BoJack Horseman (TV Series) Good Damage (2020) User Reviews

just wow

[carmine-gangsta97 · 10/10 · 31 January 2020]

They way this show portrays mental illness just blows my mind everytime, especially showing the many many faces it has. This episode focusing on diane was fun and sadcore (you'll get it after watching) all at once.

best animated show of all time for sure!

Diane

[Oktay_Tuna · 10/10 · 3 February 2020]

This episode really took Diane into another level. Still this season is not episode based for BoJack, it is season based. Tension gets bigger and bigger but unlike other 5 seasons, the tension doesn't end at the end of the episode, but actually it gets bigger. BoJack is more binge-worthy than it had ever been. The animation of Diane trying to write her book was incredible. Such a thought provoking, unrealistic looking show which is more realistic than any other show.

More than "A cartoon"

[benjaminchristopher · 10/10 · 3 February 2020]

It's quite hard to describe to people what BoJack Horseman actually is. It's for sure a hard sell, but I'm so glad I found it. The whole show and this episode in particular is another one in the catalog of Bojack that really hit home- I'm sure it does for many people.

It's funny that one of my favourite shows about the real emotions we feel and life changing decisions, has a talking horse as it's protagonist (or anti hero depending on how you look at things), a Whale as it's newscaster and a talking Dog as the towns most known actor.

The creator has really made something profound here and everyone involved should be proud of themselves, it makes other people realise they are not alone as well.

The best Diane centric episode

[mattiasflgrtll6 · 10/10 · 25 February 2020]

Diane's depression finally seems to be lifting, so she's hoping she can finally write her book. It's just so hard to concentrate with all the noise everywhere and boyfriend Guy constantly butting in. ... But is that really the problem?

Diane as a character has been complicated. There are times where I've sympathized with her because of her emotional struggles, other times have thought she comes off as overly demanding and distant to people. This episode however, makes you understand more than any other in the entire series who Diane really is, and why she always acts so erratically.

Constantly she's focused on making her book as full of depressing details about her life as possible. After all, many see it as some form of therapy. If you can convey all the bad things that have happened to you into written words, it will actually mean something, not just be meaningless abuse. Hence, "good damage". But every time she tries to write, she gets distracted by a lot of other intrusive thoughts, and hear her father's voice berating and belittling her for not getting anything done.

Surprisingly, she does manage to come up with a fun detective story, which both Guy and Princess Carolyn are impressed by. But she thinks it's childish nonsense and try to get them to ignore it. She still wants to write about the psychological abuse she's suffered. So in short, Diane's been so focused on making her pain known that she doesn't realize that's not where her strength lies. Making the world a little lighter place is what her calling truly is, which Carolyn makes her realize by the end. To her, it's an inspiring story for her own child.

Meanwhile, we get to find out how the old-timey reporters found Charlotte Moore and pushed her on the Sarah Lynn case. This entire subplot is extremely uncomfortable from start to finish, but neccessary. 'Cause now we get to see it's not only the reporters that got the story to come out, her daughter Penny Carson also see it as a opportunity to finally give BoJack the punishment he deserves. She gives Penny a few days to think it over, but since she doubts she'll change her mind, she calls BoJack in advance to warn him that everything he tried to keep a secret will be public soon. At the end, we see just a few more seconds after BoJack's panicked breathing as he processes the information he was just fed. His anxiety attack makes him collapse, leaving Todd deeply concerned. The optimistic tone from the first couple episodes of the season is almost gone by now.

The show has always made good use of the animation medium whenever they want to communicate really intense feelings, and the crude squiggly-like drawings remind me of BoJack's perpetually negative thoughts in Stupid Piece Of Shi't (one of my favorites). Using innocuous drawings like those a child would have made really makes the overall point impactful, especially considering most of the trauma Diane suffered stems from her childhood.

An incredible exploration of depression

[bardy9 · 10/10 · 16 June 2020]

This show continues to find creative and mind-blowing methods of storytelling - and I think this one is among my favourites (along side "the old sugarman place", "the dog days are over", "times arrow" etc). The dialogue between princess Carolyn and Dianne is also very well written and makes for a sombre moment.

Just Amazing

[furkqnqrslan · 10/10 · 5 January 2021]

Amazing storytelling with many creative ideas is what makes Bojack Horseman is great and this episode shows us that very effectively and perfect way. Just Amazing.

Another master stroke

[biggyofmt · 10/10 · 2 July 2020]

It's not just any show that leave me vacillating between laughter and profound sadness, but enjoying every minute. The show balanced on a knife's edge, contrasting the absurd characters and world with the very real emotional message. This episode was a dagger to the heart.

Diane's struggle with writing mirrors a process any would be writer could identify with. Who wasn't found themselves writing 'Do this but better'. Who wasn't felt that they are facing deep emotional damage, but been unable to pick out the exact moments or details that lead them there.

Being Diane!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 28 February 2024]

Ghe visual storytelling in this show is sometime really marvellous, and can get quite emotional cause of striking and real it feels!

The episodes about Diane can be really good! "Dog days are over" is proof of that! This episode feels like that, at times, when it dives head first into the mind of Diane!

I dont think mental illness has ever been portrayed as accurate as this! How your mind can feel like a mess with so many thoughts converging, making it really hard to concentrate, all the while you feel like everything is pointless, and then you feel sad cause everything is pointless!

This show is just.. really something else!

It's Just Damage

[prophetroastinc · 9/10 · 6 February 2020]

One of my biggest issues with Bojack outside of Todd somewhat just hovering around, is that Diane seems to be miserable. It isn't a matter of her being a joke of what an outraged feminist is, or that she's a loud mouth liberal, it's that she never seems happy. Despite everything that's happened to her as a character and being given just about everything she's wanted she seemed and acted miserable.

While in season one that's understandable because she's meant to be relatable to Bojack and she's meant to be struggling, everything goes right for her until she gets frustrated and tanks it.

Good Damage does an amazing job of making me realize that she has a problem a few people have these days, where you mistake your trauma as not 'being enough' because it's not the right trauma. Alot of comedians comment on how they have abusive backgrounds and that gives them the fuel they need to go on and this episode does an amazing job of finally making you realize that's been Diane's problem.

A good portion of the episode is literally just her realizing that 'Good Damage' while being a thing, doesn't have to be your thing. She's attempting to force out some dark and gritty soul punch of a novel that isn't coming, because it's in there. The episode doesn't dismiss her complaints and genuine damage she's endured, but it does a very good job of showing it wasn't nearly as impactful as she'd like to believe.

This brings me back to the fact that of the entire main cast, she's had it the easiest next to Mr. PB in terms of their past and characterization. It makes liking her hard when she's actively her own worst enemy. But Good Damage genuinely made me happy that for the remainder of the series she, mostly, keeps her head above water and is a much better character because of it

9

[Edvis-1997 · 9/10 · 6 February 2020]

Really nice episode. I don't really like Diane but still it was pretty enjoyable.

The reporter characters were offensive and obnoxious

[riles-14932 · 7/10 · 2 February 2020]

The plot this season is ruined by the jokey reporter characters contrasted with the dark plot from the earlier season. Loved the stuff with Dianne, but those reporters were nails on a chalkboard.