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Internet TV- Bojack Horseman

Bojack Horseman is an original NETFLIX series that I was introduced to by by esteemed friend and landlord one evening when I invited him to share a meal with I and the lass.

https://www.netflix.com/title/70300800

It’s an unlikely and zaney show, which is an adult animated comedy/drama, set in a world where ANIMALS and humans coexist in some kind of society of equality.. and communication in.. English.

I can only guess that it’s some kind of deep metaphor for acceptance and tolerance. Or, more likely, it’s an excuse to enable amusing animal stereotype jokes to be knitted into the scenes.

Most importantly, its FUNNY. Not in the usual bland American humour way, but more in the dry and satirical, dark style of good British comedy TV of the 80’s to naughties.

The show is set in the airy sycophant filled atmosphere of Hollywood, and protagonist is Bojack Horseman. And, yes, he’s a horse. of course!

Bojack is a slightly sad and pathetic millionaire bachelor, the former star of a very corny, not very good, but neverless highly successful sitcom of the 90’s- “Horsing Around”.. a show which has suspiciously close plotline ties to another famous, but terrible show of the era, “Full House”

Set in present day timing, Bojack has spent the last 20 years… well, not doing much, apart from wallowing in his own lost fame and drinking a lot of Whiskey while watching reruns of his old show, which went for 9 seasons, a fact that is emphasised by Bojack often to whomever will listen.

Things start to look like they could finally turn around for his fortunes, when the publishing house, “Penguin Publishing” (which is run by a very anxious and stressed penguin, of course) which contracted him to write his memoirs, hired Bojack a ghost writer desperation with its last few pennies before it filed for bankruptcy. That Ghost writer is a young, hipster Vietnamese woman who just happens to be dating Bojack’s worst frenemy in his prefessional and admittedly stunted soical life, an adorable golden retriever called Mr Peanut Butter. The two hit it off, and Bojack finally starts to open up a little… and that’s where things start becoming interesting.

 

MR ROBOT

https://www.presto.com.au/tv/mr-robot

This series follows the rather twisted, lonely, and tortured life of a self taught former computer hacker, come white hat security expert, Elliot, who becomes entangled in an underground hacking cell with the stereotypically inspired name of  fsociety by an apparent crazed vagrant on a train, who turns out to be an infamous hacker who identified by the callsign, “Mr Robot’.

As per its anarchist name suggests, the cell’s aim is to execute an ambitious plot to penetrate, subvert and destroy one of the largest corporations in the known world, Evilcorp.

Addled by mental health issues, potential delusions, psychosis and a nasty substance dependence problem, as well as a rather crazy sort of girlfriend, come drug dealer, as well as various other personal problems like stalking being his main hobby, Elliot, who cries himself to sleep most nights in his depressing “new York” aka bedsit apartment really isn’t in great shape by anyone’s standards.

His contact with the hacking cell, and the fairly loopy, potentially dangerous people in it, who potentially make him a positively sane and stable, happy man in comparison creates a stressor in his life that has the potential to test his resilience to the limit, creating immense personal growth, or push him well and truly over the edge.

As a character portrayed as clever, analytical, yet socially awkward, a bit damaged and with demons, yet still somehow functioning in a limping and broken manner in society, Elliot is easy to relate to, because he is a good metaphor for some of the character flaws we sometimes see in ourselves, and people close to us, which we need to battle to get though each day, and hold our lives together.

This production has a mildly semi-believable air to it, with tongue in cheek type stereotypical devices abounding, from the way some of the support characters are portrayed, to the ridiculous name of the big brother like corporation and the overarching nature of the spread of its slimy tentacles across the sphere of  the world Elliot and his pals live in, is not so subtly depicted.  “Evilcorp” – I mean, REALLY!

The flavour of the series hence somewhat reminiscent of a marvel type comic, with Elliot being the unlikely Hoodie wearing, Linux bash code loving dark eyed, barely functional and awkward junkie hero.

We all love a good underdog, though, don’t we? makes us all feel like we could change our own insignificant and isolated lives (ok, that’s just me ranting on maybe)

Even so, the whole thing seems to kind of work, and I’ve obsessively watched most of the first series already after a rather nerdy friend recommended it the other night. Funnily, Elements of Elliots character, mannerisms and awkwardness, and struggle to live in this world, made for social people kind of remind me of somebody I know well.

My advice- watch it. You’ll Enjoy it.

 

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