After the news of Diane's engagement, BoJack goes on a week-long bender, and ends up at the doorstep of Princess Carolyn. She gives him a pep talk, as well as a commercial shoot opportunity, to snap him out of it.
Meanwhile, things are coming together for Princess Carolyn's upcoming Eva Braun movie project, until her agency Vigor merges with rival agency FME. Her longtime rival from FME, Vanessa Gekko, begins to share Princess Carolyn's workspace due to the sloppy merger, and also begins take over Princess Carolyn's Eva Braun project and her clients. She is further hindered by BoJack abandoning his commercial shoot and coming to fawn after her, to which Princess Carolyn points out he does so every time something bad happens to him. However, she finally relents to a date with BoJack after much pestering, to pursue happiness by going on a date with him.
The two enjoy their date, but simultaneously get a phone call. Princess Carolyn is called by Vanessa Gekko, telling her that Cate Blanchett, who was previously Princess Carolyn's client, has switched to become Vanessa's client. Dismayed, Princess Carolyn decides to commit to pursuing happiness with BoJack to take her mind off of her career. BoJack, meanwhile, is called by Herb Kazzaz, who is responding to BoJack's voicemail from the episode "Live Fast, Diane Nguyen." Herb scathingly tells BoJack to visit him at his home in Malibu if BoJack has anything to say to him. The call sobers up BoJack, and he admits to Princess Carolyn that she was right earlier when she said they don't love each other, and that they're just lonely and trying to hate themselves less.
Princess Carolyn gathers herself after that evening, swearing to become a "heartless, hard career gal." She is called on the way to work by BoJack, who tells her he is on his way to visit Herb, and wishes to get work when he returns. At first, she dismisses him, saying he is not her client anymore, but begins to find him work after finding out Vanessa coldly shredded his contract to drop him. Princess Carolyn's persistence pays off in the end when she wins back the Eva Braun project from Vanessa, and maneuvers a position for BoJack to star in a new movie project based on the events of the stolen Hollywood "D." When she calls BoJack to tell him of the news later that evening, BoJack simply tells her he doesn't care and that nothing matters before hanging up on her. Princess Carolyn then dismisses her assistant Laura from work. When asked by Laura if she was heading out soon, Princess Carolyn simply asks back "Where else would I go?" She stares out at the city alone, and her phone alarm reminds her it is her 40th birthday.
"Say Anything" contains examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: This is the first episode focusing mostly on Princess Carolyn.
- Aborted Arc: The subplot of the birds trying to blackmail BoJack ends here without BoJack even knowing about it.
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy:
- BoJack goes on a bender after learning of Diane and Mister Peanutbutter's wedding. He makes friends with a homeless person who he believes is John Stamos and constantly bothers Princess Carolyn while updating her regarding their shenanigans. He was also naked for a lot of that.
- Todd drinks spiked prop bourbon and finds himself raging against the cameras.
- Arc Words: BoJack asks Princess Carolyn "What are we doing?" several times during the episode.
- Batman Gambit: Uses one against Vanessa Gekko by poaching Cate Blanchett, having gotten her favorite book to become an adaptation, and then being the one to bring her back into the roster in order to score some points and humiliating Vanessa in the process. It works. Afterwards, Quentin Tarantulino is disappointed that he couldn't make a romantic comedy anymore but P.C. suggests to make a film version of Mr. Peanutbutter's marriage proposal with BoJack as the lead.
- Believing Their Own Lies: Like any great agent, she talks and believes anything about his client or about herself.
- Call-Back: BoJack recalls the time he bought the Elefante restaurant in "Our A-Story is a 'D' Story."
- Chekhov's Gun: The fact that Cate Blanchett's favorite book is "Suffragette City."
- Comically Small Demand: The blackmail birdies demand $150 for incriminating picture of BoJack having sex with Sarah Lynn. It does not get satisfied.
- Cutaway Gag: BoJack tells Princess Carolyn that she's the best thing that ever happened to her. She incredulously responds that he says that every time she helps him out of a situation. Cut to various incidents of this happening.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Mr. Witherspoon does this to Vanessa.Mr. Witherspoon: Are you fired? Not exactly. Can you still work here? No.
- Dumbass Has a Point: During Todd's drunken rant, he yells "Bourbon is the name of a county! You can't make bourbon in Germany!". According to federal law, "bourbon whiskey" must be produced in the United States to be able to be sold as such.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: P.C. does this to both BoJack and Todd after Alcohol-Induced Idiocy.
- Growing the Beard: This episode has been cited as the beginning of the show's tonal shift and subsequent critical acclaim.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: When Todd gets his big break, he tells Princess Carolyn over the phone that he won't let the fame get to his head. He then immediately yells at a person to not sit in his chair.
- Ironic Echo:
- BoJack pulls one on himself. He spends the episode asking Princess Carolyn "What are we doing?" in a jovial tone, meaning that he believes they are obviously in love with each other and asking what are they doing trying to deny it. At the end of the episode after going through a bad experience that shatters his (always tenuous) self-esteem, he cancels a date with her by dejectedly asking, "what are we doing?" This time, he's asking what they're doing pretending that they're really in love when they're obviously just trying to temporarily deny their own crushing loneliness.
- BoJack makes fun of Princess Carolyn by calling her a robot and making beeping noises. Later on, Princess Carolyn decides it's better to be a robot and makes the same beeping noises.
- Is This Thing Still On?: After Cardboard BoJack says a Jerry Maguire quote, he asks Todd how he turns off the recording device. When Todd doesn't respond, he thinks it's off, and proceeds to practice the trombone, which is still being recorded.
- Lipstick-and-Load Montage: The entirety of her Safety in Indifference speech below happens during her morning routine of getting ready to go to work, reminiscent of someone preparing to go to the battlefield by giving herself a motivational speech.
- Milestone Birthday Angst: Implied Trope. Princess Carolyn has a miserable date with BoJack then resolves to be a hardened career woman. Alone in her office, she tells herself that she will be cold and robotic...then her phone reminds her that it's her 40th birthday.
- Mirror Monologue: P. C. gives herself a pep talk in the bathroom while preparing for work the morning after BoJack dumps her again.
- P.O.V. Cam: When BoJack wakes up at the start of the episode.
- Rousing Speech: Princess Carolyn gives on to BoJack to encourage him to get to work."You got to get your shit together. So you took some licks, but you're gonna bounce back because you're talented, you're smart and, goddammit, you're good. You are a goddamn American treasure, you know that? You are BoJack. Goddamn. Horseman.
- This might not have been thought up on the spot, as she gives Todd a similar one.
- Safety in Indifference: In P.C's Mirror Monologue above, she comes to this conclusion, deducing that it's best to focus on work and forget about feelings.Princess Carolyn: You gotta get your shit together. So yesterday you let yourself fall in love a little bit and you got your heart broken. Serves you right for having feelings! Starting now you are a hard, heartless career gal. Go to work, be awesome at it, and don't waste time on foolish flights of fancy. From now on, you're a robot. Beep bop boop blerp bleep.
- Shout-Out: Cardboard BoJack says quotes from Jerry Maguire, Princess Carolyn's favorite movie.
- Species Surname:
- Subverted. Since her mention in Prickly Muffin, we were led to believe that Vanessa Gekko actually is a gecko but it turns out she's a human.
- Cameron Crow isn't a crow, but a raven.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Despite their demands being comically small, the paparazzi are threatened with being thrown in jail for taking unauthorized pictures in private property if they don't hand them over.
- Synchronous Episodes: With The Telescope.
- Unsuspectingly Soused: BoJack spikes the prop drink, leading to Todd getting plastered.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Princess Carolyn has this reaction when two people show up with what seems to be a career opportunity for BoJack after he fired her.
