I finished bojack a few nights ago and while it did crush me it’s a lot more satisfying of a ending then people would give it credit for, I think people are wrong to assume it’s subversive because it doesn’t give closure, because for the first time in his life bojack looks at peace truly. And I’ll never understand people who think he should of died, what message would the show be sending if bojack took the easy way out and got to kill himself, he’s gotta live with the consequences with his actions and for the first time he fully accepts responsibility, I don’t think people understand that if he was going to die it was on HIS terms, he was going to kill himself and be martyred for it, have it hang around every single person who ever cared about him on their head, but the show said “no he needs to take responsibility and change”. Literally the last convo in the show is about horrible Diane felt after she listened to that voice-mail, and it harkens back to bojack talking about his near death experience at his moms funeral, “won’t they be sorry” was his first thought. Him dying is the worst possible ending for the show. But thats just how I feel
It’s an ending that condemns suicide as “taking the easy way out” rather than face the consequences of one’s actions. Some people could understand why he’d take that option though, he’s done so much that has hurt so many that he may feel irredeemable except through suicide. But the show is saying that suicide does not redeem a person. Staying alive, letting their dirty laundry air publicly, and facing everyone knowing everything about them, while staying committed to living honestly going forward, is real redemption.
Perhaps the writers were sick of seeing bad characters be “redeemed” or suddenly become sympathetic after dying.