Season 1

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 71% with an average rating of 5.9/10 based on 28 reviews. The website's critics consensus is, "It's intermittently funny, but in most respects, BoJack Horseman pales in comparison to similar comedies." On Metacritic, the season received a score of 59 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Erik Adams' review of the first six episodes gave the series a C+ grade; in the review, Adams wrote that the show "spoofs the emptiness of celebrity, but does so without any novelty or true insight". Willa Paskin, writing for Slate, was more enthused. "[It] is perhaps a little more clever than it is uproariously funny, but it is often very clever, and, moreover, well-tuned to the ludicrousness of the sort of low-level fame that surrounds BoJack". She likened it to 30 Rock in its ability to "[present] big ideas without having to commit to them". Chris Mitchell of Popzara was equally optimistic about the show's future, saying that "Fans of FX's Archer or Fox's Bob's Burgers will definitely want to check this one out, as its rapid-fire delivery is always consciously spot-on". The New York Times described the show as "hilarious and ribald".[49] Margaret Lyons of Vulture gave a positive review, describing it as "radically sad. I love it."

The second half of the season, however, received much more positive reviews. Ben Travers of IndieWire believed one possible reason for mixed reviews of the show was critics reviewing only the first half of the season, with the second half changing drastically in tone and developing a darker and deeper meaning. This change was so drastic that it led to IndieWire changing its policy to only review entire seasons of shows on Netflix, instead of just the first six episodes, which would have boosted BoJack Horseman's C+ grade.

Keith Uhlich of The A.V. Club named the first season of BoJack Horseman the fourth-best motion picture of 2014.

Notable Character(s)

Beatrice Horseman

A horse who was BoJack's neglectful, verbally abusive mother. Heiress to the Sugarman sugar cube fortune, she primarily appears in flashbacks of BoJack's childhood and young adult life. Her childhood was marked by cruel treatment from family and peers alike, hardening and embittering her personality. While seen as a liberal, Barnard-educated college graduate concerned with the civil rights movement,[2] she soon becomes bitter and jaded after making the poor choice to romantically involve herself with Butterscotch Horseman. After becoming impregnated by Butterscotch, Beatrice decides to marry him and move to San Francisco, California, where she becomes resentful of BoJack, blaming him for her dissatisfaction in her life. She begins to suffer from dementia and after an incident at her nursing home, she moves in with BoJack and Hollyhock. However, after BoJack realizes Beatrice has been drugging Hollyhock (to make her lose weight), BoJack kicks her out of his house to put her into an even worse nursing home and makes clear he no longer wants her in his life.

Butterscotch Horseman

A horse who was BoJack's physically and verbally abusive father. He appears in flashbacks to BoJack's childhood. Butterscotch, who hailed from a working-class background, was an alcoholic and failed novelist. He resented his wife's financial independence and took out his insecurities on BoJack. In flashbacks, Butterscotch is often seen yelling nonsensical conservative hyperbole such as claiming that the Panama Canal is for "Democrats", claiming that imaginary friends are "freeloaders invented by Communists", and calling screws "fancy Jew nails." He died from blunt force trauma after hitting a rock in the midst of a duel in 2009.

Herb Kazzaz

Was BoJack's human former comedy partner, who created and wrote Horsin' Around where he also provided the voice of Mr. Libertore who runs the law firm where the Horse works as an attorney. Herb appeared to be friendly and upbeat during the show's production, usually nice, understanding, and insightful to all his cast, even Bradley. When BoJack and Herb first meet as comedians, BoJack angrily tells him to "get cancer" which is what eventually happens. Halfway through production of Horsin' Around, Herb is caught engaging in a public sexual act with another man which causes a public outcry for his removal from the show. BoJack and Herb had a falling out at the apex of the show's success when Herb was blackballed by the network for being gay and BoJack did not stand up for Herb for fear of losing his own job. At the beginning of the series, they have not spoken for nearly 20 years.

Sarah Lynn

Was a human actress who played the Horse's precocious adoptive youngest daughter Sabrina on Horsin' Around starting when she was only three years old, and who looked up to BoJack off-screen as a father figure. After the show went off the air, she became a successful pop singer in the early 2000s before drug addiction and alcoholism ended her career. Flashbacks indicate that Sarah Lynn's self-destructive behavior is in part the result of being forced into an acting career by her mother, and BoJack (whom she idolized) having neglected her as a child. In season 3, she becomes sober, but only because she hears that taking drugs after being sober for a long time is the best experience. When BoJack hits rock bottom, he invites Sarah Lynn to go on an epic bender. Through a series of blackouts, they have a series of misadventures attempting to make amends to BoJack's ex-friends, and even stalking Penny at Oberlin College. Along the way, Sarah Lynn wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song in absentia.

Pinky Penguin

Is an Emperor penguin and book editor who works at Penguin Publishing. He was depending on BoJack's book to save his job and the entire company. In "Yesterdayland", Pinky started working at MBN. At the end of "Later", it is revealed he was able to see his kids again. After Wanda moves to Detroit, he becomes the head of MBN. His wife has stated that everything he touches falls apart, and much of his character's humor is derived from his failures or near-failures.