to, and nobody in-universe thinking even this… rather intense version is strange at all, but a really wholesome and healthy-sounding family—it’s refreshing.

• Timm Gunn and Marc Jacobs’ cameos—at the fashion show Todd stumbles into and starts modeling on the spot. Timm brought a sewing machine. Todd thinks fashion is for everyone—and Tim agrees! The be-hatted boy is right!
• …So for the remainder of the episode (and throughout the season), background characters will be wearing Todd’s clothes (priced up to $50,000 for his hat). Couch-surfer couture!

THE HOWLERS:

Mr. Peanutbutter, on seeing Todd’s omelet of his face: “Wow! This must be what I’d look like to a starving shipwrecked person!”

Todd: “I never know if I can handle anything! That’s what makes my life so exciting.”

The tongue twisters! “Courtly roles like the formerly portly consort are Courtney Portnoy’s forte.” Say that thr—no, don’t. But what clinches it is Todd’s response to the dizzying word-string:

Todd: “Makes perfect sense so far!”

• Todd Naruto-runs! (Arms flung out behind him, like a real ninja.)
• From the trailer, and still hilarious:

Hollyhock: “Ever since I was a baby, people always said I looked like Bojack Horseman.”Todd: “That’s a terrible thing to say to a baby!”

Bojack, when Hollyhock chloroforms him: “Ohhh yeah. Deliver me.”

• Todd’s attempts at Hollyhock’s name: Manheim-Mannheim-Gorilla-Rub-A-Dub-Dub-Zoolander-Hallelujah-Something-McDonalds?

Pharmacist, weirdly enthusiastically: “Nothing like working with hair, blood, and semen all day to work up an appetite!”

Bojack: “I don’t mind having someone in the house with me in case I start choking on pills or have a funny take on current events that demands an audience…”

Katrina: “Well, I guess we’re pro-fracking now!” (runs off yelling into a pillow and continues running around yelling into it in the background for the rest of the scene)

• Todd’s exuberant dancing to distract Diane from the internet! He’s been going for 55 minutes! It’s a Samba.

Courtney Portnoy: “Do you ever feel like everybody’s looking at you, but nobody sees you?”Todd: “Yeah! That’s exactly how I feel!”Courtney: “No, I was speaking rhetorically about a feeling that only movie stars get.”

• Bojack can’t get into a new relationship right now. Can’t break another heart. Not Channing Tatum. (Actually he still seems really sincere here, as he is talking with Todd about their issues. Another small sign that he’s actively trying.)

THE HEART-PUNCHES:

This is a pretty fun episode, but it does pack a couple emotional whammies.

Bojack: “I’ve been so lucky to have people in my life who care about me. I don’t deserve any of them. I definitely don’t deserve to have a friend as amazing, and generous, and thoughtful, and forgiving, as…”Todd, hopeful: “Yeah?”Bojack: “Channing Tatum.”Todd, disappointed: “…Oh.”

• Bojack and Todd talking after all this time and addressing their past, and Bojack’s sleeping with Emily, Todd’s then-girlfriend. Bojack actually recognizes how crappily he’s treated Todd, and tries to earnestly apologize—but Todd isn’t ready to hear it yet, or be friends. And this is actually such a huge step for both of them. Bojack acknowledging his mistreatment of Todd, and Todd standing up for himself and respecting his own feelings. They’ve both very tangibly grown as people. (Also, we know how important someone not forgiving Bojack is, and how much Bojack needs to learn to accept this. Wow.)

Bojack: “I got more of you than I ever deserved. And if you never talk to me again, I just want you know that I appreciate it, and… I appreciate you.”

• Todd telling Bojack he’s asexual. The joy, excitement, and relief in his voice as he says the words—“I am asexual!”—is so true and amazing. If you’ve ever tried to figure out exactly who you are and especially your sexual or romantic orientation… this will ring so true, and hit hard.
• And how Bojack’s receives it. He makes a few off-color jokes, mostly under the assumption that asexual people never, ever have or want sex, which Todd seems to think too right now—but he has a lot of learning to do, which he does, over the season. But aside from a pretty Bojack-standard response, once Todd says he doesn’t want to joke about being ace, or their rocky friendship, he stops. Completely. It’s small, but an encouraging sign.
• Todd going to the ace meetup at the end, after spending the episode worrying that it won’t be everything he wants. “Sometimes the idea of something is better than the truth, you know?” He’s scared and trying to figure himself out alone so far, but nothing helps as much as belonging and community. This is so important to show, and in a sea of TV shows with negative, stereotypical asexual representation, or flat-out erasure, this is incredible to see.

The sign has the purple, black, and white of the asexuality pride flag!

• Still on this note, one line of Todd's in particular sticks out to me: “I don’t know if I’m allowed to be in love.” In any other context, this would be pretty negative—asexual people are often thought to be ‘broken’ or unfeeling, and aromantic people are even more ignored and stigmatized… but the show actually makes the distinction in a future episode-- and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard the word ‘aromantic’ used on the big or small screen. The future scene has a slight “see, ace people can still love like normal people” feeling, and I would have appreciated something that affirmed aromantic people are just as acceptable/good, but for what it is… this is a huge step. Huge. And even this falter is what it can feel like, trying to figure yourself out and if you're "doing it right," or "allowed to be," if you're "queer enough." I liked seeing that reflected, and... I don't speak for every ace or aro person out there, but I deeply appreciated it.
• The sweet smile on Todd’s face as he walks out the door.

Todd: “Welcome back, Bojack. It’s good to see you.”

• A minor but nice one: when the whale news anchor stops after his teleprompter seems to malfunction, he quips “what happened, did Randy pass out his keyboard?” Randy actually did—and the anchorman is surprised and concerned, telling everyone to make sure he’s okay and call his wife. “This isn’t just a news room, this is a family!”

BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS:

• The books in Princess Carolyn’s office all have cat themes: A Tale Of Two Kitties, Me Meow Pretty One Day, Romeow and Juliet, Purrity, Purmese Days, Consider The Lobster, The Big Book of (cat’s?) Pajamas, The Color Prurple, and Purrsepolis!

The pair of bird reporters who show up here, and in several previous episodes, look a lot like animated, bird versions of the reporters hounding Gene Hackman and Robin Williams in the movie… The Birdcage.

• Bojack has a distinctive sunset painting hanging on his wall. It kind of looks like a butt. Who first showed him a sunset that looked like a butt? (This heart-punch is too much, man.)

All in all, this was an incredibly-necessary breath of fun, Todd-scented air, and one of my favorite Season 4 episodes so far. Can't wait to see what's coming--join me next time for more Bojack highlights!