In S6E1, the first episode Bojack is in rehab, four flashbacks reveal his “first” drink.

In the final flashback, the last scene of the episode, his parents are passed out drunk on the couch after the party. There are balloons and streamers everywhere. An old record is skipping on the record player.

Little Bojack in his sailor suit walks in and sees his parents. He unscrews the vodka bottle cap and chugs for a few seconds. When he puts the vodka down, the record stops skipping and starts playing the song.

Little Bojack drinks and the world literally gets better. The sound shifts from the unsettling and eerie skip of the record player to the beautiful swell of violins.

Excuse me while I go scream in a corner.

  • arbitrary-ladybug@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I saw the same thing, but I genuinely don’t think that’s his first drink.

    We see him walk in, look at the liquor bottle, look at his mother to make sure she’s asleep, and then take a sip and crawl onto the couch with her. Bojack was a very hesitant kid in most of his other flashbacks, and even more so after the cigarette incident. He had no hesitation or guilt about it, he just grabbed the bottle and took a swig. To me, this seems like he’s done it a few times.

    • Impressive_Bid8673@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Agree it’s not his first drink, he took 2-3 swallows without flinching and also didn’t have the “yuck” reaction you would expect of a kid drinking straight liquor for the first time.

    • Kitchen_Syrup2359@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      He didn’t make a face so he’s probably right :/ I have a theory that Bea slipped him alc if he was fussy/not falling asleep. Sadly not too uncommon of a practice in those days

    • Joan0116@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Isn’t it his first time when he found his dad cheating with the secretary and he forced him to drink with him?

  • catsushi_@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    This is one of the many moments that showcases just how stellar the music in this show really is. Every song they choose to use is so clever, whether it’s playing in the background, playing out loud canonically in the show, or straight up driving the whole episode (like in Fish Out of Water.)

    This particular moment is one of my favorites in the show. Through something so simple, so much was conveyed. The sound of the song skipping and the sound of it playing clearly both illicit such specific vibes. Shit gives me goosebumps.

  • zmd182@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Okay. I’ve seen a lot of repeats on this sub or things i’ve caught. This is a GREAT catch.

  • Cranky-old-person@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    It’s a challenging watch, but so brilliant because it doesn’t pull it’s punches. A magnificent piece of art.

  • CometDraco@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    He drinks and gets happier when he is younger due to his age. After all that trauma, just drinking and sitting calmly next to his parents makes him happy becuz he is a child. Once he is grown up however the best time of his life is when he was working with herb and wasn’t drinking.

    • Emotional-Link-8302@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Overall, yes! I was just talking about the brief “good” feeling you get after drinking that little Bojack was probably chasing, and that adult Bojack was always chasing.

  • markeppley@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Idk if it’s ever been pointed out before in here (it probably has), but my take away from this episode was every flashback Bojack trying to remember when he started drinking was a situation where either he was offered a drink from someone else or was had a drink forced on him. The final scene reveals that it was in fact his choosing to hold the bottle up to his mouth and have a drink for himself. Sort of revealing that he can only blame himself.

  • xWheezer666x@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Yep I noticed this as well, it’s an incredible little detail that blows your mind. This is one of the reasons why I love this show, and weirdly Adventure Time, they’re both my heavy depression shows because sometimes certain episodes (like the one you described) are just so CATHARTIC.

    For context, I struggled with a family full of addicts, and struggled with addiction myself for the longest time (~15 years… multiple things).