First, let me be clear: I love this episode, which feels like an early performance by a
beloved artist who went on to greater and more daring things. Maybe there's a note or two
out of place. Maybe they aren't stretching their talent as much as you think they can. BoJack's
profound pettiness makes him an asshole to many--here, it's the contested dibs
over a box of muffins at the grocery store that lands our remorseful horse in the national
spotlight--and it's admirable how this episode leads the charge in painting that fact unambiguously.
In a way, it feels like a foundation stone of sorts, featuring as it does BoJack's decision to open
up to Diane for his memoir. Full truth: From here, mountains are made.
Princess Carolyn has long prided herself on her ability to separate her personal life from
her public profile, but that ability to compartmentalize means she's sometimes oblivious to
what a monster she can be. Here, as the assistant strike gets underway in Hollywoo, she's in
lockstep with the elites who want to be able to continue treating their assistants like
trash--until a flashback, edited in like quicksilver, reminds her of her roots. Judah
returns, and so does Todd's stepfather, Jorge, with news about his mother, suggesting new
beginnings to come. How appropriate that the episode ends with someone opening a door.
Attempting something like damage control before the story about Sarah Lynn's overdose is
released, BoJack performs very well on his first interview before letting the confidence
go to his head and spiraling out in a crass follow--up. Here, we learn of the extent of
BoJack's role in Sarah's death, after BoJack states in an interview that he waited to call the
paramedics (in private, he says that he covered his tracks). The way Princess Carolyn's eyes
follow BoJack, unflinching, speaks to her own sense of responsibility. BoJack's reminded of the
good he's done by a fellow comic reminiscing about his departed brother (Drugs took a
lot from him, but he still had that laugh), and it's a small step forward when Diane turns
on BoJack's follow-up interview just in time to see him admit responsibility.