StlBlade

Holden Caulfield. Huckleberry Finn. Scarlet O'Hara. Scout Finch. Tom Joad. These are an all too short list of some of the great characters in American Literature.

And now we have Bojack Horseman.

Bojack Horseman is a great show, but that doesn't do it any justice. It goes beyond that. Bojack Horseman The Series is one of the great literary stories of our time. Don't let the talking animals and slapstick fool you, those are merely trappings. We start with silly jokes, characters snipping at one another, ridiculous sitcom situations, but the overall story wins out in the end as we are presented with 'moments' that make a paradigm shift in the lives of the characters. This happens several times in all three seasons.

Bojack Horseman The Character is a flawed protagonist. Like so many of us, he has strengths, but his failings overpower those. He constantly sabotages himself with poor decisions and gives in to temptation all too easily. He hurts the people that care about him, but he genuinely wants to do and be better.

This is the struggle that defines the series. This is the struggle that transcends the sitcom trappings. This is the struggle that makes this series literature.

This is what we see in ourselves, the art that makes us look at ourselves in a new light. The fact that they managed to wrap it into an obscene cartoon with talking animals only makes it better.

What would the Sixth Sense be like if it were a sitcom? Watch this show to see. Catching the second (?) ep I wasn't as confused as I thought I would be. The plot wasn't very thick, it was mostly a character piece with emphasis on one-liners. It seems that the main characters, a new unsigned band, can see and talk to dead people. These dead people seem to be stuck on 'our plane' until the band members complete some task. The band is assailed by numerous 'undead' (AKA Ghost) and they must do the ghost's bidding to make the ghost disappear. These tasks vary in difficulty, but always with an emphasis on getting a laugh, which was usually delivered.

All Soul's Hospital is a teaching Hospital in Boston with a reputation for being the one of the very best, but what most people don't know is that All Soul's has an underside. Something dark and malignant is pulling the strings here and from a bright and happy looking start we are suddenly pulled into a seamy world of ghosts, demons(?), sadistic experiments, immortal doctors, possessions, and more.

This series is a well written mix of horror, drama, and fantasy. We're not always sure that we're seeing what's really there, and sometimes when we ARE sure, we wish we weren't. It takes something exceptional to keep a jaded old vet like me at the edge of my seat, and the pilot of this series certainly delivered. One can only hope that the rest of the series stands up as well.

The cast is superb, the only flaw with them and the characters being the unavoidable one; being only a one hour pilot and not having room for the characters to grow (yet). Further episodes will hopefully expand their borders into new ground. The cinematography is dark and brooding, leaving shadows to hide the things that don't want to be seen. Plotting and direction were riveting, my wife and I didn't want to miss a second.

The only other detractor from this show is the network's idiotic idea of placing similar shows in the same time slot. The WB's Angel is already pretty much dominating the market share, if not the ratings, and is well established with a loyal fan base. Given the choice, even I would tune in Angel instead (Thank heaven for VCR's) and I really like the show.

In a nutshell, if you don't like Angel (And Buffy the Vampire Slayer), then you're not likely to enjoy this series. You're likely to find it highly depressing and occasionally gross. But if you DO like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I hope you have a VCR. You won't want to miss this one.