This took a bit longer than expected to put out, but I hope you guys enjoy!! Who doesn't want three Bojack videos in a row haha?

Sarah Lynn was changing ages throughout the episode because bojack knew her at all stages of her life

For me, Diane's line that "Sometimes life's a bitch and you keep on living," is the show's thesis. The show doesn't give us a neat ending because life isn't neat. And he didn't get an entirely happy ending. He acknowledges that there's a strong possibility of him relapsing once he doesn't have the structure prison provides. Hollyhock may never want a relationship with him again. Diane didn't invite him to her wedding as PC did and I do think it's the last time that they talk. But if it's not a happy ending, it's also got some hope. Mister PB is still his friend. PC and Diane found people who make them happy. He reconciled with Diane over his last call to her. Todd points out that even if he lapses back into addiction, he can try to get sober again. Things are cyclical but you keep moving forward. That was my takeaway from the show and I thought they did a great job being realistic about all of it and exploring that.

"But isn't the point of art less what people put into it and more what people get out of it?" -Todd Chavez

Wow, you took the last episode as Bojack making amends??? I took it as him expecting to make amends and finding out all his friends have moved on, become better people, and are happier without him.

"One time, a fan asked me, 'Hey, um, you know that episode where the horse has to give Ethan a pep talk after Ethan finds out his crush only asked him to the dance because her friends were having a dorkiest date contest? In all the shots of the horse, you can see a paper coffee cup on the kitchen counter, but in the shots of Ethan, the coffee cup’s missing. Was that because the show was making a statement about the fluctuant subjectivity of memory and how even two people can experience the same moment in entirely different ways?' And I didn’t have the heart to be, like, 'No, man, some crew guy just left their coffee cup in the shot.' So instead, I was, like… 'Yeah.'"

I'm curious as to why so many people wanted bojack to die. So much so, that they stitch episodes together and come up with their own head cannon that makes this the case. However, the actual ending that we got is so much better and closer to how life actually works. There rarely are definitive endings in life and the final moments in bojack really reinforce that. Just like Diane's quote that "lifes a bitch but sometimes you keep on living". This is bojacks tale in a nutshell and a narrative I personally like so much better than simply: he dies because this is the last episode. The end. That seems way to much of an easy out/typical tv trope and I really like the idea that bojack makes mistakes and, like the rest of us, has to live with, emotionally deal with and just keep going on.

I really don't like any interpretation that involves Bojack dying, I think it's unsatisfying and runs totally counter to the rest of the show. The show is all about the morning after, that there are no clean-cut sitcom endings in life. Going on an alcohol and drug fueled bender and dying in a mansion is way too rockstar, and turns Bojack into something of a martyr. Having him wake, and have to face the consequences of his actions in life for real is way more meaningful to me. There's also the idea present that he's definitely not over his struggle, that our internal turmoil may never go away, like when he says to Todd he may relapse again, and Todd simply says "then you'll get sober again." This is backed up by Diane, being in probably the best place in her life, still having a smoking problem, and admitting to still having bad days. Bojack's journey of being a good person isn't over, because it will never be over, he's going to have struggles, but there's hope for him. I like that so much more than he just fucked everything up because his past came back to haunt him and aren't we so very dark and cynical. Honestly, I think that's rubbish.

It's funny to me how this entire show was built around the concept that real life doesn't have nice little story book endings with closure and some big finish and yet SO many fans are complaining that this show didn't end with a big flourish Bojack emulates real life, there is no grand finish, sometimes awkward small talk is how friendships end. There is no grand movie star speech, no ham fisted message about treasuring life after a near death experience, Bojack is sincere till the very end. Life is mundane, life is short, life doesn't give you closure, this was a perfect ending for a perfect depiction of a depressed alcoholic. Sometimes life's a bitch and you keep on living.

I liked this ending. I do believe it left a bit to be desired, but it all came full circle. Bojack hit his absolute low point, but awoke to the fact that giving up on life is not an answer. Afterwards he went to jail and seemingly lost a few friends (like Diane&PC), and finally chose to walk down a better, yet imperfect path.

I like the fact that the ending displayed one of the key themes of the show: life doesn't have closure. Leave the audience wanting more

I find it odd that so many people seen to think Bojack had to die for the end to be satisfying. I mean, the show has always been about living with consequences of your decisions and trying to do the best you can. Like Todd put it best, "you do the hokey pokey, and you turn yourself around. You turn yourself around, that's what it's all about ." People really do focus too much on the hokey pokey part.

"Isn't the point of art less what people put into it and more what people get out of it" ~Tood Chavez

For the most part, I also took the shows ending at it's face value. I think Bojack almost died (the second to last episode), but didn't (last episode). His "punishment" or result wasn't jail or death, but to be alone. He wanted love, so he drank with his parents to be with them. He wanted attention, so he chose to do a second interview and ruined his image. He wanted adoration, which is why he so enjoyed being a professor. He did these things to avoid his greatest fear: being alone. He thought he'd find solice in his fame, but in the end, he lost what kept him the furthest from being alone: his friends. To me the flatline symbolized the death of all his relationships. Todd had already fallen away from Bojack before the last two episodes (which is why he wasn't there to help with the Sarah Lynn debacle). He broke Princess Caroline's heart when he openly spoke of how much he loved Sarah Lynn when he never told her the same, though she did so much for him. She was just another woman taken advantage of. Lastly, in The View from Halfway Down, he broke his last relationship by calling Diane and pitting the pressure of holding his life together on her as she was taking ownership of her own issues and depression. How terrifying, upseting, and confusing it would have been for Diane to think that Bojacks "death" could have been prevented from her picking up her phone and her taking on his problems as she always had. How dare he not try to take ownership of his own life and issues and try to pawn them off on people over and over again... He grew to be just like all the failed parents who passed their trauma to others, but instead of passing it to his kids, he passed it to every other person around him... which is why they all needed to leave or else they all would fall too. It's heartbreaking... because he's trying. Bojack wants to get better... but it got so hard he ran away and tried to escape with death... and realized that death wasn't even what he wanted because it was the final loneliness! Luckily he gets a second chance, surviving the drowning, but he lost his friends in the process. Now he must truly face his fears of living alone knowing death is not an option.

I really dislike your reading of the ending tbh. The whole message of the show throughout was that even though there is damage done that can never be fixed, anybody can turn their lives around and start living in a better way. If bojack dies, one, he would not include mr. Peanutbutter in his final dream, and two, it would prove that it was too late for him. He was damaged to the point that suicide was his only option. I mean, to each their own, but I really hate this reading of the ending, even with the spin you and the editor put on it. The point of the ending imo is really seen in Bojack's conversation with todd. Are his problems solved? No. Will he relapse again? Probably. But every time he stumbles going forward will be a chance to stand up again. He's a flawed person in the process of making himself better. A process that is never finished. The lack of closure is poignant and on purpose. Bojack himself says that closure is something Steven Spielberg made up to sell movie tickets. Bojack didn't get closure with his parents, PB didn't get closure on the end of his relationship with Pickles, Todd didn't get closure with his mom, and on top of all that, we didn't get a sense of closure with this ending. There's no such thing.

Whilst it's nice to know that the complexities in writing lead to fans finding quite a lot of hidden themes through the ending, I'm still a strong proponent of the ending not being in any need of fan-expansion, it worked well enough in the sense that the world and it's characters will still be there trying to figure themselves out...doesn't need to be any sort of mindblowing epiphany to make it somewhat "deserving" of being a great show. Mostly a standard farewell works wonders in character-driven shows -- in my opinion, aside from Todd's overarching storyline, every character went through some quite satisfying changes through the season.

Hmm interesting interpretation. I mostly saw the final episode as the people who helped Bojack out the most through his many, many mistakes as moving on without him in their lives, and thriving without him. His friends care about him, but they made it pretty clear they don't want to involve themselves with him as they did before and they're all moving on without him. Which isnt necessarily a negative thing. I saw it more of a metaphorical death of the old Bojack and the start of a new one.

I took the finale as more literal. And like how it ended. Bojack, despite all of his mistakes always made it out to the other side by either dumb luck fame or friends bailing him him out ....even if the other side is shitty. In the end, he is on another journey to make it out, only this time with fewer relationships that were either enabling or toxic. Like Diane said, (paraphrased) life’s a bitch and then you keep on living. That is the fate that faces most of us.

My personal interpretation of Sarah Lynn's quick aging is that she grew up before Bojack's eyes. Out of all the people Bojack sees in The View From Halfway down, Sarah Lynn is the only one who Bojack saw grow up. He saw Beatrice and Herb age overtime, but Sarah Lynn's the only one who he witnessed grow from a child to adult; a transition that was very quick and destructive for Sarah Lynn.

I really don’t think BoJack died, or that the final episode didn’t actually happen. I feel like they put a lot of emphasis on the line “life’s a bitch and then you keep on living” and it feels like they were trying to say something with that. Besides that I feel like the “the last episode is in his imagination” interpretation to be a little too Philbert-ish tbh. Especially bc he didn’t really GET closure. They made it pretty clear that Diane is never gonna speak to him again and overall it doesn’t feel like much like an ending to me. I think that was intentional and that’s one of the things the ending is saying. There are ups and downs and you’ll probably never feel content but you have to keep going. It kinda reminds me of what the jogger said about it getting a tiny bit easier every day

Don't understand why fans need theory about false last episode when show always was about deconstruction classic narratives (that really will be ended with death). Also it'll too easy for BoJack to just die. And also everything said by Savage Books about horrible message But of course understand it is open for interpretation

I feel like the heart monitor is a non-diegetic clue for the audience, an echo of the end of 'Horsin Around", meaning the end of this show, but also contrasting the nature of the two. One of them is a definitive ending. It has closure. The other one has not. It leaves plenty of unresolved plots/story hooks, it leaves BoJack in jail, but knowing that very soon he will be out of it... the ending left you thinking "well I guess that was decent"... I think that's kind of the point. "Closure is something invented by Steven Spielberg to sell movie tickets" after all. The show denying the audience that closure is the only way it could be coherent with its own meta narrative, imo. So the ending is "worse" than the rest of the show, because it would have otherwise undermined it.

Red bird: A cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need them or miss them.

For me, the flatline was Bojack’s death. But not in a literal sense. From that moment, his life as it had been was over. If there was *any* possibility of a reset to what he was, this broke it. His actions to that point had cost him his friends, his home, his family, his money and lifestyle. He couldn’t even relapse to drugs and sex because he was now in prison. Fully separated from his past life was a death of sorts. But also potentially a rebirth. We see a different Bojack in the finale. One who’s been left with his sober thoughts for a long time and reflecting on the horrorshow of the past. We see him reconsidering the honeydew. While he’s clearly sad and disappointed as each of his closest friends decouple from him as the reception/wrap party goes on, there’s no sense of him forcing people to center his feelings as a result. He simply... accepts it (albeit with definite melancholy) What will he be like post-prison? Who’s to know, but I think it was a brilliant idea to have the events of the finale happen while still there, mid-metamorphosis. We won’t ever know who he will ultimately become. That will forever be beyond our sight (there’s always more show-until there isn’t) but I think it’s safe to say that overall, Bojack knows What he becomes now can’t be blamed on his upbringing, his environment, the drugs, or the entertainment industry anymore. Just him.

This man will take any excuse to talk about bojack and I love it

Bojack didn’t overcome any of his issues. He even points out that his fear of relapsing is strong because prison was giving him forced structure not to mention his strongest addiction (the spot light) was brought up again when he wrestled with deciding to take a possible job by PC before dancing. This isn’t even considering that he finally burnt most of the bridges he had left.

I feel that saying the last episode is just in Bojack's mind really screws with the development of nearly all other characters (Aspecially pc). It being in Bojack's mind would also be a huge tonal shift from imagination to imagination.

I liked him alive. Life is shit but he still got the chance to get back to it. Plus, it’s not like everyone actively tries to stick to Bojack, they all distanced themselves from him to some degree. It felt like everyone was leaving him, to be honest, and them going on their separate ways means that we won’t have a show anymore.

I remember watching that final scene it gave me at the very least beginning of closure over my own past mistakes specifically Diane saying that someone people can help you become who you are and you can be thankful for them even if they aren’t meant to be in your life forever, which I really really needed to hear.

I kinda feel like you missed where Bojack's arc ended up, and what made the last episode good. In the last episode we see that Bojack is finally in a place where the only reason for him to get sober is for its own sake, and he is going to have to do it without any of his previous dependencies. PC is his friend still, but isn't going to rep him anymore so can't just rely on her to keep his career afloat. Todd has his own job, his own apartment and a girlfriend, he will no longer be there for Bojack to vent his self hatred on. Diane is the person he used to validate himself regardless of his behavior, and finally he pushed her to a point where she has decided that she is going to move on. All of these people were able to quit enabling him without coming to hate him, and most without even totally cutting him out. Now Bojack's life is entirely in his own hands, he can't lean on anyone, and he can't blame his parents anymore. I definitely would have preferred a redemption story, because I feel that the Bojack writers would have done a great job at showing us what that looks like with the complexity of how that person's actions affected others, but I think it was a fair take to show us that sometimes life isn't a broken bowl you can make more beautiful by repairing it with gold. Sometimes life isn't something you really get to repair, instead you only have the choice to accept the consequences of your actions and move forward.

I do have to say, I deeply dislike 'it was all a dream' theories...they feel so unoriginal and too easy. There's a certain kind of poetry in ending a series about how life is not like a television series without any of the simple, easy answers or heart warming moments we've come to accept from TV. In the finale, Bojack and his friends just...move on with their lives. Maybe they'll all be happy. Maybe they'll have bad moments. "Life sucks and then you don't die", after all. Unsatisfying? Beautifully so. But then that's just my interpretation. The wonderful thing about art like this is that everyone's view, how it made them feel, is valid.

Personally, I like the interpretation that's the most obvious. Bojack survived the pool then goes to prison in life etc. The reason why is simple: the first episode of the show was Bojack meeting Diane, and the last moment were them sitting in silence, with Bojack remarking about how this may be the last time they see each other. Bojack is a story about two people who found each other, helped each other and hurt each other, two people lost in life, two people who, at the end of the show, didn't "solve" their problems, but were making steps. The last few anecdotes the show gives us is the prison story. Andy loses the movie he loves, but finds he loves the new movie just as much. To me this is Bojack telling Diane that he'll be fine without her. His new life without her will take some adjusting, but he'll survive. Then Diane tells him it's a beautiful night, referencing how the world is a beautiful place. Then silence. They just st there. They've said all there is to say to each other. They've both outgrown each other. Mr blue plays in the background, with the word 'I said I love you please believe me" "Don't hang your head so low that you can't see the stars" This is Diane telling Bojack I'm sorry. I'm leaving. I love you but this is it. Pleas ebeleive me. It's a beautiful night. And with that the show ends, as their relationship does.

I still personally really don't care for any interpretation of the show's ending that suggests that the finale is a continuation of that dying dream, even if your version of that is much, much better and more interesting/thought-out than most versions of the interpretation. The way that it just sort of stops on an open note, that Hollywoob has sort of moved past its hatred of BoJack in the fickle way it always does, but he's still faced legitimate consequences for the lifestyle he lives, is some of this really fine storytelling in the way of the sociological and psychological crossing paths, and ultimately... Yeah. He's fucked up a lot of times, and is probably going to continue to do so, but running every day makes running get easier. People can both fundamentally change and fundamentally stay the same, and BoJack embodies that. Beyond that, I feel like any "dying dream" or "afterlife" interpretation takes away one of the most major aspects of the story and BoJack's character arc: it ISN'T all about him. The finale simply being four dyadic exchanges between him and the other core characters of the show, highlighting just as much where they are now and how they've moved past being defined by their connection to him, yet at the same time how they've affected one another for the better or worse and helped shape them into the people they are today, is great. His friends have grown up and begun to live their own successful lives (sometimes in ways that BoJack couldn't have learned about before he went in the pool, if one assumes that his mind is just making this all up), and ultimately, as best highlighted by his conversations with Todd and PC... The world really isn't ABOUT him. Everyone has their own lives and goings-on and things with or without BoJack in their lives, some of which will either separate them forever or radically alter what their relationships can ever be, and again, Hollywoob and culture doesn't care about his scandals after they ruined his life for months. Turning all of this into some dream, or afterlife, or vision of what-could-have-been for BoJack takes the strength of that away by taking the story away from all the other central characters, which I think drastically weakens the ending in turn.

Sarah Lin grows up in the episode to represent how she grew up, lived, and died around BoJack.

"If those last moments don't provide a worthy conclusion it can make the rest of the story feel meaningless because those once interesting plotlines don't lead anywhere" *cough* Games of Thrones *cough*

I like the designated ending. I don't think he lost all his friends as people suggests. Princess Carolyn, Todd and Mr peanutbettter are definitely still going to be a part of his life, even if not as proeminent as before. Diane wil distance herself from him, but (since is my mind) I believe they will eventually become friends again. I believe that after the finale he is going to continue to change and get better, never going to be perfect and I don't believe hollyhock wil ever forgive him, but I don't think he is dead and I don't think he lost all his friends. Life is a bitch and you keep living. I think that makes for a great ending.

The final episode really couldnt be his view from halfway down, because that's what The View from Halfway Down was. It's just that Bojack was resuscitated

Oh I really disagree with your interpretation on the ending. It's better than he died and the afterlife validated him by miles but my take of the last episode is far and away different from yours and honestly I think better. First of all I didn't even remotely get the feeling that he was making amends with anyone, it was more like he was saying goodbye to them. It's pretty spelled out in his conversation with Diane where he says "wouldn't it be funny if this is the last time we talked to each other" if you look at their expressions Diane already knows this is the last time they're going to talk and eventually Bojack catches up. I reject the idea that the last episode needs a fan theory to make sense completely. Bojack is doing well in prison, the same way he did well in rehab, a structured environment is good for addicts and he's afraid of relapsing again once he's released. He has a clear path to resuming his life, in some ways but all of his friends have moved on and he's going to be on his own. PC isn't going to be his manager anymore, he's probably never going to see Diane or Todd ever again. The world didn't stop and wait for him while he was in prison. The ending is this big uneasy and uncomfortable thing, there's no resolution only ambiguity. In other words it's the perfect ending to this series.

Every time you say ‘The Bojack Horseman Show’, I think of the 2007 show that was created in the series lol

Great video, Savage! Your BoJack vids are remarkably insightful, love your stuff.

After re-watching The View from Halfway Down, I realised that in Bojack’s last meal he also has a bottle of water, which he complains after taking a sip that it tasted like chlorine, already hinting the viewer that it’s chlorine water from the pool where he was currently drowning...

I've seen the ending of Bojack as the death of Diane and Bojack friendship mirroring the beggining of the series, both of them above the ceilling as before. The cycle has come to an end and Bojack has to "move forward" alone. But I loved your video and the subjectivity must be really a basis for any creative product. About the Pink Bird and some of the symbolisms behind The View from Halfway Down I suggest you to watch the video ""The View from Halfway Down" Explained | Confronting Mortality" from Johnny 2 Cellos, it's really insightful.

i am a simple woman i see a video from savage books about bojack horseman, i click

The way I interprete the ending comes back to my favorite quote of the show "There's always more show". No matter how surreal that show was it was suppose to imitate life on the relatable level and I think that there's no better way to end a show that imitetes life with just simple "and the life goes on". You won't have proper closure to some matters in your live, some characters that you meet won't have their character arc finished properly because this is life. BoJack wasn't suppose to have some kind of closure for everything and everyone because his "show" isn't over because life just keeps going and "there's always more show" and it only depends on him what he will do next.

They actually reveal he's alive in the credits of in the view from halfway down.

Given the conclusion you came to concerning the perspective one has on any given story, I'm surprised you didn't hit us with the quote Todd shares with Bojack in the "Hokey Pokey" scene.

I liked the ending. I think he survived, but he lost everything. His career, his house and his friends. (Todd still cares about him but after season 3 it's not the same and his friendship with princess carolyne and diane is shattered) He has to keep on living knowing that he is also scared of death.

I love the ending. Bojack and Diane just sit there in silence. The unspoken energy just feels right. There’s a question there and they’ll never get the answer. That’s very Bojack to me.

I'm on a pretty different page here. In my opinion, the most important theme to ever be presented in bojack is that of living after abusing someone/people. It was always a theme in the background of the show as bojack did more and more terrible things, but it really took off in season 5. The question shifts from one about how bojack can ever be happy, and becomes one about harm. Does Bojack deserve to live a happy life after destroying the lives of so many others? Even if he doesn't deserve happiness, since he's going to live on, does he need to attain peace in order to finally stop harming others? Can you ever make things right? The question of how Bojack is supposed to live on after living as an abuser is right on the forefront of these final two seasons. Diane spells it out in season 5, and season 6 part 2 questions if the happiness he attained in part 1 was good enough to justify him being free of his past. With all of that in mind, I think the most important thing that the show needed to address with the finale was not in relation to his death. It was in relation to his life. The final episode plays out as a tired and only somewhat satisfying revelation that there is no revelation. He has to live on and accept what losses come. He has to keep trying every day because there is no easy solution. That's a message for him, and for anyone else watching the show who's done irreparable harm to others.

"I absolutely HATED the idea of BoJack getting closure in his final moments. The interpretation I prefer far more is that BoJack got closure in his final moments."

"Isn't the point of art less what people put into it, and more what people get out of it?" Everything you're talking about; interpretations, writerly text, fans constructing their own narrative, taking things from shows that weren't intentional, all that stuff. It's all there in the final episode. Todd literally says exactly what you're talking about here outloud. That's the show. That one line encapsulates the whole 6 seasons of the show.

"Maybe,or maybe art doesn't need a point maybe that why it call art" ~Tood Chavez

14:04 I can relate so well. I was writing a composition for my school, and incidentally I thought "Well, 5 paragraphs, let's use A, B, C, D and E for the initials of the paragraphs, in alphabetical order" and I did. The theme was "Reminders", and for my piece, it's about a motorist (Ah Huey) who, at the very end of the White Terror in Taiwan 1987, lost his mother to an unfortunate incident. He wakes up and prepares his morning for work, and he constantly sees his mother reminding him to do lots of things. Brush his teeth, ensure he had enough sodium for the day and so on. He didn't feel sad, or distraught or anything. It's just an empty feeling for him. The very end of the composition was something like "Expected to be at work in half an hour, he got onto his motorcycle and started up his ignition." It started with an E, true to the theme I intended for the story haha. Of course, the idea was that while the work kept him wealthy, they didn't genuinely care, nor feel invested in him as an employee. He was starting to move forward, and he hears another reminder "Don't forget to put on your helmet!" To which he shouts back "I know!" and drives off for about five seconds before he stopped. He turns around to find no one there, and spontaneously breaks down into tears. It's not the absence of his mother that forced his tears in that difficult time, it was acknowledging that he lost someone who cared. Wrote that when I was 14, and though I can no longer find the paper with the composition, I don't need it anymore. It's in my heart for all of time.

My understanding was that the whole episode "The View From Halfway Down" WAS Bojack's view from halfway down and him wishing he had not jumped in the pool. At the end, he accepts his mortality. But, unlike Secretariat, he gets another chance and survives. Which seems random and lucky for Bojack, but I think the important part is that he has grown from the new perspective his view from halfway down has given him.

I cried so hard, because it was so perfect. I know it might take a while for some people to understand, but they literally allowed us to sit with the characters for those last minutes. It was very symbolical and very true to the nature of the show. I enjoy hearing the different theories, but while the show is deep, I don’t think it’s THAT deep intentionally. Bojack is somewhat of a dark show, but I don’t think that just because the ending was somewhat bittersweet yet happy this means that it was bad. They left us wanting more but that was the exact point. The show has always been reflective to what real life is. You don’t get closure on a lot of things. I think people oftentimes want to find the “secret meaning” of so many creative things, instead of just enjoying them. It happens a lot with this show. I’m not trying to say that thinking of alternate endings and other meanings is wrong, but a lot of people focus too much and end up not quite seeing the positive.

The idea that Bojack truly died in Ep 15 feels just like a big cop out, like even though he's hurt so many people, everything he's gone through, everything he's suffered, it's all for nothing and death seems to be the only answer. Hell, Secretariat's poem was exactly a message against that, where even though Secretariat seemed very assured in his decision earlier in the episode, once we see him read his poem, he starts to freak out as death's door literally comes for him. He saw the view from halfway down, and regretted it. This show's ending does feel like one of those endings where it's up to you to interpret what happened (especially with how the last ep is structured), and honestly with a show like this it would be hard to wrap up every little thing. We never get to see what became of Hollyhock and her letter to Bojack for instance, nor do we see what Penny decides to do or not do in regards to speaking about Bojack. This idea of not getting closure even stems back to I think the Telescope episode with Herb. So... this might be the most obvious and straightforward interpretation, but I'm gonna take the final episode at face value. Bojack almost drowned, the family got home just in time so he lives, but is arrested for breaking and entering. It ends on a wary, but overall hopeful note. Bojack's burned so many bridges, but Todd's words, of all people, speak the most powerfully: like the hokey pokey, you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about. When Bojack fears that he'll relapse again, Todd just assures him that he'll get sober again. What matters is that he keeps trying, even if those he held closest to him are gone for good now. If he really wants to be better and overcome his demons, he can't just give up for good. If you just die or take your life, what will it all have been for? I am aware that this is kind of a sensitive subject though, and sometimes when you're at your lowest point, it does seem like there's no way out and that just seems like the most enticing option. But again, in the words of Todd: the woods may be dark and scary, but the only way out is through.

I see the final episode as the reflection of the thesis voiced by Diane, Todd, and probably several other characters throughout the series: you just keep living. For people with mental illness or problems with substance abuse, there will never be a moment where they will have forever triumphed over their demons and it’s nothing but endzone dances from here on out. The truth is that your demons will always be with you and you’ll spend the rest of your life struggling with them until you die. You’ll get better, you’ll get worse, but as long as you’re alive, there’s always the possibility of things getting better. Recovery is never a clean victory. After the triumph that comes from hitting rock bottom and coming back up, eventually there comes all the little annoyances and struggles of living, which have to be dealt with. And like the episode said, you just keep living.

I see the last episode as everyone moving forward. There isnt an ending because life doesn't have an ending. It moves on and on.

Re: the bird on the house in view from halfway down I think it was the celts (?) Who believed a bird coming into your house was an omen of change, but if it died before leaving it was a mark of death The bird almost got out of the window when bojack chased her to the kitchen before the black tar melted her into nothing at the end

TBH, I interpreted the view from half way down as BJ letting his past die and moving on. That is why in the next episode he was able to make amends for his mistakes

9:16 I think the heart monitor represents the ending to bojack's relationship with Diane. The evidence I have is the songs they pick to add In the first montage of what happened to bojack after he came out the pool a song plays with lyrics like "I'm running through the pages and they start to turn in love with the life I've had not the one I've got." This could be referring to how he is trying to escape death as his time is running out the "in love with the life I had" part could refer to how he enjoyed his life in LA before when he was on horseing around before he herb was fired. "Tell me I'm the good guy, I wanna come in first. Here is celebrity at his worst" referse to Diane and how bojack sees her as the voice of reason to help him out and k believe it is a call back to the am I a good person speach at the end of downer ending. I could be reaching but I still think its good then u have the why the long face bit which u dont need me to talk about. Because he's a horse "cause I dont want to live here in this sunny place" could refer to how he doesn't want to live in LA "running from my time" "because I've been losing I could really use you on my side" refers to Diane in the same way as before because she helps him with different situations. But that is all bojack's perspective at the end we see Diane's in the song Mr blue which is about a her moving on from bojo "Mr blue I told u that I love u please believe me." From when bojack says "wouldn't it be funny if this was the last conversation we ever had" she then asks him to promise her that he will be ok without her. That's my theory hope u enjoy. Also I thought bojack's halfway down took place after secretariat performed his poem.

“Sometimes life is a bitch then you keep living.” “there’s always the day after your happy ending.”

My favorite interpretation of the finale is that it's played entirely straight. Bojack lives, goes to jail and life moves on. When he comes out he doesn't know anything about anybody's life. PC has married for reals without him present and will not work with him again, Diane is engaged and furious and hurt because of him and may never see him again, Hollywoo has become Hollywoob because life can't go back to what it was... it's a good way to show that yes, you can improve on your mistakes, but everybody else is not required to wait for you, and may not forgive you entirely

I really thought they were gonna go for a two parter “Neon Genesis Evangelion” ending

I really like how the show ended, and I looked at it in more literal terms. He jumped in the pool, almost died, went to prison for breaking and entering, then went to the wedding. I don't really enjoy the fan theories/interpretations that look any deeper into it...it's just not for me. ^

11 minutes in and started screaming NOOOOO after hearing your editor’s interpretation on the final episode representing Bojack’s metaphorical view from halfway down. And with the title card visual of him in the pool. Naurrr. I thought this show was done affecting me like this but here we are a year and a half later!!

I love how the comments disagreed with you peacefully

I took the ending as what it's titled and how Diane phrases it. You need to meet some people, to become who you are supposed to be; and it was nice while it lasted. Edit: All this "did he really die stuff" Seems to be a stretch.

17:45 *Laughs in Game of Thrones*

After watching the final episode, I was in a way disappointed that it wasn’t what I expected, but after rewatching it I came to feel more that it was representative of how people grow up and apart, and strong friendships don’t always remain, but in a way I really felt connected and sympathized with the ending.

I just like the idea of Bojack living and having to carry the consequences of his decisions. He never finds peace in life cause life is never truely peaceful if you think about it. There’s always something. You keep moving till death hits🤷🏾‍♂️

Why can't people just except that the show ended how it ended? It literally happened as it was shown.

I watched Free Churo right before I saw these episodes first and theres a line about how "there are no happy endings because there always needs to be more show". I see bowjack dying as the "happy" ending for us because it was satisfying, but theres always more show so he doesnt die. The people in his life just get to be free from it, and the last episode is them freeing themselves from his show. What I find impressive is that The View From Half Way Down is the writers flexing that they know what we want and could do it, but theres always more show, so there has to be another episode.

I still feel chills down my spine whenever I hear Secretariat's poem. Truly my favourite scene of the show

11:10 when a bird gets inside your house it's a sign of bad luck

11:20 In some video I heard that bird flown in room is old sign of coming death, and he bring Sara to this house as girl maybe because of he does (or think he does) it in real life if house is something like death

I haven’t been able to get the poem “A View From Halfway Down” out of my head.

For me, I think the fact Bojack loses everything in his life that made it HIS life and having to start over after prison is a more severe punishment then death itself. Its saying, youre done with. You ruined everything and as punishment you have to live in this uncertain limbo were nothing is familiar yet you're haunted by your past desires. Idk, maybe Bojack is too young still to die an old resentful man but that possibility is the anti-climatic "realistic" ending that is horrific in my eyes

I never thought I will theories a secret ending like some crazy Sherlock fanboy but ..... Everything Is subjective so everything has value those nothing has

The interpretation where he died could tell the message that this is what happens to addicts who don't change. It's like a warning to others and can serve as a wake up call. I like the ending where he survives because it signify's that his journey goes on. He said that he's nearly broken his longest sober record and that it'll be scary when he comes back out because then he has to make the choice not to pursue alcohol and drugs. It also might not be realistic to do a complete 180 after the incident. Change takes time, but he's getting there slowly

9:49 Your roommate’s theory is supported when Todd stops Bojack from choosing a door-one that leads down (to death), and one to life (up) and instead keeps him in limbo. And by the article for the cancelled “Headless Horseman” that’s a red herring for his death. Read the summary-the producer’s regrets that the show was cancelled before it could “come together” mimic Bojack’s lamenting that Becker-like his mom-“had all the right pieces but couldn’t put them together.” Just like Bojack-as the finale shows-had the tools and relationships to avoid a relapse, but died not bc he was doomed to, but because he made a final choice.

I don't if I am weird but suicides in storys are very fascinating and this show reached new levels with their final episodes

I waited for your take on the ending! Didn't watch it yet, but I am thrilled and excited 👏

I was only disappointed in PCs ending, the relationship with Judah seemed unearned and she never really addressed her work/life balance. But I guess that makes sense. Sometimes people don't change.

If a bird flies into your house and does before you get out it is seen as foreshadowing for a bad thing or even death. I believe Sarah Lynn grew as the episode went on because BoJack saw her at every stage of her life even at her end. He feels responsible for her death which he should be

I know I'm almost a year late but wanted to share my own theory/thoughts on the last 2 episodes! I always saw the view from halfway down as Bojack's final suicide attempt and how his own "view from halfway down" WAS that episode. He got to talk to and see all the people who had died and who he couldn't make amends with. This loss of opportunity made him realise the amendments he wanted to make in his own life and I like to think that he never attempted suicide again. The show to me has always been a TV show analysing how unrealistic TV shows are to real life eg. actions having consequences beyond a 20 minute storyline like in horsing around or a movie's character arc. That's why I think "the ending" was a perfect way of showing how not everything is resolved in our personal lives and people grow. That's why I think the show was a document of his life during the time he knew Diane. It wasn't "his story" because your story is never done until you die- which is why I also think it's a good suicide message. Nothing really ended due to the closing of the show, we are lead to see all the character's lives and goals after the show ends "life is shitty and the you keep living" (one of my favourite quotes). The last episode also shows that even tho he was 'a cartoon character' the realism of the show displayed how his actions still had consequences, even if he'd realised he was wrong and moved on. For example, he went to prison despite having gotten his life back together. For what it's worth, Bojack didn't amend everything like you said. I think if the final episode was "his view from halfway down" it wouldnt show him going to jail or saying goodbye to Diane but it did. Furthermore, we're lead to assume that Hollyhawk didn't reach out to him and didn't forgive him which therefore shows he didn't solve all the damage he had done. We can as audience members think of the emotional consequences of this or him eventually amending things with her if that's what we would like. That's why, for a show that doesn't believe in traditional show endings, it was a ending. It managed to balance character's overcoming personal arcs they'd had throughout the show whilst still having other demons to fight, goals etc. It wasn't a happy ever after, it was these characters establishing their lives and homes with or without bojack. It showed how bojack couldn't rely on PC, diane or tod to establish and fix his life because eventually they would all grow again with or without him. The view from halfway down was more of an "ending" than the other episode and it was really for the viewers to see summations of all the dead characters and how they impacted Bojack and all the personal battles they could never fight. It shows a climax to Bojack's relapse and ultimately served as a huge climax that would have totally ignored some of the key messages of life not being a TV show throughout the series if it WAS the real ending. The actual ending is the writer's way of mixing show long character arc climaxes with the notion that once viewers turn off the show, they still have life and consequences to deal with, just like what bojack struggled with which is why he believed in "don't stop dancing". After u stop dancing, what do you have left? The life you've made and the consequences of your actions. This over-analysis is ultimately why I think the show's ending was perfect. It gave the audience everything they needed from the character arc whilst still maintaining their core message of death, real life vs TV and consequences. thank you for coming to my TED talk :)

I really like this interpretation of the finally because I wasn’t satisfied with the ‘redemption’ he got. Not that I didn’t he didn’t necessarily deserve it but it wasn’t enough for me. I hate Bojack for a while during the run of the show but I didn’t think he was evil and deserved to suffer in damnation but... yea it wasn’t enough for me.

Stop inventing your own head canons, the ending doesn’t have any mystery to it, life is like that.

My interpenetration was that the flatline represents the "death" of Bojack and Diane's friendship. It's not an accident that they show the flatline over their heads. What's more the show makes it clear that their friendship is over and they will inevitably drift apart. The bird alludes to an old folklore that if a bird enters your home it's there to deliver a message, but if it dies before you can get it to leave then it's a harbinger of impending death.

The Good Place did their finale exceptionally well. Seeing the finale of my two favorite shows of all time back to back- and side note, I watched both on my birthday- that was an intensely emotional time, in a great way

I love your content soo much I haven’t even watched it yet and I know it’s gonna be great

Your view from halfway down theory is just Bojack being dead by the end of it all. Huh?

This video is perfect, he teaches about not only art interpratacion, but about art creation in a increable way.

I think this is one of the most amazing closures of a series I’ve ever seen.

So, this awesome video essay was brought to us by the letter V?

Your interpretation is interesting. I'll have to go back and watch the last two episodes again. The reddit interpretation reminds me of the Mass Effect 3 "indoctrination" theory. Fans struggling to come to grips with the ending grasping at straws to rationalise it in their own way. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I liked Bojack's ending at its surface level (assuming what we saw is what happened essentially). He/we got closure with all of the characters meaningful to him that had died and then closure with the other characters were still alive. There's plenty to interpret (I like your observation about Zach Braff) and it delves deeply into death while also seeing Bojack punished for his crimes and growing more distant from those he considered friends. I think it was clearly visible that PC was happy to see him but had put up boundaries. Bojack again freaked Diane out causing her extreme anxiety when she was trying to have her "happy ending" and it didn't feel like they would be seeing each other again after the wedding. Todd is happy to see him but at the same time has continued moving further away from Bojack like he has been for the past few seasons. My interpretation is that Bojack is alive but his punishment isn't necessarily death, but his friends drifting further away from him as they have finally come to the realisation that he isn't good for them. They have all taken their own steps to distance themselves from him. While the show is over, Bojack's life would continue on but somehow more lonely than he was when the show started. Regardless of which ending is "right" that is the true beauty of a show like this. When I think of how my other favourite pieces of media conclude, there is rarely such ambiguity that requires digestion such as Bojack Horseman has. I think part of this has to do with how incredible the use of the "cartoon" medium is as it allows such freedom to create visuals that wouldn't work in "live action" mediums as well. While I can compliment shows like Breaking Bad for its writing and shot selection, The View From Halfway Down could never be recreated in any other form of medium. I think that's pretty special. Thanks for this series of videos.

The writers gave us a big dramatic ending in the second to last episode then stuck to their theme and showed you that real life isn’t a movie, and sometimes stories end without an ending.

That's the best video of yours and it's must watch for any writer struggling with themes and worrying about planning too much.

Next video: "What Bojack teaches us about tying shoes"

If JJ Abrams and Chris Terrio wrote the ending of Bojack Horseman: *Hollyhock finishes burying Bojack Horseman.* *There is a random stranger standing by* Stranger: There’s been no one for so long. Who are you? Hollyhock: I’m Hollyhock. Stranger: Hollyhock who? *looks around* *sees Bojack’s ghost and smiles* Hollyhock: Hollyhock Horseman, obviously.