In case you couldn't tell from my Odyssey content up until this point, I love analyzing media. TV shows, movies, video-games, you get the idea. To me, it's great to point out when something is good and when something isn't. I've written about things I find amazing and things I've criticized at length. One such criticism was extended to this year's viral Netflix show "13 Reasons Why." I refer to it as viral because Netflix always has one show per year that blows up. Whether or not it's worthy of the praise is irrelevant, I think it's cool that a company like Netflix can dish out legitimately enjoyable hits year after year. Last year it was "Stranger Things," this year it was 13RW. With Barb from "Stranger Things" having been nominated for an Emmy, I think it's fair to say that 13RW will definitely have some awards and lasting power coming its way.
That's not to say I don't think it deserves the praise it's getting. Like I said in my last article about the show, I think it's good to start a dialogue I just didn't think it was founded on the best grounds. I've kind of had an on-again-off-again viewing experience with the show. I started back in April, stopped in May, and just recently picked it back up. My feelings about the show and the hype around it has certainly died down since then which gave me the opportunity to revisit it in a different way. All in all, my opinion still stands for the most part. I'm still not a fan of the improper blur between reality and power fantasy. Hannah Baker's suicide feels less like a tragedy and more like an inciting incident. Keep in mind that I wrote my article way back when the show first came out and I'd only gotten through the first two or three episodes. I'll admit that the story does get more interesting but not really compelling or poignant.
Watching more of the show actually made me want to go back and rewatch another Netflix original "BoJack Horseman," another show I've covered on this site. In my opinion, the show handles themes of self-destruction, self-loathing, and depression better than any other one out there, especially "13 Reasons." The show centers around a washed-up sitcom star from the '90s who decides to try and revitalize his career. BoJack is a manic depressive alcoholic and the titular lead character. We see him succeed and jump hurdle after hurdle only for each one to mean less and make him feel worse than the last. No matter how far he goes or what he does he can't escape his own unhappiness. He tries to run from it, hide from it, take copious amounts of drugs to keep it at bay, but in the end, it all comes back. It's such a rich and deep show, the last thing you'd expect from something marketed as an animated comedy about a talking horse voiced by Gob from "Arrested Development."
Hannah Baker and BoJack both suffer very similar kinds of issues. They both make poor choices that lead them further down a well of despair. They both inadvertently hurt the people around them. They are both affected greatly by the thoughts and opinions of others. Where they differ as characters is what leads them down the road they end up on. Hannah's life is ruined by short-sighted exterior forces that make her feel hopeless and powerless. BoJack constantly gets in his own way of happiness. Any chance he has to escape his demons, he almost never takes advantage. In one episode, he finally gets everything he wants in life. An escape from his life in L.A., an opportunity to live life on his terms, and most importantly, a family. A common theme in the show is BoJack's want for a family, for people to live and care for him because of the fact that he never had the chance to be loved in the first place. His happiness is cut short when he manages to destroy his new life. Nobody else gets in his way, nobody spreads nasty rumors, it's all on him. Keep in mind I'm not saying BoJack is better than Hannah from a character perspective, I'm just pointing out their respective arcs.
One thing that gets on my nerves regarding "13 Reasons Why" is the hype surrounding it. Like I said earlier, the hype has died down considerably but there are still plenty of people who point to the show as a groundbreaking tale of depression when it really isn't at all. Hannah Baker wasn't someone with depression, she was someone who was a victim of circumstance. I'm not saying that she wasn't depressed or in a bad place because she certainly was. As the show went on, I felt myself drawing a connection to Hannah and what she had to deal with. I wasn't in her shoes exactly but we bought our shoes in the same store. Not my best metaphor, but what can you do? If anything, the show should be commended for telling an amazing story of bullying. When you strip away all the tapes and cliche stuff with Clay and the subjects of each tape (who I took to calling The Council of Asshats), you have a really well put together story of someone being driven to the edge. Even though all of it is pretty compelling, it shouldn't be lauded as a realistic portrayal of depression. That title goes to the animated show about the alcoholic talking horse, ironically.
BoJack, as a character, is the best portrayal of depression I've seen in any show, or form of media for that matter. He's manic, self-loathing, makes bad decisions, gets in his own way, is his own worst enemy, and hurts everyone around him because of the bad choices he makes. What makes the story of BoJack more compelling is that he doesn't have an external force bringing him down, there is no bad guy. There's no Council of Asshats for BoJack, there's only BoJack himself to blame. And he knows it. In the most recent season finale, he straight up tells another character on the show that he's poison. That he's at fault for all the harm to himself and others. You feel sorry for him but also agree that he's a terrible person. You want him to find love but know he probably never will. Until he learns to change, there's no escaping himself. Hannah Baker, on the other hand, was driven to the edge by a horrible group of people. While that type of story is compelling it doesn't hit on the same level "BoJack" does. It doesn't make you want to keep coming back to feel or get more out of it.
The characters of Hannah and BoJack take up the emotional core of their respective shows but in order to truly compare the two, I have to talk about the rest of both. "BoJack Horseman," at its core, isn't a drama. It's more like half comedy, half drama. A lot of the comedy is rooted in ironic drama. Each character is just as compelling as BoJack and have their own quirks and stories to tell. Plus, the show blends comedy and drama seamlessly. In last year's season finale, there was a scene transition that ended in a joke that had me in tears only to cut to something that immediately brought me down again. It's the type of show that doesn't flinch and takes you through every emotion on the emotional spectrum. "13 Reasons Why," on the other hand, is very one-note. It's a typical teen drama with suicide thrown into the mix. The characters aren't very interesting and aren't given much time to develop into people you can fully identify with outside of Hannah. Everyone is either on The Council, indifferent, or irrelevant to the story altogether. The show constantly tries to make you feel terrible about what happened without providing any levity. Now, I'm not saying that suicide is any laughing matter. It's a serious subject matter that should be taken seriously, but try to see the contrast I'm pointing out here. "BoJack" manages to turn themes of depression into something that can be played alongside scenes of animal puns. If a show like "BoJack" can do it, why can't "13 Reasons?"
All in all, I like both shows to an extent. I think 13RW is on a see-saw teetering between good and just okay. "BoJack" is a show that's very near and dear to my heart because of the execution and characters. "13 Reasons "isn't a bad show but I do highly recommend "BoJack" to anyone who says that depression is not being covered as well on television. There are other shows that do it better and "BoJack" is the prime example. It's a show that requires a lot of patience but once you peel back the layers you find something really special and thought-provoking. "13 Reasons "was recently renewed for a second season which concerns me. The marketing suggests that the story of Hannah Baker isn't over and that there's more to discover. I hope they learn from their mistakes and create a thought-provoking and real show like "BoJack."I give it my highest recommendation. Give it a watch, it might be your next obsession. It's already mine.
