At first glance, a lot of people probably looked right past Bojack Horsemen. The Netflix animated series about an anthropomorphic horse who used to be a television star seems like it doesn't have much to say on the surface. However, it ended up being one of the most poignant shows you could find anywhere.
The series ultimately handled all manner of important subjects from addiction to depression to trauma to sexism and much more. The way it blended the drama of these things with the comedy aspects made for some truly special television. All seven seasons were met with praise so seeing which one scored the highest on IMDb is interesting.
Season 1 (7.9)
It seemed like the first season of Bojack Horsemen was mostly there to establish the characters and focus on the funnier aspects of things. There were a few things that had some emotional weight but nowhere near on the level of what would eventually happen in the series.
The main focus was on Bojack working with Diane Nguyen to complete his memoirs and setting up their complicated relationship. Audiences also got to see how Todd Chavez, Princess Carolyn, and Mr. Peanutbutter all are involved with Bojack. The season mostly improved as it went on, peaking with the penultimate episode, "Downer Ending" (9.2).
Season 2 (8.2)
Season 2 centered on Bojack landing a major movie part and filming Secretariat, which was his dream role. In typical Bojack fashion, it actually didn't go all that well for him. He ends up running off to New Mexico with an old flame (Charlotte) and staying with her family in "Escape From L.A." (9.3). While there, he discovers that filming was finished without him.
Although this was still early in the show's run, these episodes were important and established the major recurring storyline involving Bojack and Charlotte's daughter. This season also saw Diane stay with Bojack instead of Mr. Peanutbutter in "Yes And" (8.5) and Bojack as a guest star on Mr. Peanutbutter's game show in the hilarious "Let's Find Out" (8.8).
Season 3 (8.4)
The third season got off to a somewhat lackluster start. It wasn't bad but the ratings for the first three episodes were 7.9, 8.1, and 7.5, which wasn't quite up to peak Bojack Horseman levels. That all changed with the fourth installment, "Fish Out Of Water" (9.6). The entire half-hour includes Bojkay only speaking one line of spoken dialogue and tells an engaging story despite that.
Bojack struggles with the praise for Secretariat since he was digitally replaced in post-production, especially when he is nominated for an Oscar. The true thing that puts this season over the top is the way that it ends. "That's Too Much, Man!" (9.6) followed Bojack and Sarah Lynn on a bender that led to her heartbreaking death, which rattled Bojack until the end of the series. This was also the season where Todd came to understand that he was asexual.
Season 4 (8.5)
Following Sarah Lynn's tragic death, Bojack disappeared. Viewers badly wanted to see what happened to him but the season opened with a side story of Mr. Peanutbutter competing with the Governor ahead of their campaigns. "See Mr. Peanutbutter Run" (7.7) wasn't a great start. Thankfully, "The Old Sugarman Place" (9.3) followed and centered on Bojack returning to his old family home for some time away.
There was also "Hooray! Todd Episode!" (8.4), which was praised for shining a light on everyone's favorite supporting character. This season introduced important characters like Bojack's sister Hollyhock and Princess Carolyn's baby Ruthie. The latter's titular episode (9.0) was an emotional one. The season peaked with "Time's Arrow" (9.8), which gave a flashback to the rough life of Beatrice Horseman.
Season 5 (8.7)
The romance between Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter was a rollercoaster almost from day one. Season 5 saw them get a divorce in "The Dog Days Are Over" (9.0) and that sent Diane on a new path that included spending some time in Vietnam. For Bojack, this season dealt with him starring on a new show, Philbert, where he hooked up with his co-star Gina Cazador. There was also the storyline of Mr. Peanutbutter dating Pickles Aplenty.
The series arguably hit a high point with "Free Churro" (9.8), which was where Bojack gave an episode-long eulogy at what he thought was his mother's funeral. The last few episodes were also highly emotional, as a drug-induced Bojack attacked Gina on the set of Philbert in "The Showstopper" (9.6), followed by "The Stopped Show" (9.1), which dealt with Bojack and his friends trying to manage the PR nightmare.
Season 6 (8.8)
More often than not, a lot of shows tend to dip in quality as the seasons go on. For Bojack Horseman, the opposite is actually true. The show only improved with each passing season, even if it was only by a small fraction. This was the longest season, clocking in at 16 episodes (split up over two parts) and started with Bojack trying to get clean in "A Horse Walks Into A Rehab" (9.1). Elsewhere, Diane moved away and started a relationship with a new boyfriend, while the romance between Mr. Peanutbutter and Pickles came to a head in the excellent "Surprise!" (9.1).
There were many other great episodes including "The Face of Depression" (9.4), "Good Damage" (9.0), and "Xerox of a Xerox" (9.2). However, the show managed to pull off the impressive feat of wrapping it all up in arguably the best fashion possible. "Angela" (9.0) was a strong episode but the final two installments are incredible. "The View From Halfway Down" (9.9) scored the highest rating of the entire series and focused on Bojack's past haunting him in a trippy sense. Then, "Nice While It Lasted" (9.6) made for a great finale that was right in line with the show's tone.