BoJack Horseman harps an awful lot on BoJack’s failings as a friend, boyfriend and public figure, to the point where it’s easy to forget the occasional terribleness behind his interactions isn’t one-sided. You can argue this is a chicken-and-egg problem, whether BoJack is mistreated because he hasn’t been kind to others or whether the reverse is true. But in any case, there’s no debating that people are none too kind to BoJack, and this episode is a good reminder.
The catalyst for everyone beating up on BoJack is, weirdly, J.D. Salinger’s hidden diabolism. He’s in the control room, set to kick off the pilot of his celebrity trivia game show. “The puppets clap when the puppet master pulls the strings,” is a real thing he declares. The surprising mean-spiritedness of Salinger and his show works so well. Everything from the larger-than-life set to the game’s sound effects to its very premise are both ridiculous and ridiculously creative.
BoJack has agreed to be the game show’s first celebrity guest as a favor to Wanda, who needs its success to prove herself in her new, post-promotion role. Unluckily for her, BoJack hasn’t even read up on the game’s premise. His only preparation is spiking his drink and a short pep talk with Princess Carolyn, in which she begs him to be nice to Mr. Peanutbutter.
It’s almost immediately clear Mr. Peanutbutter has no plans to be nice to BoJack. The game show isn’t about showcasing BoJack’s celebrity, it’s about humiliating him for the audience’s entertainment. The first question sends a clear message: “What is the average rainfall in Bora Bora?” When BoJack is obviously stumped, Mr. Peanutbutter starts teasing him relentlessly and doesn’t let up the entire show.
During a commercial break, BoJack tries to tell Mr. Peanutbutter how he’s acting, but the host, swept up in his rekindled stardom, doesn’t listen. Things only get worse from there. Unbeknownst to BoJack (and apparently Wanda), the show calls for a “big celebrity” to show up, his fame dwarfing BoJack’s. In this case, it’s Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe. He fields softball questions about primary and secondary colors while BoJack is stuck writing a blue book essay on feudalism and the French Revolution. For a horse that’s used to fame and admiration, this is tough.
While BoJack is getting rocked on stage, Todd is behind the scenes trying to be the MVP of the crew. His battle with the straight-laced Mia McKibbin (Tatiana Maslany) determines who gets Salinger’s coveted four-color pen at the end of the night. You know it’s serious for Todd because he dons Heelys in order to be more efficient.
Princess Carolyn, quite possibly the only one who wouldn’t mind seeing BoJack win, pulls him aside to reveal Mr. Peanutbutter’s classic tell: raising his ears when reading the correct answer to a multiple choice question. Armed with that knowledge, BoJack manages to tie the game. Wanda isn’t even watching the actual show go down, but she’s fat-fingering a second-screen app on her new iPad and she is not pleased with the comeback. She asks BoJack to lose, which would please the audience. BoJack doesn’t give Wanda much of a personality, but one thing besides her flighty Lisa Kudrow-ness is repeatedly made clear: She’s selfish.
It’s sad seeing BoJack intentionally botch a question to help his relationship, given that his partner isn’t all that likable. What’s even sadder is the full-blown fight that subsequently breaks out between BoJack and Mr. Peanutbutter on stage. It’s first about BoJack kissing Diane before their wedding, and then it cuts deeper, with BoJack eventually admitting he’s jealous of Mr. Peanutbutter’s self-esteem and happiness.
Mr. Peanutbutter isn’t ready to forgive BoJack, but Wanda insists it wouldn’t be good TV if he didn’t. The two quite literally kiss and make up before BoJack plays the game’s final round. He has $500,000, but chooses to go double-or-nothing. If he wins, it all goes to charity. The question is a no-brainer: He’s asked who plays the titular role in Harry Potter, and the answer, of course, is standing right next to him. But BoJack intentionally flubs it, taking the opportunity to get Radcliffe back for an earlier snub by pretending he doesn’t know the actor. The money literally goes up in flames.
Todd doesn’t win Salinger’s pen, but he does trick Mia into forking it over out of pity. You can’t help but root for doofuses like Todd and BoJack, though. BoJack would like to think he’s cut from a different cloth than his roommate, but in reality, they’re both capable of incredible displays of selfishness and obnoxiousness. It’s often off-putting, but this time, it feels right. Their smug adversaries got what they had coming to them: a hilariously ruined game show pilot, a stolen relic and bruised egos.
Julie Kliegman is the weekend editor for TheWeek.com and a freelance journalist based in New York. She’s written publications including BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, PolitiFact and the Tampa Bay Times. Tweet her your favorite SpongeBob GIF.