Escapism At Its Finest

Oh, what it is to have a streaming service at your fingertips and nothing to watch… Kinda reminds me of my full wardrobe of clothes even though I have nothing to– Never mind, you don’t want to hear about that! You’ve come to find out whether I’m an expert TV critic or just another uncultured swine with fierce confidence and a complete lack of sound judgement.

…Thanks Obama.

OKAY! Forgetting about judgy Obama… It’s your 3094753409910526394th day of lockdown, you’ve officially completed Netflix/Amazon Prime/Apple TV/Disney+, you’ve combed through almost every page on Decider, and you’ve got a TV series size hole in your heart as you pace up and down your bedroom wondering what on earth you’re going to do with your life. Allow me to help you out!

What comes to mind when you think of what you like about your favourite TV show? After finishing all six seasons of BoJack Horseman, considering what I liked (and didn’t), I think I’ve singled out four components needed for an (almost) perfect formula.

It’s these components that lead me to believe that if you liked BoJack Horseman, you’ll love Disenchanted! First, let’s discuss the general plot of each show.

BoJack Horseman follows the story of a horse named BoJack (pretty self-explanatory, I know), who is a middle-aged former sitcom star and spends the majority of the show trying to regain celebrity relevance and battle with long term inner demons. At the beginning of the show, he is perpetually stuck in a destructive cycle which sees him pine for his former life by day and take a dangerous amount of drugs to numb him to the way his life has turned out by night. He has it all, with a beautiful house on a hill, money coming out of his ears and any sexual partner he could want but he is deeply unhappy; feeling that he has lost his purpose.

‘The [dark comedy] show has been lauded for its realistic take on depression, trauma, addiction, self-destructive behavior, racism, sexism, sexuality, and the human condition.’ (Bustle, 2017: Online)

Disenchantment, meanwhile, follows the antics of a medieval princess called Tiabeanie (or Bean) who has never known anything but a high-status celebrity lifestyle and pretty much has her entire life planned out for her. Aware that the arranged marriage set up in her near future is nothing but an attempted power grab by her father King Zøg, she is greatly dissatisfied and acts out in what is stereotypically male self-destructive ways (drinking, partying, and gambling). When she is forcibly taken back to the castle in the first episode to marry Prince Guysbert of Bentwood, she meets Luci – a literal demon (who looks like an adorable kitty) who has been tasked with leading her down the path to hell. As she is about to be married, a disillusioned Elf (Elfo) who has just escaped from his own stifling society, bursts into the building. The fact that an Elf hasn’t been seen for centuries sends the guests a little…murderous…and Bean uses the ensuing chaos to break through a window before escaping. Elfo winds up falling through that same window and they run away together alongside Luci. It is from this point that the adventures of the trio truly begin.

The first component in our formula isn’t always explored to the extent I think it could be (particularly in situational comedies) but is one that I believe is crucial to any good story.

Character arcs and development.

Of course, how focused a show is on character development depends heavily upon whether the narrative is more plot-driven (typically found in sitcoms, where situations affect the characters but the slate is wiped clean by the end of the episode, returning to the status quo), or character-driven (when events and experiences greatly change the inner world of the character, allowing them to grow, think and act differently than they had done in the beginning).

In BoJack Horseman, we see this concept play out in a fascinating way. The writers have constructed the narrative in a way that centres around BoJack and other characters trying to change themselves. The story, though heavily character-driven, also uses plot-driven narratives to draw attention to how hard each character tries to change their situation, behaviour, or outlook on life but ultimately remain unchanged. This plays out almost as if they are trapped on a merry-go-round, doomed to continuously circle back to their previous state of affairs. It is this that brings a certain level of reality and emotional resonance to the characters.

Disenchantment begins seemingly as more of a plot-driven series. Currently, the show only has three parts out on Netflix and is still finding its feet. Because of this, in some of the early seasons of the show seem to be plot-driven at first with everything always comfortably returning to the status quo, before changing its mind and throwing a spanner into the works for the last few episodes. I’m very happy to say that this is no longer the case. Particularly in part three, the rug is noticeably pulled out from under the characters’ feet and the show’s creators really begin to focus on the inner journey of both Bean and the side characters. In a show with such a big world and so many different functioning societies it is understandable that the creator’s needed to establish a status quo before deviating from it. As part three gets underway, the characters seemingly have reached a point of no return in which they are no longer able to remain unchanged by the world around them. It is this that allows us to really invest in the characters.

We originally meet both BoJack and Bean at a stage of their lives in which they have an elevated status, to the point where they no longer have any purpose and have lost themselves in the course of things. The shows seem to be a process of these characters building themselves back up and discovering new ways of living (whether they stick to these or not). Both BoJack Horseman and Disenchantment let us know that finding yourself is not easy and gives a lot of examples that show how you could get lost along the way. This brings me to my next component – a subcategory of the character arc.

The characters work to better themselves.

It could be argued that BoJack starts off the show in denial. Deep down, he hates that he’s not where he thinks he should be and so puts on a ‘big man’ façade, putting a lot of energy in the first season into upkeeping this image. Over the course of the series, he becomes disillusioned with the way he views himself. He ruminates on the awful ways his actions have affected certain characters and begins to desperately seek validation from others around him to prove to himself that he’s not all bad. Whilst on Disenchantment, Bean begins disillusioned, thinking that she won’t amount to anything so she shouldn’t even try. Due to her gender, there is no chance of her ever becoming the next heir after all. Although she has been born into a big important family, it seems she is not destined to actually be any position to affect change. Anytime she does express herself about corrupt policies she would like to see altered, she is swiftly shut up. As the series progresses, she is thrown into a multitude of trials and tribulations which force her to confront this.

BoJack Horseman and Disenchantment both sees its characters taking steps to either better the world or become better people but really shines a light on the amount of effort the characters have to put in to do this and how much of a struggle it can be. BoJack consistently tries to change and better himself, but certain characters that he is surrounded by work to keep him stagnant. This is also true for Bean and is most definitely something which is relatable to us as an audience.

Both BoJack and Bean are constantly in the search for meaning; whether it be figuring out why they are the way they are or attempting to understand their place in the grand scheme of things. When they discover that perhaps Meaning™ doesn’t exist they begin to make their own. This is where the characters really start to flourish. Even if on the way, like in BoJack’s case, they temporarily lose the ability to know what they want as they’re too focused on the needs of the other characters, they always seem to find their way back.

Over the course of our lives, there are plenty of goals that we set for ourselves. Quite often, we push these aside as life gets in the way, or even if we just become demotivated. Usually, it takes some sort of crises of the self, or intense life event, to wake us up to this. Both shows certainly have plot points like this in abundance. As stated by the BoJack Horseman character, Cuddlywhiskers in Season 3 Episode 3:

"It takes a long time to realise how truly miserable you are, and even longer to see that it doesn't have to be that way. Only after you give up everything can you begin to find a way to be happy."

The changes each show’s main characters make within themselves become clearer when we see the changing nature of how they relate to the side characters. Both shows see the side characters supporting the main characters through their destructive behaviours and hard times in frank yet kind ways. Specifically in Disenchantment, we see Luci, Bean’s literal demon confess that she “brings out the good in him”. Which brings me to the third component…

Three dimensional relationships between main characters and side characters.

What do I mean by this? The traditional TV show structure will usually push main character/s into the spotlight and keep them there for the entirety of the story, using the side characters only as tools to propel said main character/s forwards. This can leave side characters feeling two dimensional by neglecting to explore what could be a rich history within these characters personally or with their relationship to the main character/s.

Though both shows start off, and in certain respects, continue with a magnifying glass over the main character… As each series progresses, their creators begin to really delve into the lives of their side characters. With BoJack Horseman we begin to explore the lives of, Diane, Todd, Sarah Lynn, Princess Carolyn and Mr. Peanut Butter (to name a few), and Disenchantment expands on the inner lives of Elfo, Luci, King Zøg, Queen Oona, Queen Dagmar, Odval, Arch Druidess, and more recently hinting at a larger story for Miri/Mop Girl.

BoJack Horseman and Disenchanted both start to see their main characters being affected by the side characters just as much as their side characters are affected by the main ones. Both BoJack and Bean live in a state of perpetual loneliness, despite being surrounded by people. They both have what could be considered toxic relationships with their parents; BoJack because of how abusive his parents were to him, Bean because of her absent evil mother and emotionally distant father. This leaves them with no choice but to find ways to guide themselves through major life events, and in many cases, leads them to find love or support in unexpected places and people.

The show also has a few parallels at the start of their respective seasons in terms of side characters. I would compare the character Todd Chavez (the originally positive, fun-loving hanger-on) in BoJack Horseman to Disenchantment’s Elfo. I would also pose the suggestion that the inner demons BoJack struggles with are portrayed to Bean in the physical form of Luci (although it’s much easier fighting with a demon you can see)!

Both series also explore the lives of characters we originally thought were evil, only to find out that they are just as lost as the main characters; typically feeling used, under-appreciated, or even bullied by those we previously considered to be inherently good. The disruption of the ‘good vs. evil’ trope is a refreshing way of defying convention and turning stereotypes on their head. All of this brings me to the fourth and final component that I believe is necessary to make the (almost) perfect formula.

Defying convention and making fun of stereotypes.

BoJack Horseman and Disenchantment are both marketed as comedy shows. While it may be true that there definitely are elements of comedy in both of these shows, the writing feeling quite tongue in cheek, I think that if we watched them purely through the lens of Comedy™ then we potentially miss a multitude of other great things about the work. We miss the gut-wrenching emotional resonance and the running commentary about society’s failures from BoJack Horseman. With Disenchantment, we miss the incredibly beautiful and well thought out worlds/societies, as well as the coming of age and self-discovery elements found in the show.

Saying this, much of the fun, or jokes, come from the writers highlighting long-running stereotypes before turning them on their head and ironically showcasing the awful things we do as a society. Both shows regularly critique and make fun of a whole range of tired gender rules, class and race division, and outdated ‘etiquette’.

On what might be seen as ‘politically correct’ – a term that has become one of ridicule in recent years, the creator of BoJack Horseman (Raphael Bob-Waksberg) says,

‘I think most people who argue for what you might call political correctness, are not actually arguing for censorship. They're arguing for self-control and self-restraint. They're arguing for people to be conscious of the power they have, right? And I believe that I have a lot of power, as someone making popular entertainment.’ (Vice: 2017)

I believe this quote is a very important one and something that was a major consideration in the making of both shows. Plus, such tired stereotypes and societal norms are both fun to mock (in my humble opinion) and provide the audience with a well-established base to springboard off from. Because let’s face it, this tired knowledge is so ingrained in most of us by the time we reach the age we need to be to watch these shows that it doesn’t take much explaining for us to understand exactly what’s going on. Doing this allows them to defy convention and subvert old narratives.

There is so much more I could say… (the Contemporary Theatre maker in me is dying to talk about the use of Deconstructive Language which both shows utilise to make many of their jokes) …but I’ve gone on a bit long and, honestly, I’m trying to reign myself in.

What did you think of this article? Is it a fair analysis?

If you did end up watching Disenchanted because of this, did you love it or loath it?

AM I OF SOUND MIND OR AM I TALKING OUT OF MY BEHIND?

Let me know!