BoJack Horseman was a twisted, melancholic, superb show on the existential woes of life. During its 6-season run from 2014 to 2020, the show never sugarcoated challenging conversations or hide the overindulgent tendencies we tend to have as human beings. It also managed to do a tremendous job of showcasing queer identities and balancing the scale. Often, the media presents queer identities either in a hyper-positive way or a harsh negative way. But in BoJack Horseman, all of the queer characters are complicated, emotional, and optimistic, which creates a sense of belonging and offers relief from feeling pressured to be a certain way.
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Despite BoJack Horseman being over, it’s a show we’ll probably be watching for the rest of our lives. So let’s explore the iconic queer characters who brought us contentment, rage, and happiness from the series. (Spoilers below!)
Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul)
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Todd Chavez is a scatterbrained, laughable character who’s more than comedic relief. In season four, Todd comes out as asexual after realizing he isn’t interested in sex and gets uncomfortable at the insinuation. His coming out felt natural, and the show walked us through his wacky journey with care. We appreciated the raw emotions of Todd choosing to end his relationship with his first love because sex was important to her, and he wasn’t willing to change himself for love. But he does eventually end up finding love with another asexual person!
Herb Kazzaz, (Stanley Tucci)
Herb Kazzaz is a cynical, intense, mixed bag of emotions. Hollywood blacklisted Herb for his involvement in a public scandal and for being outed as gay. His story is painfully aware of the destructive cycle of show business and how poorly it treats gay people, especially back in the 90s. He doesn’t receive a happy ending, as he later dies from cancer. It’s gut-wrenching because the show makes you feel angry for what happened to him but chooses to give a realistic ending that’s neither happy nor sad.
Dr. Indira (Issa Rae) & Mary-Beth (Wanda Skyes)
These two are one of the best side plots in the show! Dr. Indira and Mary-Beth are a married Black lesbian couple and are therapists who know everyone’s business. It’s a comical saga in which the two are unable to legally disclose their clients’ names, so they give them fake names to gossip about them. It’s a ridiculous, light-hearted plot that earns a lot of laughs and delivers a healthy love between Black lesbians, who often don’t receive positive representation.
We encourage everyone to watch BoJack Horseman with discernment as it can be quite depressing and dark, but it’s also hilariously fun and clever. Not to mention, there’s a plethora of queer characters who we couldn’t fit in, but it’s worth seeking them out, even if they aren’t main characters.
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