History BojackHorseman / TropesTToZ

** In season 5, ''Philbert'''s writer becomes a take that at shows that use TrueArtIsIncomprehensible as an excuse for what is otherwise crappy writing, making everything metaphorical or overly complex, while having little actual content or plotline. Diane later adds to this by saying that the show is meant as a deconstruction of toxic masculinity, but is actually using this as an excuse to bask in it shamelessly, which includes gratuitous sexual violence.
*** At the end of season 5, after the time keeping website leaves streaming, the aforementioned writer proposes just finding some other random website to host them. "Or if we're ''really'' desperate, {{Creator/TNT}}".

*** [[spoiler: In an attempt to counter said decay, [=BoJack=] and director Kelsey Jannings hatched a scheme to finish a scene at President Nixon's Oval Office from the original version of the film, breaking into the Nixon Library and causing a police shoot-out in the process. This led the producer to fire Jannings and replace her with Abe D'Catfish (a director known for making schmaltzy, feel-good movies.]]

* WhamEpisode: Many episodes in the latter halves of both Season 1 and Season 2, especially [[spoiler:"The Telescope", "Downer Ending" and "Escape From L.A."]] There are so many [[WhamEpisode/BoJackHorseman there's even a page dedicated to them]].

* TriangRelations: A major plot line is the evolution of [=BoJack=]'s relationship with Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter, including how they perceive it to be and how it really is.
** [=BoJack=] falls in love with Diane, who's in a committed relationship with his rival, Mr. Peanutbutter--who, for his part, genuinely likes [=BoJack=] and is always trying to become his friend, despite the constant rejection.
** Then, when they start working together: Diane's focused on [=BoJack=], whose interest for her is growing, yet only for his biography and is truly in love with Mr. Peanutbutter, who yearns to be [=BoJack=]'s friend much to the latter's displeasure and annoyance. At the same time, as feelings start coming to the upfront, both the horse and the labrador end up in the same running path to win Diane's heart, putting them in conflict as rivals, all while Diane remains oblivious for the most part, especially regarding [=BoJack=]'s real feelings.
** And then it gets really weird thanks to [=BoJack=] starting to make actual efforts to win Diane over, while Diane remains devoted to Mr. Peanutbutter while at the same time seeing her relationship with [=BoJack=] grow as a strong bond of friendship. Followed very swiftly by Type 8 when both of her suitors's relationship evolves from a one-sided friendship to a two-sided rivalry to a reluctant partnership, complete with uneasy civil treatment.
** Meanwhile, from Diane's point of view, it's more of a Type 10 with a more platonic edge: she's in a committed relationship but has feelings for [=BoJack=] in a way ([[MasterOfTheMixedMessage sort of]]).
*** It all eventually falls apart however by the series finale. Diane & Peanutbutter are long since divorced. [=BoJack=]'s friendship with Diane fades into a form of co-dependency until [=BoJack=] ends up in prison. Diane ends up in a second marriage and moving far away from California. The strange thing is that in the end, from the entire cast, the last pairing left with a strong friendship is [=BoJack=] and Mister Peanutbutter.

* TheatreIsTrueActing: Bojack repeatedly tries to transition into stage roles, as his mother has long disdained his television and film work as "it's not [Creator/HenrikIbsen]" and he desperately wants to prove to her that he could do a stage play if given the chance. In the finale, he finally gets his chance... [[spoiler:directing a production of ''Theatre/HeddaGabler'' while in prison.]]

* ThirdPartyDealBreaker: In "[[Recap/BojackHorsemanS3E08OldAcquaintance Old Acquaintance]]", Bojack's plan to star in a small independent movie is sabotaged by his manager, Princess Carolyn, who wants to sign him to a big-budget film trilogy, and thus demands more money from the indie in order to scare them off. When he finds out about it, he's pissed and decides to fire her.

*** It all eventually falls apart however by the series finale. Diane & Peanutbutter are long since divorced. Bojack's friendship with Diane fades into a form of co-dependency until Bojack ends up in prison. Diane ends up in a second marriage and moving far away from California. The strange thing is that in the end, from the entire cast, the last pairing left with a strong friendship is Bojack and Mister Peanutbutter.

*** Princess Carolyn managed to push this forward as her first producer role (cause [[RunningGag the different between an agent and a manager is a manager can produce]]) and actually originally signed Bojack on by ''forging his signature''. What was originally meant to be a more serious detective show quickly went sideways into a very melodramatic, exploitative, ''apocalyptic'' adventure due to juggling the demands of egotistical producers and [[WagTheDirector stubborn actors]].

*** A cheap production and Princess Carolyn being distracted by personal problems lead to Bojack attempting some of his own stunts, which results in a serious back injury. He is prescribed opioid pain killers to cope, which he ends up addicted to. While trying to detox, he [[spoiler: purposefully gets into a car accident so he can justify another prescription]], which only leads to things getting worse and eventually while on set [[spoiler: he was supposed to mime strangling his co-star and ended up throttling her for real]]. This results in the production running damage control, and Bojack [[spoiler: is spurned by Diane to go to rehab]].

* VirileStallion: Deconstructed, Bojack is a washed-up Hollywood celebrity who [[ReallyGetsAround has sex with a lot of women]], but he does so to compensate for his loneliness and depression. It also bites him in the back, as he not only [[spoiler:has a serious fallout with his ex-girlfriend Charlotte due to seemingly sleeping with her teenage daughter Penny]], but also [[spoiler:his relationship with his former co-star Sarah Lynn leads to her drug-induced death, which also ruins his entire career]].

* VitriolicBestBuds: As the series goes on, Bojack and Diane end up being one of the closest friendships in the show despite regularly having very big arguments and blow-outs. The thing about Bojack is that even though he treats others poorly he is so full of self-loathing that when other people are having a bad day he is the last one to start moralizing to them and will let them vent out their frustrations without judgement. Diane, in turn, appreciates that side of him when she needs it, while she also ends up feeling comfortable enough to call him out when needed. By the fifth season their friendship is probably the most strained it's ever been, Diane still calls him her best friend.

* WatchItStoned: Sarah Lynn insists on going to the planetarium with Bojack during their bender. When he finally agrees to go, it's {{Deconstructed|Trope}} and she reveals that what she REALLY likes about planetariums isn't the trippy graphics –- it's the work that had to go into constructing the domed building.

** "Xerox of a Xerox" gives us two during Bojack’s second interview that casts a new, much harsher light on [[spoiler:Sarah Lynn’s death]].

** From "Intermediate Scene Study w/ Bojack Horseman", [[spoiler:Bojack gets a phone call. What does the screen say when it cuts to it? "Calling: Charlotte."]]

* WhenSheSmiles: Bojack has a particularly powerful version of this in the fourth season finale. After finally solving the mystery of Hollyhock's mother, [[spoiler: Bojack's father impregnated the maid, she contacts him expressing gratitude knowing Bojack is her brother]]. He gives a pure look of joy as the last shot of the season.

* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: InUniverse, the show Bojack stars in the fifth season "Philbert" slowly spirals out of control due to a TroubledProduction. The head writer/director [[CreatorBreakdown slowly has a breakdown]] and no one knows exactly what they are trying to film in any given scene. The episode "INT: Sub" is about a scene that was supposed to read "INT: Subway" but that mistake lead to the set crew building a ''submarine'' set, and they had to work backwards to explain why this FilmNoir detective show ends up on a submarine.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: '''And how!''' Pretty much the only thing [=BoJack=] ''doesn't'' do to help himself is seek therapy.
** Averted in season 3 regarding [[spoiler: Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane. After she stayed away from the house pretending to be in Cordovia in season 2, the two of them actually start to go to couples counseling sessions during season 3, though Diane struggles with expressing herself and communicating effectively.]]

** Equally {{downplayed|Trope}} with Mr. Peanutbutter, who's a NiceGuy for the most part except when unpleasant topics arise at which point his passive-aggressiveness and oblivious nature get turned UpToEleven as auto-protection. This leads him to show little empathy toward others and fail to understand how to handle it in a healthy way, resorting to suppressing it outright and exploding when it becomes too much for him to handle. His perspective is also pure StrawNihilist with his antics and foolishness often ways he distracts himself from the horridness of living and makes him do a lot of really stupid things, which contributes to people seeing him as common Hollywoo(d) shallowness. He can admit he's wrong when he feels he's gone too far and can occasionally confront an obstacle when there's no other way around it.

** Season 4 takes this UpToEleven in the premiere, where [[spoiler: Mr. Peanutbutter challenges the current Governor to a race-off down Devil's Mountain in order to take control of California]]. This goes on for a ''month'' with everyone commenting on it. When [[spoiler: the Governor ''finally'' explains how it'd be blatantly unconstitutional to decide the Governor in this fashion before saying that ''if'' an amendment was passed to allow it, he'd accept]], [[SkewedPriorities the public is quickly ready to adopt such a plan]].

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Princess Carolyn has pink fur.