Characters / BoJack Horseman - Hollywoo Businesses

aka: Bojack Horseman MBN Network

Main Character Index | Main Characters (BoJack Horseman) | Main Characters' Family Members (Beatrice Horseman) | Main Characters' Social Circles | Los Angeles Residents | Hollywoo TV/Movie Crews | LA Businesses | Other Characters | Works of Fiction

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Media Corporations

MBN (Major Broadcasting Network)

MBN (in general)

M.B.N., outside front look.

"What? You have a lot of pride? Your job is to pump out garbage every year hoping some of that garbage stinks less than the rest so you can quietly renew that garbage and keep falling sideways until you retire to a three-point-five bedroom garbage in Beverly Garbage and spend the rest of your life watching your former assistant's garbage."

—BoJack Horseman to Wanda Pierce.

A former big player in Hollywoo(d), M.B.N. (Major Broadcasting Network) was once a titan of titans among television networks. Come 2015, the company not only has seen better days, its now barely notorious rentability and obsolete place in today's far reaching's arm of entertainment often makes it wistful of happier dark ages. Desperate to find a fresh head of programming to steer the ship the right way (and be Promoted to Scapegoat should the need to lynch someone arise), the network invokes seniority upon a long-term employee, Wanda Pierce, whose ideas (played-out game shows, old style shows) and likability might just make her the perfect spokeswoman and captain to keep the business afloat...at least in the short term. With a roster of freshly appointed asskissers, executives without backbone or awareness of the time and a couple of Only Sane Employees who find themselves handling the biggest responsibilities and making decisions who could propel the company or sink it, all without any proper thanks or budget to keep the stress away, M.B.N. stands as an example of the remnant of the dying old school networks.

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• The Blind Leading the Blind: The entire company is made up of Yes-Man-type executives, a semi-competent Number Two and a savvy, tough, peppy, no-nonsense lady as the chief....who spent the last two decades in a coma and therefore has really outdated ideas in how to move the network forward into the new era.
• Cliché Storm: In-Universe. The majority of the programs green-lighted during Wanda's time as Head of Programming are simply played out cliches out of tired ideas, since being from a different time, she has to do a lot of catch up.
• Closest Thing We Got: The reason why Wanda was chosen to be the Head Of Programming wasn't because she was the most capable, or the most prepared, but because she was the one with the most seniority out of the network, since everyone else kept getting fired or retired. It's also strongly implied that nobody else in the running wanted to be the last Captain of a sinking ship, and they were effectively trying to throw her under the bus.
• End of an Era: Network TV has all but become obsolete and has been sidetracked by more recent and better systems like streaming on Internet. Through all season, MBN is shown to be struggling to stay afloat, hoping new meat and different takes on old premises will resurrect them from oblivion.
• Fun with Acronyms: Major Broadcast Network, overlaps with Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
• Guilt by Association: The ensuing scandal of Hank Hippopopalous' supposed abuse of his assistants ends up bringing bad publicity to MBN Network, since their involvement with such a person puts some bad light in the company. The potential blowback of the continuing scandal causes Wanda, who's already experiencing tension at work, to try (and fail) to convince BoJack of not supporting Diane's crusade.
• Incompetence, Inc.: There's little to no competent employees in MBN, with the majority being executives who will nod their heads to whatever tune their boss is singing and won't even attempt to propose any ideas, happy to simply provide lip service regardless of being a good or an awful idea. The only competence you will find in here are a Disco Dan owl as the boss and a squirrely, nervous yet savvy penguin, and even then they're far from sane themselves.
• The Remnant: Nowadays, the network TV business is starting to become redundant and nearly extinct due to the media expansion happening on the internet; namely, streaming, web television and animation and news coverage quicker through online journalism. MBN is basically walking on a limping leg with the good one just waiting for amputation and more so after Wanda takes control and starts putting out tiresome shows with cliched premises because of her time bubble of thought.
• Vestigial Empire: M.B.N. has all but become a relic of time almost to the point of triviality when it first appears in season 2: With no fresh spins or valuable entertainment, the network is increasingly desperate enough to cash on passable fads and popular-today, forgotten-tomorrow programming. With a slew of executive firings, a retrograde-visioned owl in charge due to seniority and a bunch of uninspired pitch concepts and suck-ups working in it, the company's stuck in falling upside without pain or glory, at least until time catches up and clears its remains.
• We Have Reserves: Averted. Despite being involved in a controversial scandal, Hank's popularity and good image with people brings in quite a lot of revenue to MBN, therefore making very unlikely they will pressure his case further.
• You Are in Command Now: Looking at you, Wanda. Good luck, you'll need it.

MBN Executives

Generic executives often present in meetings alongside Wanda and Pinky.

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• Bearer of Bad News: Pinky is left with the unenviable duty to inform Wanda of the impossibility of some of her ideas (e.g. making David Copperfield disappear the WTC), mainly because neither of the other executives are too cowardly and too fearful for their jobs to do so.
• The Blind Leading the Blind: Not that Wanda is incompetent by any means, but considering how outdated her ideas are, the executives' refusal to comment, observe and do anything more than paying lip service to her ideas without correcting her puts them firmly into this trope.
• Blind Obedience: They barely seem to have their own thoughts or independence. They just agree on whatever Wanda feels like doing, even if it's a bad idea.
• Everyone Has Standards: Played With. They all go along with Wanda's ideas, no matter how asinine, ill-conceived or played out the idea is because she's their boss, right until she proposes for David Copperfield to disappear the World Trade Center, to which they protest...since Copperfield is no longer a big draw for audiences.
• False Reassurance: Their entire schtick when talking to their boss. Except Pinky.
• Pragmatic Villainy: They're not oppoosed to using the World Trade Center tragedy for publicity stunts, but if it's gonna involve a faded out star, they prefer to avoid any possible no-win situation.
• Professional Butt-Kisser: Practically what these people equate to actually working is basically agreeing to everything the boss says to curry her favor.

Pinky Penguin

Played By: Patton Oswalt

A penguin who works for the failing Penguin Publishing in Season 1, where he is dependent on BoJack's book to save his job and company. By Season 2, he's declared that print media is dead and took up a job in... network television.

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• All Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks: The reason why he can't go back to Hollywoo.
• Alliterative Name: Pinky Penguin.
• Appeal to Obscurity: How he explains one of the reasons why the company's failing.
  Pinky: We made a series of very bad investments. Ever heard of a young adult franchise called the Swamp Monsters of Malibu?
  Bojack: Uh, no.
  Pinky: (at his wit's end) Then why did we spend $20 million on marketing?
• Butt-Monkey: His problems with loan sharks and his unpaid debts.
• Character Development: As his appearance in the season 2 premiere shows: Eventually, Pinky has realized that print media is a lost cause and to avoid having to live day-to-day again, jumps ship to a better one. Too bad it was another sinking ship..
• The Chew Toy: While it's possible to feel bad for him all the same, the horrid bad luck Pinky suffers season after season can reach such absurd proportion that it's often Played for Laughs. His rare appearances, small and full of schadenfreude, and that each time he appears in a worse position than before also ensure that his breakdowns are simultaneously pathetic, hilarious and sad.
• Defector from Decadence: By season 2, he has abandoned the print business, considering it a line of work in decay. Too bad he switched to network television.
• Demoted to Extra: He has had a smaller part in the series after season 1, because his main arc had ended. Doesn't stop him from suffering and falling lower and lower each time.
• Disappeared Dad: He was one in the first season. He told BoJack he hasn't seen his kids in months because he's been hiding from loan sharks. He reunites with them in the season finale after BoJack's biography becomes a hit and his company begins to make money.
• The Dragon: Implied to be this to her new boss, Wanda.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: With the success of BoJack's biography, not only the company is saved from bankruptcy, but Pinky is able to pay his debts and reunite with his children.
• End of an Era: With the E-books, downloads and internet in general, publishing books is all but nearing extinction. Probably the best example is Penguin Publishing, the company for which Pinky works.
  • In Season 2 he finally sees the writing on the wall and leaves the publishing industry... for the equally dying industry of network television.
• Happy Place: He mentions having one in the first episode.
• Honest Advisor: Downplayed. While he's shown to play the Yes-Man along with the other executives, in private he's a lot more open about the flaws in Wanda's TV projects and how they could be solved. Also, his influence on her may be why MBN has managed to keep themselves relevant during recent times.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: To Wanda. While still a Nervous Wreck, Pinky has more experience with the way the world has turned during these last years, while being a subordinate to Wanda, a Fish Out Of (Temporal) Water who has missed the past 30 years and has a pretty retrograde way of doing things.
• The Matchmaker: He was the reason why BoJack and Diane met, with the latter serving as the former's ghostwriter. It's a one-sided example, however.
  • Unwittingly the second time, as he just wanted BoJack to meet his new boss.
• Mistaken Nationality: BoJack assumes Pinky is from Antarctica just because he's a penguin, but he was actually born in the United States.
  Bojack: Look, just give me one more week, and I will give you some pages that'll knock your ass back to the South Pole.
  Pinky: I'm from Cincinnati.
• Nerd Glasses: Of the "oversized" variety.
• Nervous Wreck: Oh, is he ever.
• Number Two: To Wanda Pierce.
• Persona Non Grata: He's been hiding in New York due to having unfinished business with some loan sharks. It's implied he could be killed if he put a foot back in there.
• Perpetual Poverty: The seats on his office are just stacked-up books, for fuck's sake. Not to say, his low income and debts. Subverted once his company starts making money.
• Species Surname: His last name, "Penguin", is also what he is species-wise.
• Stealth Pun: He and his company allude to real-life publisher Penguin Books.
• Step Three: Profit: Deconstructed. His company invested over 20 million on a series of novels, hoping the profit would save the company. Except that by investing all in a product that no one had interest in, their plan backfired.
• Think Happy Thoughts: Pinky often recedes into his Happy Place when overwhelmed by frustration or just plain bad luck. Given how often this happens, it's a wonder he hasn't snapped yet. As of season 2, he seems to be getting better.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: He finally reunites with his kids in the first season's finale.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He's the first one to suggest that BoJack should do a second interview in Season 6 in Xerox of a Xerox - the second interview that ruins BoJack's public image, destroys most of his long-term friendships, ruins him financially and undoes all of his personal progress made during the season. Ouch.
• When You Coming Home, Dad?: He hasn't seen his kids in a while due to not being welcomed at Hollywoo(d). At least, until the end of the season.
• Yes-Man: During public meetings at the MBN conference room. In private, however...

Mia McKibbin

Played by: Tatiana Maslany

J.D. Salinger's apprentice and student at MBN. Effective and no-nonsense, Mia serves as a reliable support for J.D. and a Foil for Todd, with whom she clashes behind the scenes.

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• The Ace: Cool-headed, effective, competitive, always on the ball and constantly checking everything's going well behind scenes. It's especially evident when she's paired with Todd.
• Alliterative Name: Mia McKibben.
• Always Someone Better: To Todd, all through "Let's Find Out". To the point where he tricks her out of her prize just to piss her off.
• The Apprentice: To J. D. Salinger, of the hyper competent variety.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Once the snark and put-downs go out the window, Mia and Todd's relationship has shades of this. The two of them are having a bit too much fun with their rivalry.
• Bigger Stick: The entire reason for her conflict with Todd? J.D. Salinger's pen, or more specifically, what it represents: being the best to tower over the rest and determine which of the two is the best of the room.
• The Cameo: In "The BoJack Horseman Show", wearing a Stanford sweatjacket and being annoyed by Todd and Emily.
• Character Filibuster: In her Establishing Character Moment in the opening of "Let's Find Out", she brushes off Todd's advances and proceeds to list her achievements to intimidate him:
  Mia: Listen boo-boo, I didn't graduate first in my class from a prestigious university, rise through the ranks at an elite news organization, win a well-known award, never ever be sick at sea and also my name is Mia McKibben, so that I could deal with your nonsense.
• Condescending Compassion: Her humanizing moment and sympathy towards Todd at the end of "Let's Find Out" is genuine, but still incredibly condescending and smug, since she's still reeling from her victory over him. She still gives him J.D.'s priced pen as a consolation price.
• Competition Freak: Her defining characteristic. She doesn't take it well when someone tries to upstage her on her element and job, being very fierce and petty and willing to resort to any means necessary to win and crush her opponent. Just ask Todd.
• Deadpan Snarker: Lets out a lot of snark towards Todd.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: To typical Aaron Sorkin female Plucky Office Girl protagonists, of whom Mia's clearly an Expy: Mia's clearly every bit as competent and assertive as every one of Sorkin's characters, except that because of her need to stay on top in a man's world and dislike for unprofessionality, she's also an A-grade Jerkass Competition Freak with no qualms about her insufferable ego.
• Defeat Means Friendship: At first, it seems like this will be Played Straight, with Todd accepting Mia's offer of peace (J.D.'s pen) and mending up; then it's subverted when Todd instead tricks her and mocks her over it.
• Did You Think I Can't Feel?: She starts off cold, but definitely starts to warm up to Todd during their semi-flirtatious quarreling, when he dons a suit (even if it was just stolen from Hair & Make-up department). By the end, Mia wants the moping Todd to know all he really needs is someone to believe in him. Todd, being Todd, makes her regret caring about him almost immediately.
• Forgotten First Meeting: As "The BoJack Horseman Show" demonstrates, Mia has met Todd before. Justified by the fact that it was a second-lasting meeting and an unpleasant one for Mia.
• Go-Getter Girl: A Parody of the trope.
• I Was Born Ready: Part of her motivation through the episode is to prove herself to be the most competent, outstanding member of Mission Control, "Toddfoolery" be damned.
• Jerkass: Holy crap. That only begins describing her attitude.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: If giving the pen to Todd and trying to give him a pep talk is any indication, she can care.
• Long List: Of accomplishments, which she proceeds to list out to Todd in an effort to establish some differences between them.
• Mission Control: Her main worksite, in which she is second to J. D. Salinger in handling every single thing that happens in Hollywoo Stars & Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things? Let's Find Out!, and when it should happen. Whatever J.D. wants to be done, Mia will do it as an extra to win his favor.
• Nice Mice: Considering how mice are normally portrayed, Mia stands out even more as a aversion, since because of her ego, she's anything but nice.
• No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: She's worked damn hard to get to where she is. She despises that bumbling Todd is going to try to upstage her. Not by his own merits, education or achievements, but by simply being friends with Mr. Peanutbutter.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The moment Mia finally does something nice for someone and tries to cheer a person to inspire to improve himself, that person ends up being Todd, who tricks her into giving her the pen and mocks her over it.
• Plucky Office Girl: Certainly a Go-Getter Girl folded together with a pretty effective and strong-willed Hyper-Competent Sidekick package.
• Student–Master Team: With J. D. Salinger, who's not only an Old Master, but also an Renowned Selective Mentor and A Father to His Men to the already competent Mia.
• "Well Done, Daughter!" Gal: Besides her obvious desire to best her lot in every single way, there are clearly some need of recognition and approval she wants to get from Salinger what drives her the most.

Veronica

A stylist working at MBN. A Running Gag in the second season is that she always ends up being crushed against doors, much to everyone's apathy. Apparently met Daniel Radcliffe at some point.

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• Butt-Monkey: Her entire existence involves being ignored as just part of the network landscape and getting smashed against the wall and losing more of her feathers.
• Beleaguered Assistant: She hardly ever gets thanked for her job and is constantly being injured.
• Chew Toy: Admit it, it's hilarious when she ends up injured.
• Forgotten First Meeting: Subverted. Despite her contribution being often overlooked, Daniel Radcliffe remembers her, despite only having met her once briefly. Unfortunately, he does this in front of BoJack, who actually gave him some helpful advice, yet is hardly remembered by him.
• Running Gag: Getting smashed by others because of standing behind doors. Near the end of the show, she's practically bald from losing feathers.
• Unlucky Extra: Oh, Dear Lord.

MSNBSea

Tom Jumbo-Grumbo

Played by: Keith Olbermann

A whale news anchor who often provides exposition and typical Hollywoo hype.

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• Allegorical Character: Just like A Ryan Seacrest Type, he represents the attitude of sensationalistic media willing to exploit any possible coverage for viewership and propaganda. Their oft violation of personal privacy and disregard for the damage caused also underscore how much does Hollywoo respect the individual and real life problems.
• Amicable Exes: He used to be married to a squid ^note Possibly the one seen in episode 2 of the 2nd season , and if his aside comments in "Chickens" are any indication, he still thinks highly of her.
• The Announcer: For MSNBSea, a Show Within a Show news report in Hollywoo.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: He may blame every little thing on Randy, but come Season 4, he's genuinely concerned when Randy passes out at his keyboard, and happily welcomes him back when he recovers.
  Tom: This isn't just a news room, this is a family!
• Coincidental Broadcast: Whenever BoJack or his friends have done anything infamous, Tom is always the first one to report on the news. ^note  Well, unless A Ryan Seacrest Type and Some Lady manage to beat him to it. It varies from episode to episode
• I Fight for the Strongest Side!: Tom knows his trade and as such, makes a point of always siding with the great companies and entrepreneurs. He spouts obvious Character Shilling for Chicken 4 Dayz and Hank Hippopopalous and being a more subtle version of a Professional Butt-Kisser.
• I Shall Taunt You: His response when trying to goad someone to speak their version of the news. Especially prevalent in "Bojack Hates The Troops" and "Hank After Dark".
• I Was Quite a Looker: In a Flashback in "The Telescope" while outing the news about Herb's incident, Tom is shown to have been much thinner and with actual hair.
• If It Bleeds, It Leads: MSNBSea's (and by default, his and Hollywoo's) M.O.
• Kent Brockman News: His program, MSNBSea, is often used to provide exposition on the episode's plot, as a Separate Scene Storytelling or it's just used as a Cutaway Gag.
• MSNBC Conservative: Nobody's buying his claims about being an impartial onlooker and judge. Especially with his suspiciously lousy defense of the other side of the argument and "unwitting" defense of the strongest faction.
• Malicious Slander: More than once. Since Tom's job often involves quieting down any accusations towards famous people, the preferred method is this: be it by goading them into muddling things further themselves or just outright dismissing them.
• Mouth of Sauron: Whenever the protagonists are up against someone, Tom's judgement is always biased in favor of the bigger man and as such, offers them good publicity.
• Mr. Exposition: He usually provides context or unfolds the plot by showing others' opinions about it, especially the ones involved.
• Non-Mammalian Hair: In a weird version, as whales are mammals, but typically lack hair, but in the Flashback to The '90s, when he was reporting to the Herb Kazzaz scandal, Tom had chestnut colored hair and was a lot thinner.
• Practical Voice-Over: Whenever it's needed, Tom provides an In-Universe example of this.
• This Just In!: Always relevant news, almost to the point of being omniscient.
• Who Writes This Crap?!: Tom Jumbo Grumbo's response to the the MSNBSea news story being called "The Great BoJack Jerk-Off"
  Tom: Really? That's the best name we came up with? (yelling to someone off camera) Who came up with that? Was it Randy? Did Randy come up with that?
• Worst News Judgement Ever: Constantly, with the worst example being an important education bill before Congress gets interrupted by the "Jerk-off"^note  BoJack's fight against Neal McBeal, the Navy SEAL.

Randy

Played by: N/A

Tom Jumbo-Grumbo: Who wrote this? Was it Randy? It was Randy, wasn't it?

A writer for MSNBSea whom Tom always ends up in a squabble with.

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• Butt-Monkey: Tom berates him to no end, because of his constant (sometimes, just perceived) screw-ups, most of the time on air.
• The Ghost: He never appears on-screen, being a catch-it-all Butt-Monkey when something in the show goes wrong.
• Giver of Lame Names: Often berated for this, especially when the story is one of their main ones. The "Jerk-Off" is just one of many, apparently.
• Kent Brockman News: A major contributor, being the news writer.
• Sitcom Archnemesis: Tom really has it against him. To be fair, the guy does screw up, but not as often as Tom thinks he does. Later in the show, Tom has shown grattitude and concern for Randy on separate occasions, even though he's still antipathetic
• Writers Suck: He's often blamed for things in the script that are non-sensical and for coming up with lame names like "Jerk-Off"^note  BoJack's fight against Neal McBeal, the Navy SEAL for important news.
• Who Writes This Crap?!: Randy, apparently. Nobody seems to disagree.

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Hollywoo Talent Agencies

Vigor Agency

Vigor Agency (in general)

The Vigor Agency building, from the outside.

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• A Lighter Shade of Black/A Lighter Shade of Grey: None of the agents working for the agency could count as an heroic person, but they do what they can for their client, regardless of recognition, and even if their concern is their commission, they work to keep their part of the job.
  • Within the company, Princess Carolyn counts as this, since for all of her Manipulative Bitch tendencies, she's the most decent out of the agents in Vigor and one of the only ones with their head screwed on right.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Averted.
  • Charley Witherspoon is probably the last person in Vigor one could call a great employee. Yet once his father dies, he takes the reins of the company, and in a twist, he turns out to be competent at leading, unlike Princess Carolyn.
  • Princess Carolyn expected this to be the case once she left Vigor. Seeing her credentials would arise certain expectations, only for her arc in season 3 with VIM to take a turn in Deconstruction-ville.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Yes, it's good to trust these guys and all, but you should still be keeping an eye on them. Just because they will get you a job prospect doesn't mean that they are completely on your side. Let's say some other client of theirs could use the role or the contacts more than you, or that you don't generate enough to be profitable, or they just simply want to add a bonus to their income. Whatever the reason, they will do this to you at eventually. Hell, they even do it to themselves. Reason for the latter vary however, from just plain Let No Crisis Go to Waste to more justified cases like finding out one of your co-workers betrayed your confidence.
• Consummate Professional: Whenever they get themselves in full gear, nothing stops them from getting what they need or remaining cold and logical through the entire ordeal.
• Dawn of an Era: Under Charley's leadership, Vigor seems to be keeping itself afloat without any problems. The fact that Charley is hiring seasoned veterans in the field as support is really paying off.
• The Dilbert Principle: If the promotion of the incompetent Charley Witherspoon to agent after a pretty lousy career as a secretary just because he's the boss' son is any indication, people like Princess Carolyn or Rutabaga are less likely to make it on their own terms, unless they have some contacts.
• End of an Era: With Mr. Witherspoon having a stroke and eventually dying from it; Princess Carolyn, Rutabaga, Lora and Stewart quitting the place to move to greener pastures, and Charley being left to run the company, things are not looking up for Vigor's future.
• Family Business: Implied. Mr. Witherspoon expects Charley to inherit Vigor above more qualified candidates.
• Incompetence, Inc.: Played With, mixed with a heavy dose of We ARE Struggling Together. All of the agents, at their best, work as a well oiled machine, but internal struggles as well as constant competition and backstabbing have made it very difficult to maintain the stability of the company. Add Nepotism to the batter and you get a very unstable workplace environment.
• Ironic Name: Vigor's agents are basically Svengali-type people who, while just doing their jobs and actually helping out some of their clients, contribute for the most part to sucking people's talent for all it's worth.
• Miser Advisor: They manage to get you a job? Good. They manage to gain a bigger profit because of it? Better.
• Nepotism: The only reason Mister Witherspoon's son Charley is able to get a job there and move up the hierarchy.
• No Honor Among Thieves: As soon as someone has their back turned, there's absolutely nothing that stops the other agents from using underhanded tactics to curry favor with their costumers or just plain steal them. Hell, when Ronnie Bonito, an associate of Vigor, dies in "Higher Love", the Vigor agents start contacting his clients during the workplace moment of silence.
• Opportunistic Bastard: It's a given and a requirement.
• Out of Focus: With Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga Rabbitowitz out of the door, Vigor's inner workings and problems take a step back to the newly formed VIM and Gekko/Rabbitowitz's rising success and power-grabbing. Since those two were the primary POV characters through which the company's foibles are exposed, it's kind of a given, especially since Vigor is implied to be slowly running out of steam.
• The Social Darwinist: You have to be alert and constantly in guard. Otherwise, you're easy prey not only for rival companies, but also for your co-workers.
• The Svengali: The usual role they play in a client-agent relationship, although with a more realistic, Cut Lex Luthor a Check edge along with some Brutal Honesty and good advice every once in a while.
• Vestigial Empire: Averted. As it turns out, putting Charley out in the battlefield with little to no experience was a tactical mistake, since he's more capable in the analytical side; ergo: making him the head of Vigor turns out to be the right choice.

Mr. Witherspoon

Played by: Stephen Colbert

Princess Carolyn's boss at Vigor.

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• Anti-Nepotism: Played With. Mr. Witherspoon clearly wants his son Charley to lead Vigor (or at least be in a major position). However, he also wants him to be an effective leader, so he assigns him difficult tasks or important positions hoping he'll learn the hard way. Of course, his employees better not make it too hard for him even if he's useless at his job or else Witherspoon will know about it. This is notable when Charley becomes PC's assistant: he's really incompetent at it, but since PC doesn't want Witherspoon to rage at her, she often redoes Charley's screw-ups.
• Character Death: He dies of a stroke at the end of Season 2.
• Clueless Boss: Oh, yes. It doesn't mean he's incompetent, though. Just really inconsiderate and obliviously uncaring towards his employees.
• The Dilbert Principle: He promotes his incompetent son to agent after a disastrous run as Princess Carolyn's secretary, yet keeps the competent cat one floor below.
• Doting Parent: To his son, Charley. He supports him in every way, gives him a job and congratulates him in the small things he does. It would be sweet if Charley wasn't a Nervous Wreck incompetent who's climbing the ladder way faster than Princess Carolyn or Rutabaga.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: He suffers a fatal stroke in the season 2 finale.
• Killed Offscreen: After having a stroke off-screen, he's revealed to have died.
• Last Disrespects: Unintentionally. Maybe Rutabaga should have called off his final "fuck you" to his boss. Especially since he's had A STROKE.
• Left Hanging: We never find out if he's still alive after the stroke or not in the second season. Come the third season, it's confirmed that he's dead.
• Leitmotif: The little tuba tune that plays whenever he enters the scene.
• Mean Boss: He's less clueless and more outright rude in season 2, as Princess Carolyn slowly starts to fall from his grace.
• Nepotism: At the beginning of the second season, his son Charley (who in season 1 was a neurotic, incompetent intern) has been promoted to a higher-floor agent.
• Vicariously Ambitious: For his son, Charley. Maybe a little too much.

Charley Witherspoon

Pictured: Charley's normal state of mind.

Played by: Raphael Bob-Waksberg

The son of Princess Carolyn's boss, Mr. Witherspoon and an incompetent Nervous Wreck.

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• A Child Shall Lead Them: He may be far from a child at this point, but Charley has the right attitude. He's also Mr. Witherspoon's obvious choice for a successor and true to the worst examples, Charley is now the boss of Vigor with no clue of how to run the place. However, this turns out to be a blessing in disguise: Charley is way more competent at leading than being a soldier in the field.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He'd be just fine with a merger between Vigor and VIM, but knows that asking Princess Carolyn herself wouldn't do him any good since she has no respect for him whatsoever so he calls Judah up to do it for him.
• Alas, Poor Scrappy: In-Universe. While Princess Carolyn has nothing but disgust towards him, she cannot go through with the planned mocking, especially since Charley's father has just been hospitalized. Rutebaga, on the other hand...
• Bumbling Sidekick: Briefly, to Princess Carolyn in "Say Anything", since Lora had been reassigned to Vanessa Gecko. While still bumbling, as of season 2, he's now an agent.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Surprisingly, it's implied he isn't as useless as he seems. Vigor seems to be doing well under him in the third season, and he has the intelligence to know gathering more experienced agents would be beneficial.
• Butt-Monkey: He rarely does anything without breaking something, injuring himself, or getting his hands stuck on anything he's touched. In general, he's just too easy to make fun of.
• Character Shilling: In-Universe. His dad, being the boss, wants nothing but success from his part and compliments on everything he does, even if he doesn't deserve any praise.
• The Dilbert Principle: He's promoted to agent after a disastrous run as Princess Carolyn's secretary, yet the competent cat is kept one floor below.
• Furry Reminder: Being a tree frog, Charley has adhesive fingers which glue themselves to everything (archive papers, the phone, lamps, etc.). This makes him incompetent at basic tasks and even more of a Nervous Wreck than he already is.
• Kick the Dog: On the receiving end. Rutebaga really should have thought better before accidentally insulting Charley over his father's stroke.
• Kicked Upstairs: Arguably. Charley is no genius and he could probably cause less trouble in that position. The flaw is, Charley was barely competent as a secretary. As an agent, he's nigh useless. However, as the head of the company he seems to be faring OK.
• The Klutz: Oh, yes. With his Nervous Wreck tendencies and his hands having an unfortunate habit of sticking to anything he touches, he messes up every task he's given. Now, if only he wasn't the boss' son...
• Manchild: It'd be a surprise if he was ever given a reason to grow up. Charley was immensely coddled by his family's wealth, having attended Harvard and worked at the university's Lampoon mag. With the jump to Vigor, he's assigned to be an assistant, with his father praising every act he makes, even if he's clearly doing the worst juggling act in public. Beyond that, he had no idea of how to do his work properly, having to be told what to do and doing even that wrong. His promotion to boss seems to have toughened him up to a more functional man child, but still, you'll rarely find an agency boss dressed as Napoleon.
• Napoleon Delusion: In Season 3, he's begun dressing up like Napoleon after becoming CEO of Vigor.
• Nepotism: Because he's Mr. Witherspoon's son, he is given a lot more leeway than usual. At the beginning of the second season, Charley (who in season 1 was a neurotic, incompetent intern) has been promoted to a higher-floor agent.
• Nervous Wreck: Look at his image above. That's his normal state of mind, even after being made an agent.
• Nice Guy: He's certainly an awkward and nebbish weirdo but he's genuinely friendly and polite.
• The Peter Principle: Inverted. While he did terribly as Princess Carolyn's secretary and as an agent, he turns out to be a surprisingly competent CEO.
• Sketchy Successor: Mr. Witherspoon might disagree, but as far as the other employees are concerned, this trope is in full effect with Charley. He has none of his father's cunning or business savviness and is an absolute klutz in any part of the agency he's assigned to, yet is expected to fill the role as future head of the company and groomed as such, even when better options like Princess Carolyn or Rutabaga are available. With the passing of his father, Charley surprisingly steps up to the plate as a competent boss, even if he's still as klutzy and thin-skinned as ever.
• Tender Tears: After his father suffers a stroke. It's kinda sad, actually.
• Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: And he constantly gets it.

Ronnie Bonito

Played by: ???

An agent and founder of Bonito Agencies, with connections to Vigor. He's also the agent of Mr. Peanutbutter and the one who got him his first (and only) gig in Mr. Peanutbutter's House. Sadly passed away during an incident involving Erotic Asphyxiation, and adding insult to injury, Mr. Peanutbutter was the one who found him in the compromising position.

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• Bookends: The episode "Higher Love" begins and ends with a death due to sex. The first one is Ronnie, the second one is Corduroy.
• Casual Kink: Erotic Asphyxiation. It ends up getting him killed.
• Character Death: Discovered by Mr. Peanutbutter to have accidentally hanged himself while trying Erotic Asphyxiation, after the former had been taking way too long in line to talk to him.
• Erotic Asphyxiation: His main vice. Too bad he did it wrong.
• The Faceless: We only get a glimpse of him, from the waist down. Justified because, well, during his only appearance, he's hanging from a rope.
• Famed In-Story: His death becomes a minor scandal during "Higher Love", because of his recognition as a talented agent, as well as the embarrassing circumstances of his death, mostly to point at his particular skeletons in the closet. There's also his association with Vigor and the fact that he was Mr. Peanutbutter's agent.
• No Honor Among Thieves: Despite being in good terms and having a well established connection to Vigor and its employees, the moment he bites it, Vigor's employees spend little to no time contacting his former clients, in order to add them to the roster of the company. Hello, extra commissions!
• Peek-a-Boo Corpse: Mr. Peanutbutter did not expect Ronnie's body to be waiting for him at his office.
• Plot-Triggering Death: His death is the catalyst for Mr. Peanutbutter to look out for a new job and for Princess Carolyn to handle him as a client and get him his gig as a host in MBN.
• Species Surname: Averted, a bonito is a type of fish but all we see of him is a very human looking flesh colored leg with body hair.
• Undignified Death: The last image Hollywoo gets from Ronnie is that of his hanging, half-naked corpse caught in a compromising position. Making matters worse, he stood there for god knows many hours before one of his clients found him.

Laura

Played by: Rachel Bloom

Princess Carolyn's first assistant.

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• Accidental Pervert: Poor, poor Laura. She didn't really need to hear about one of BoJack and Princess Carolyn's...umm...sexual escapades.
• Ambiguously Brown: Her skin is dark compared to other characters in Vigor, but there's no indication or mention of it in-story whatsoever. Also, given the multicolor nature of the entire cast, it doesn't stand out.
• Broken Pedestal: While she was originally willing to use her new job to help Princess Carolyn get BoJack a role in a blockbuster film, upon learning that PC deliberately prevented her from being promoted she completely gave up on her.
• Butt-Monkey: Competence aside, Laura is often subjected to uncomfortable or painful situations that come from being Princess Carolyn's secretary. Ironically, those never come directly from Carolyn herself, being a Benevolent Boss and all.
• Beleaguered Assistant: Downplayed, but still present. Laura can handle the pressures and demands of the job just fine. It's the madness and eccentricities in the workplace of Vigor that often pull her out of her depth. It's implied she quit between seasons because of it.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She disappears from Vigor starting in season 2. It's revealed she changed jobs and Princess Carolyn misses her. She makes a non-speaking cameo in "Higher Love", however. In season 3 she sabotages Princess Carolyn after Carolyn sabotaged her.
• Friendship Moment: Asks Princess Carolyn if she's heading out soon while closing down Vigor in "Say Anything", out of concern for the funked-out state she's been lately.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: While Princess Carolyn could handle everything on her own, it's clear she appreciates and is proud of the all the help Laura provides with her schedule and arrangements. As it turned out, she was so good that Princess Carolyn deliberately sabotaged her attempts at getting promoted to ensure that she stuck around.
• Loyal to the Position: Despite their friendship and understanding, when Mr. Witherspoon reassigns her as secretary to Vanessa Gecko, she meekly accepts, despite her disagreement with that decision. It's a job, after all, and it pays the bills.
• Nice Girl: Helpful, kind and without a mean bone in her body.
• Plucky Office Girl: Well, for a measure of it. Quite dutiful and reliable? Yes. But, otherwise, she lacks the zeitgeist normally associated with this trope.
• Shrinking Violet: Hers is not of those grandiose presences in every room. Preferably quiet and out of notice.
• Undying Loyalty: To Princess Carolyn. Well, to a point, at least..

VIM Agency

VIM Agency (in general)

The front of the agency. Never mind the drowned turkey. At all.

Born out of a tentative partnership between Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga Rabbinowitz^note  the latter cut off due to conflicting opinions and an ugly breakup, later going to start a rival agency with PC's rival, Vanessa Gecko to start their own business, VIM Agency is a barely lucrative agency established somewhere during 2015 as a succeeding branch from Vigor. Just like other agencies in Hollywoo, VIM focuses on getting their clients gigs on television and film. The current head of the company and main agent is Princess Carolyn, with her assistant Judah often taking care of some of the nastier and unpleasant parts of running the company.

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• Arch-Enemy: Gekko/Rabbinowitz, and by (willing) extension, Vanessa Gekko and Rutabaga.
• Awesome, but Impractical: Deconstructed. VIM appears at first to be a very good idea, given Princess Carolyn's seemingly good leadership skills and responsibility; however, it soon becomes clear that going from agent to chief doesn't necessary mean that such skills will translate well. True to form, VIM becomes a burden to handle in between the budget, the constant losses of clients and PC's Wrong Genre Savvy approach, applying the same rules of an agent to being in charge. After losing her last client (BoJack), Princess Carolyn can no longer afford to keep VIM, so she closes it down. Reconstruction later on when Princess Carolyn changes her line of work to accommodate her experience with the company and reopens it as a manager.
• Crew of One: Downplayed. While there will probably be more agents added to the roster, so far the one in charge commanding the entire agency is Princess Carolyn.
• Critical Staffing Shortage: As season 3 progresses, the costs of keeping the company afloat and the decreasing number of clients and income lead to the majority of the people working there to be laid off, as well as several branches such as social media being cut for costs.
• Grey-and-Gray Morality: Their entire conflict with Gekko/Rabbinowitz: neither is better than the other with VIM having the point in favor because it's Princess Carolyn's and because the rival agency has Vanessa Gekko and Rutabaga Rabbinowitz as its leaders. However, when a Perspective Flip happens and PC's less unsavory actions put her in a vulnerable state, Rooting for the Empire comes into full motion.
• Oddly Small Organization: Despite their need to emerge as one of the top agencies in the business, there are few people sealing major deals and for the most part, Princess Carolyn's the one doing most of the work, with Judah as her Number Two. There are people that work there, but are sidetracked for the most part making the organization look smaller.
• Walking Spoiler: Well, not technically since it's a company rather than a person. Still, the fact that this page exists is enough evidence to the reveal that Princess Carolyn eventually leaves Vigor.
• You Are in Command Now: Let's see how good you can lead, Princess Carolyn. This position is very different to the one you're used to.

Stewart

Played by: James Adomian

Princess Carolyn's second assistant. He's... kind of a dick.

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• Anti-Hero Substitute: Colder and way less respectful towards his employer, Princess Carolyn, than Lora ever was.
• Ashes to Crashes: After Princess Carolyn gets ahold of Herb's ashes, Stewart is the one who ends up breaking the urn containing them.
• Beleaguered Assistant: Just like Lora before him. Possibly double so, since unlike Lora, he's not very good at his job and thus Princess Carolyn is not fond of him and berates him to no end.
• Butt-Monkey: Seeing a pattern here?
• Bumbling Sidekick: While not dim by any chance and quite capable on his own, he's certainly less competent than Lora and more of an obstacle and constant thorn on his boss' side. He's, to borrow a quote from Princess Carolyn, the "less talented Belushi brother" when comparing him to Lora.
• Comically Missing the Point: After walking in on Stacy from the adoption agency explain how her parents divorced when she was a baby and took her twin brother away and left them each with a medallion bearing one half of the family crest, Stewart scoffs who doesn't have that problem? See? His parents divorced and took his twin sister and left him with one half of the same family crest medallion and you don't see him bitching about it.
• Deadpan Snarker: Way more standoffish and willing to fence Carolyn snark-to-snark.
  Princess Carolyn: (about being caught with Rutabaga in the closet supply) We weren't doing anything! We were just looking for closet supplies.
  Stewart: Are you the person to talk to about unclogging the toilet?
  Princess Carolyn: Stuart, I'm your boss.
  Stewart: Okay, but you're the one in the janitor's closet, so what, I'm the idiot?
• Demoted to Extra: Despite having appeared somewhat regularly in the Vigor scenes back in season 2, Stewart only appears in a handful in season 3 and always in the background. Inverted in Season 4 when he regains his position after PC fires Judah.
• Foil: As a contrasting replacement to Lora. Lora, while usually teetering between balance and collapse, was a reliable companion and trusting friend to Princess Carolyn, who appreciated her in return. Stewart, however, is just a simple worker with far less skill, disrespectful towards his employer and a bit more willing to nudge her when he can get away with it. No wonder Princess Carolyn barely tolerates him.
• Half-Identical Twins: With Stacy from the adoption agency, though neither is aware of it. She's basically a female, less portly version of him with less frizzy (but the same shade of brown) hair.
• Insane Troll Logic: When Stacy points out how weird it is that they both happen to have two halves of the same medallion after being Separated at Birth from their long-lost twin after their parents divorced when they were babies, Stewart points out it's totally different — he has the other half to her medallion. Stacy agrees, and Princess Carolyn is too preoccupied to correct him.
• Interrupted Intimacy: He just walks into the closet supply as Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga are having a moment..
• The Klutz: In contrast to Lora, Stewart often messes things up. Breaking up Herb's ashes urn is just one of the many aggravations he causes Princess Carolyn.
  Princess Carolyn: Why did I have to bring you with me?
• The Load: While not nearly as bad as Charley, Princess Carolyn often has to work twice as hard to get things done despite Stewart's incompetence, or basically do his job for him. This is best exemplified in Season 4 when she asks him to change her flight when she's too busy to do it herself, only to have to walk him step-by-step through the whole thing, showing how much quicker and easier it would have been if she'd just done it herself. What's the point of having an assistant, again?
• Nerd Glasses: A pair, which make him look kind of gawky.
• Sarcastic Devotee: He's sarcastic and even rude towards Princess Carolyn (it's two-sided, however), yet continues doing what he's told and even follows her to her new company.
• Separated at Birth: With Stacy at the adoption agency. Not that either of them connects the dots.
• Sucksessor: He's seen by Princess Carolyn as a step down from Lora, which earns him nothing but put-downs. Still, she treats him decently and when she jumps ship from Vigor, she takes him along for the ride.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Despite the headache they both give to each other, Princess Carolyn keeps him to continue being his secretary at her new agency.

Judah Mannowdog

Played by: Diedrich Bader

Princess Carolyn's third assistant. An almost terrifyingly competent worker.

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• Age-Gap Romance: An implied version. He and Princess Carolyn get married in the series finale but while the latter is in her late forties, the former looks closer to his thirties, possibly early forties.
• Ambiguously Brown: Judah has an olive-tanned skin complexion, but his ethnicity is not known.
• Ambiguous Situation: It's not clear why Judah chose not to tell Princess Carolyn that a larger agency offered to merge with hers, which would have saved her smaller agency from floundering. Princess Carolyn has a few suspicions (that he was trying to protect her, or that he wanted to stay small-time because his stoic demeanor would be off-putting to a larger company filled with more 'normal' people, or he wanted her to stay dependent on him), but doesn't care: all she knows is he lied to her, and she can't trust him.
• Birds of a Feather: He and Princess Carolyn are both competent, hard-working individuals.
• Brainy Brunette: Judah has light brown hair and is a very competent and intelligent assistant.
• The Bus Came Back: Returns in season 6 and once again works at VIM.
• Celebrity Resemblance: As J.D. Salinger comments, Judah bears more than a resemblance to Rasputin, The Mad Monk with his quiet demeanor, long beard and facial markings.
  J.D. Salinger: Give the tzar my regards!
• The Comically Serious: Most of the funny moments involving him come from how he stoically takes everything at face value, even jokes and sarcasm.
• Did You Think I Can't Feel?: Judah tells PC after calling him robotic that he's still a human being with emotions even if it may not look like it.
• Friend to All Children: Implied. On top of getting along with Ruthie immediately, Todd stops by with five babies on leashes and asks for advice. By the time Judah has given the advice, all five of them are clinging to him and refuse to let go.
• Hidden Depths: The proper and stoic Judah turns out to be in a band.
• Hollywood Autism: He works at a Hollywoo agency. and is implied to be on the autism spectrum due to the fact that he takes things very literally, his orderly nature, monotone voice, difficulty interpreting tone of voice, and appears to have only a handful of interests such as work and music but is very good at both of them.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: He is amazingly efficient and is capable of getting any of Carolyn's requests done, even if it's sarcastic.
• Icy Blue Eyes: His pale blue eyes, which match his calculating, concentrating nature.
• Ink-Suit Actor: He looks very similar to his VA, Diedrich Bader.
• Interspecies Romance: Becomes an Official Couple with Princess Carolyn, a cat.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: It's implied that he was always holding a candle for Princess Carolyn given his dedication to her professional and personal needs. When she jokingly asked him to schedule three dates for her one night off, Judah did so, and seemed mildly pleased when she and Ralph hit it off, showing his goal is completed. It's not until Princess Carolyn brings him back to work in season 6 that he admits he has feelings for her. 
• Last Guy Wins: He is Princess Carolyn's final romantic option and the one she ultimately marries.
• Letting His Hair Down: In a very literal sense. He shows more emotion when his man-bun is undone, even lightly chuckling at one point.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Judah is quite cute and turns out to have really long hair underneath all that man bun.
• Love Confession: After serenading Princes Carolyn with one of his songs, he calmly proclaims he loves her.
• Meaningful Name: On a literal level, Judah means "Praised," and the episode where he designs personalized Christmas cards for Princess Carolyn betray a desire for her to be proud of him. Thematically, his name is similar to two biblical characters who betrayed someone close to them for silver: Judas betrayed Jesus to the Romans, and Judah sold his younger half-brother Joseph into slavery. Judah betrays Princess Carolyn by neglecting to tell her a larger company offered to merge with hers when her agency was floundering, causing them to go under.
• Mundane Made Awesome: His to-the-letter competence is exploited to it's fullest by Princess Carolyn to end the Assistant's strike with a much better deal in place. The first meeting ends in Judah restarting the negotiations from the top because Turtletaub was three minutes late. He doesn't even let him get a word in edgewise!
• Nice Guy: Stoic nature aside, Judah is actually a nice person.
• Not So Stoic: The only time he shows any outward emotion is when Princess Carolyn angrily fires him when she learns he didn't tell her about VIM's merger offer. He looks deeply saddened, showing he did genuinely care about Princess Carolyn.
• Official Couple: With Princess Carolyn. They get married in the final episode.
• Prim and Proper Bun: A Rare Male Example. Judah styles his hair in a neat, tight man bun to show how he's a stoic, calm professional.
• Punny Name: When said out loud, his full name sounds like "You're the man now, dog!". Hilariously, saying his full name out loud is something the show never does; viewers have to work it out via Freeze-Frame Bonus.
• Relationship Upgrade: He and Princess Carolyn start off as a typical employee/employer relationship until he serenades his love for her. They get married by the series finale.
• Sarcasm-Blind: He's not great at interpreting humor, meaning that he'll take sarcastic comments and requests seriously, such as actually getting his boss three dates.
• Serenade Your Lover: He sings one of his songs to Princess Carolyn that proclaims his love for her. And this is right before he actually states he loves her.
• The Stoic: He never betrays any emotion, at least physically. The only way to tell if he's feeling anything is by his tone of voice changing (which is rare) or by him outright saying it. Other than that, complete smooth wall.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Despite being mostly emotionless, Judah often shows genuine care about other characters (Princess Carolyn in particular) and goes an extra step to help out. That care gets him his job back after Princess Carolyn has a terrible realization on what she's done with the strike.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Season 6 shows Princess Carolyn rehiring him in a high-place executive position, with more say in the company due to his shares, and his own birthday cake after he argued that assistants need them to feel valuable. Then much later, he drums up the courage to sing to her, and confess that he's always had feelings for his boss and strike negotiator. She says yes, and they get married about a year later. 
• Undying Loyalty: Even after he's fired for keeping an important deal secret, he continues to help out Princess Carolyn despite being under no obligation to do so
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Implied. Judah made personalized Christmas cards for Princess Carolyn to sign while she was busy. The one he made for himself read "I'm proud of you."
• The Workaholic: Even Princess Carolyn looks like a slacker next to this guy.

Gekko-Rabitowitz Agencies

Gekko-Rabitowitz (in general)

At Least 9 Stories Buildings: Headquarters

Once Rutabaga Rabitowitz was let go^note kicked out, actually out of a tentative agency by his partner Princess Carolyn over creative differences^note they were banging and she found out he was still married, the rabbit sought to find a new partner to create a joint venture. Once Vanessa Gekko came onboard, Gekko-Rabitowitz Agencies was born somewhere around 2015 as a separate entity from VIM Agency. Just like other agencies in Hollywoo, Gekko-Rabitowitz dedicates itself to providing job prospects and gigs to its clients in television and film. The mutual partnership/owners/only employees are Vanessa Gekko and Rutabaga Rabitowitz, who work on the whole the entire company.

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• Arch-Enemy: To VIM (and by default, to Princess Carolyn).
• Big Bad Duumvirate: Played With. In their respective episodes and arcs, they're certainly evil, but at worst Big Bad Wannabes whose pride and overconfidence lead to their downfall. Upon their return, they're set as an actual evil duumvirate...until the Perspective Flip leads to them becoming the heroes of the episode.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Designated Villain. By all accounts, Gekko and Rabitowitz are both despicable scumbags who are opposed to Princess Carolyn and have more than enough reasons and excuses to screw Princess Carolyn over. The audience is expected to hate them since they're more than likely to play dirty, being walking and breathing Hate Sinks. Right? Except...they're not doing anything illegal. Despicable, low and even somewhat sleazy, but fair and with equal ground to VIM. Princess Carolyn, looked at through other lenses, ends up coming off as hypocritical, smug and willing to manipulate and lie to people to get any advantage. Gekko and Rabitowitz? They get ahead by being creative, laborious, full of sheer determination and exploiting flaws of their opponents in ways that are oddly satisfying. In the end, the two win and it feels like the true good guys have earned their happy ending.
• Karmic Jackpot: They go to hell and back to keep the company afloat and get Chuff a job, going so far that Rutabaga nearly misses his kits' birth due to working. In the end, not only do they nail the David Pincher movie, but they're all reunited in a loving moment with Gekko, Rutabaga and Katie holding the little bunnies.
• Only the Leads Get a Happy Ending: Deconstructed. In this case, since the show pulls a switch in the perspective of "good guys" and "bad guys", the actual protagonists (who are supporting characters in the episode) fail and are defeated, while the villains (who are actually taking the lead this time) win. Our heroes' defeat was caused by their own negligence, arrogance and unwillingness to deal with the reality of the situation. Why did the bad guys win? Because of their ability to adapt, their quick thinking and their simple and somewhat noble purposes. In the end, they win because they played fair. Sometimes the ones who win because they're in the spotlight may be the ones who deserve so, not the ones the audience is just rooting to win.
• The Good Guys Always Win: How Rutabaga posits their predicament and why everything will be okay for them in the end: They're doing everything right and so there isn't a reason why everything should fall apart. At first, it seems that they're just ignoring the kind of awful people they are only to played it straight when they turn out be the actual good guys.
• The Rival: To VIM.
• Villain Episode: In a weird way, "Old Acquaintance" revolves around them rather than any of the main characters, and justly so.
• Villainous Underdog: Despite their imposing nine-stories headquarters, their company is just as in dire conditions as VIM. Perhaps even worse, since instead of having employees like Princess Carolyn, they have to do most of the work being the only two working there.

Vanessa Gekko

Played by: Kristin Chenoweth

A talent agent that Princess Carolyn has a rivalry with.

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• Always Someone Better: She's this to Princess Carolyn. At least until she steps up her game.
• Animal Motifs: Reptiles, due to her surname. It certainly fits her in personality, not so much in appearance.
• Anti-Villain: She is ruthless, catty, and manipulative. Thing is that Princess Carolyn is the same way, only more sympathetic because she has to deal with Bojack and his constant notice. It's also shown throughout the continuity that Hollywoo agents have to be sharky to stay in the game, and if you can't stay sharp, you'll fall quickly. Season 3 also revealed that Vanessa had some lines that she wouldn't cross while securing a film deal for her clients, and in season 6 she is shocked when Princess Carolyn blurts out that she always hated Vanessa. For Vanessa, her job is just a job. She can't take it personally, or it would destroy her the way it nearly destroyed Princess Carolyn.
• Arch-Enemy: To Princess Carolyn. Deconstructed in season 6, however, when Vanessa is shocked that Princess Carolyn sees her this way. The way that Vanessa puts it, they're rivals but not bitter archnemeses.
• Babies Ever After: She surpasses Princess Carolyn in this department as well, since she has two kids.
• Bait-and-Switch:
• Battle of Wits: Engages in an old fashioned duel with Princess Carolyn after Gekko takes away her place in the Vigor social ladder and after they both clash at getting their clients the main part in Pegasus. Princess Carolyn wins...the first time.
• Beat Them at Their Own Game:
  • Initially does this to Princess Carolyn, perking up and taking all of her projects without breaking a sweat. It's subverted later since, unlike PC, Gekko cannot deal with the pressure of a deal collapsing and its consequences.
  • In a straighter example, when the bird paparazzi show up at her office wanting to talk to BoJack's agent about some possible compromising photos, Gekko (temporarily being BoJack's agent) owns them by pretending to cave onto their demands, then points out the several legal issues that would arise from them invading private property, then adds the possibility of framing them for the murder of Tupac Shakur and finally forces them to give her the pictures in order to get the charges dropped.
  • She finally gets one over on Princess Carolyn over Pegasus, by getting her and Rutabaga's client the role by turning PC's point of entry to the movie, Laura, against her.
• Beauty Is Bad: One of the most physically attractive people in the cast and probably one of the most morally ambiguous.
• Being Personal Isn't Professional: This is her main shtick: as much as PC brags about being able to divide her two lines, it's Gekko who upholds this principle above all. She has no hard feelings about anything, yet she'll never go beyond the obvious to help someone. If you're her client, she'll get you jobs. If you can give her some challenge, great. But if circumstances push it too far? Well, she'll just wash her hands and move on. This is both a good and bad thing: time and time again, several agents have been led to their own downfalls by giving in too much, which turns her stance into a preventative measure and a wise one, but her detachment means she can also drop and shred any client's contract on a whim, sometimes without their knowledge, with chilling ease. And something has to be said about her subtle Lack of Empathy....
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Don't let the smile fool you, she's a ruthless, heartless bitch with attitude. At least, during working hours.
• Brainy Brunette: Intelligent, ruthless, can go toe-to-toe with the best agents and is as brown-haired as they come.
• The Bus Came Back: After a season and a half of not appearing in the show, she returns in season 3 as Rutabaga's partner in their new agency.
• Character Catchphrase: "Byeeeeeeee" in a singsong voice.
• Character Development: Upon her reappearance in season 3, Gekko has become a bit more willing to work in a team and more open to ideas and propositions from a peer. Also, she takes Princess Carolyn's involvement much more seriously than in "Say Anything" and thus is better prepared to find an strategy that can turn the tables on PC.
• The Con: Once Princess Carolyn gains the upper hand by having Laura as an inside contact inside Pegasus, Gekko conceives another tactic: Kelsey, one of their clients, could be used as an Unwitting Pawn to attract BoJack to Jellie Belle, a movie of hers stuck in Development Hell due to funding issues. The result: conflicting schedules forcing BoJack to choose one or the other. Had it gone right, the horse would have dropped out of Pegasus out of loyalty to Kelsey.
• Cuteness Proximity: She demands to hold one of Katie's recently born bunnies while taking about the success of the company. Of course, she's also a mother, so of course she would be keenly aware of how to hold a child, probably wanting to repeat the same experience.
• Cute, but Cacophonic: When voiced by Kristin Chenoweth, it's kinda of a given.
• Deadpan Snarker: More subtle than other examples, although she'll still do the obligatory quip. Her snarkiness relies mostly on putdowns and the occasional jab done via Passive-Aggressive Kombat. Given her tendency to hide her motives and propensity to mock and gawk, any of her comments that sound vaguely negative could be this.
• Enemy Civil War: After Gekko joins the Vigor roster, her interactions with Princess Carolyn consist of the two agents trying to one up each other to keep their jobs. Not ones for actual violence, they prefer to use strategy and sabotage as their weapon of choice as a way to keep any possible damage to a minimum. Ultimately, Gekko loses after PC manipulates her clients into making one of her deals fall through.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: While not mentioned enough to be a true redeeming quality, her husband and children certainly occupy a special place in her heart. She also seems to take being a mother very seriously, as she covers for Rutabaga while he goes to accompany his wife when she goes into labor.
• Evil Counterpart: To Princess Carolyn. While they're both female agents struggling to stay afloat in a No Woman's Land, Gekko manages to remain in control of her life in ways Princess Carolyn hasn't: being able to marry, start a family, balancing both work and personal life without dropping either. Also, while Princess Carolyn remains concerned for her clients and can genuinely get involved in her client's life, refusing to leave them in a time of need even if it drags her down, Gekko cares only for their potential and will most likely drop them without a second thought the moment they stop being marketable. One gets involved and is caring in both lives, the other is only caring in her personal life, not in the professional sense. This gets justified in season 6 when Vanessa sees that motherhood and managing a production company is burning out Princess Carolyn. As Vanessa puts it, you can't love all your clients or they will destroy you. Princess Carolyn's new baby, for better or for worse, is a client, who demands Princess Carolyn's constant attention and nurturing. It's okay to not love Untitled Princess Carolyn Project all the time, as long as you do your job.
• Evil Duo: With Rutabaga Rabitowitz in "Old Acquintance", since at that point, they have started a agency together and look forward to getting their client the lead in Pegasus.
• Evil Power Vacuum:
  • She takes advantage of Princess Carolyn's temporary Badass Decay in "Say Anything" to propel herself into a big position and take away her projects and her secretary.
  • It happens again in "Old Acquaintance" when VIM, Princess Carolyn's agency, starts collapsing and Gekko paired with Rutabaga are just in as much trouble as she is. In order to keep their agency afloat, they set up Kelsey as a unwitting Decoy Damsel for BoJack to work with. When that doesn't work, Rutabaga finds a letter that might give them advantage: a pleading letter from PC to Mr. Witherspoon to not promote Laura. Gekko then sabotages BoJack's entrance in Pegasus by informing Laura, PC's point of entry, of her former boss' betrayal, collapsing both deals. Once the agency temporarily disappears, it's implied they absorb the remaining clients VIM once held.
• Family-Values Villain: When Rutabaga's wife is about to give birth and he has to go to the hospital without taking care of some unfinished business, Gekko promises to cover up for him and tells him that "family always comes first". Given that she's a mother herself, it's Justified.
• Faux Affably Evil: Polite, charming, extremely sugary façade even to her enemies and a great agent to have... as long as you remain popular and capable of landing jobs. Once that's out, she'll probably tell you in the most, affectedly polite tone, she no longer wants to manage and tear your contract up in front of you, or behind your back. She'll not feel very sorry about it, but she'll care enough to pretend to.
• Foil:
  • To Princess Carolyn. Both are top-notch female agents, morally ambiguous and prone to kicking as many puppies as they have to to achieve their goals, but Gekko manages to have a career, a healthy marriage and kids, something Princess Carolyn has never done. In addition to their opposing positions and philosophies, PC will loyally fight tooth and nail for her clients even if they're no longer hers or are a disadvantage. Gekko will remain a loyal friend up until you're no longer a profitable client of hers, in which case she'll be just as happy stabbing you in the back.
  • To Rutabaga, as well. Both are now enemies of Princess Carolyn, have a rather twisted moral compass and are basically Evil Counterparts of her. While Gekko represents Carolyn if she had an actual life outside her work and was therefore more pragmatic and less sympathetic towards her clients, Rutabaga shows how Princess Carolyn would be if she didn't take anything seriously even at the cost of others' feelings. Needless to say, these two end up making a great team.
• Frame-Up: Threatens to do this to the two paparazzo if they don't deliver her the compromising pictures of BoJack and Sarah Lynn.
• Friend to All Children: She has kids of hers whom she loves and holds one of the Rabitowitz bunnies with tender care.
• Gaslighting: Gekko's tactics when dealing with Princess Carolyn have shades of this: There's absolutely nothing special about her rearranging PC's appointments with possible directors, using every opportunity she interacts with Witherspoon to downgrade her position and take away most of her privileges, making specific comments disguised as compliments designed to make her insecure and overload her with stress, making her prone to messing up...Yep, nothing to see here. She's just probably imagining things.
• The Ghost: Gekko is this through season 2: she's frequently mentioned by others and is brought up as another possible partner in the early stages of VIM by Rutabaga in order to convince Princess Carolyn to be the actual partner. She finally reappears in season 3, and it's payback time for Gekko.
• Had to Be Sharp: It's kind of a given when a woman tries to break into Hollywoo, but she stands out even more than Princess Carolyn since, unlike her, she happily embraces the ruthlessness that comes with the job description in more practical, if assholish ways. She's certainly doing it to keep her place in the machine or to get the jobs her clients need, but she clearly relishes the thrill of underhanded tactics.
• Happily Married: And constantly rubs it in the single Princess Carolyn's face.
• Hate Sink: Very much in her first appearance. She's nothing short of spiteful, rude and does everything in her power to usurp Princess Carolyn's position in the company, including taking all of her projects and constantly gaslighting her capability by messing up her already crowded schedule. Tie it all up with a condescending attitude and constant Kick the Dog moments towards PC and BoJack, punctuated with Professional Buttkisser to curry favor with Mr. Witherspoon and congratulations, you're one of these.
• Helpful Hallucination: During "The Shot", though she only gets more helpful when she acts more antagonistically to Princess Carolyn.
• Hold Your Hippogriffs: She and Princess Carolyn may not be very alike, but they have this in common.
  Gekko: Sweet shit on a ham sandwich! This is AAMMAAZING!
• Honorary Aunt: To the recently born Rabitowitz children. She even holds one of them when Rutabaga, Katie and her are together in the hospital room.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: To Bojack as his agent. Points where it's due. Then, again, this is BoJack we are talking about.
• Incoming Ham: Inverted. She makes a grand exit every time by singing her goodbye in a high-pitched voice.
• Ironic Name: In a world where humans and Funny Animals coexist, she's built up to be an actual reptile besides being Princess Carolyn's rival which would have been a case of Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance...only to then appear as an actual human. Subverted when taking into account the implications such a name carries.
• Jerkass: Constantly rubs her success in Princess Carolyn's face and is rarely genuinely nice to anyone.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While she's less trying to dissuade PC from trusting too much in getting the kind of money needed to save VIM from Kelsey's indie project and more manipulating her into making a mistake, she does raise a valid point in the sense that Kelsey's movie cannot compete on the same level of budget and salary as Pegasus and that PC is pushing her luck.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: To the Rabitowitz family, and only to them, especially when Rutabaga's about to become a dad and wants to be there for Katie's labor.
  • She gave remarkably good advice to Princess Carolyn when she was stressed out about taking care of Ruthie.
• Kick the Dog: Her talks with Princess Carolyn are a long session of this, albeit in a subtle way.
• Lack of Empathy: She doesn't seem to have remorse when doing something morally reprehensible: shredding a contract for BoJack as a way to get Cate Blanchett aboard, while having said previously she was looking forward to have him as a challenging client? Sure, she was ordered to by Mr. Witherspoon, but she has way too casual of an attitude. Subtly mocking her rival over Gekko taking over her projects? Kind of uncalled for. Using one of her clients as a patsy to get another a part in a big budget blockbuster, even at the cost of the former's passion project? Holy shit. She's not completely devoid of empathy, as evidenced by her interactions with Rutabaga, but when not stopped by love, relationships and connections, she can be nigh-sociopathic in her drive to achieve her goals.
• Laser-Guided Karma:
  • After taking away Princess Carolyn's project from her and humiliating her, Princess Carolyn shows her fangs and rigs everything so it will come crashing down on Gekko at the worst moment.
  • She returns the favor by revealing Princess Carolyn's sabotage of Laura's promotion to convince Laura to turn her back on PC. What makes it even more telling is that there was no manipulation on Gekko's part: she knew what Laura would do after she found out and PC would have no one to blame but herself.
• Manipulative Bastard: Yep. She can do with just cunning and wit, but if winning is needed, why not add a bit of manipulation into the mix? See Gaslighting and The Usurper for a little taste, and if there any doubts left, see Lack of Empathy.
• Meaningful Name: While it is ironic for the most part, since she's human, upon closer look Gekko's full name becomes this. She's certainly sneaky and underhanded in her methods, and her screeching mocking voice resembles the squeaky vocals attributed to geckos. Reptiles are also associated with untrustworthy and cheating people, something which no one can accuse Gekko of not being. Driving this home is that, by not being an actual reptile, Gekko represents her most terrifying aspect: her ability to disguise her true nature.
  • It also works if you take her name to be a riff on Gordon Gecko. Unreliable, untrustworthy...yep, a true successor.
• Mocking Sing-Song: She doesn't sing, that's her normal tone of voice.
• Non-Indicative Name: Despite what her name would make someone believe, especially with the kind of world this one is, she's a human, not an actual gecko.
• Nothing Personal: While she's ruthless in her competition against Princess Carolyn, she has nothing against her personally, merely seeing her as a competitor.
• Out-Gambitted: By Princess Carolyn in "Say Anything".
• Pet the Dog:
  • Her interactions with Rutabaga and his family show a softer side to her.
  • She gives Princess Carolyn some legitimately helpful advice on how to deal with raising children when PC worries that she'll never truly love her adopted daughter.
• Platonic Life-Partners: What her relationship with Rutabaga seems to have become, now that they're partners at their own agency.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Implied. When only seen from her interactions with Princess Carolyn, she comes off as a theatrical, dastardly villain with no qualms about her clients's well-being outside of the possible benefits it can give her. Whenever her family is mentioned, however, she seems to be a devoted wife, a doting mother and part of a healthy family, which indicate that her villainous actions are restricted to her job and are less actual features of herself.
  • Confirmed in Season 6 when she's shocked at the implication that Carolyn hated her.
• Smug Snake: She's slimy and a lot less clever than she thinks she is. Subverted by season 3, where she manages to beat Princess Carolyn.
• Species Surname: Subverted; her last name and the way Princess Carolyn describes her seems to imply she's a gecko, but it turns out she's actually a human woman.
• Sugary Malice: With more emphasis on the "sugary" part, since her more nasty side only comes out when interacting with Princess Carolyn.
• The Svengali: Deconstructed, just like Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga. Of course, she'll exploit your talent for profit and fame; the less said about her complete lack of interest in who you are and what you want, and about her blood-leaching approach to new talent, the better. Which is not to say she's a bad agent: far from it, that's what makes her so effective. Sure, once you run out of talent she'll split but until all's said and done she'll fight for your rights in TV or Film and get you a part. She's a darker take on it, that's all, in keeping with her Evil Counterpart vibe she's got going. Not looking out for you in any sense, but willing to push you forward if you still have some spark left.
• The Rival: To Princess Carolyn.
• True Companions: With the Rabitowitz family. She really cares about her partner, his wife and kids and truly enjoys Rutabaga's company, assistance and pitching in.
• The Unfettered: Contrasting Princess Carolyn in a way, Gekko has no moral restraints when it comes to doing her job. If you're not part of her family, associated with her in any meaningful way whatsoever, or even someone who has done something good for her at any point of life, you're an easy target for her plans or whatever she pleases. This has also proved to be a major flaw: she has a lot to learn about being a team player. ZigZagged in season 3: while no less rough around the edges, she's a lot more sympathetic in her motives and more prone to working as part of a team and showing kindness more openly.
• Unknown Rival: As it turns out, she's just a passive-aggressive, slimy agent. She never had any problems with Princess Carolyn in the first place and is absolutely shocked by the insinuation by the time Carolyn lets it slip.
• Unsportsmanlike Gloating: In a passive-aggressive way.
• The Usurper: She starts taking away all of Princess Carolyn's privileges and accomplishments, including a movie deal she was handling and a cushier position with her boss, Mr. Witherspoon.
• Took a Level in Badass: After her humiliating defeat in season 1, she's more prepared and determined to beat Princess Carolyn in the field when season 3 rolls. She even manages to call the bluff PC tries to pull during one of their conversations and manages to come on top.
• Villain Decay: Zigzagged. She's a lot less antagonistic and hateful in her second appearance. Her skills and effectiveness, however, have increased, making her more of a threat.
• Villainous Cheekbones: Her features look kind of unnatural and with excessively high cheekbones, denoting some vanity and possible surgeries to keep a youthful appearance. She's also a cold-blooded bitch.
• Villain Team-Up: Gekko goes into the agency business with Rutabaga in season 3, locking horns with Princess Carolyn in the process.
• Villainous Friendship: She and Rabitowitz aren't just business partners, but genuinely close friends.

Rutabaga Rabitowitz

Played by: Ben Schwartz

Princess Carolyn's co-worker at Vigor and good friend.

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• Alliterative Name: Rutabaga Rabitowitz.
• Amicable Exes: With Princess Carolyn. Despite the circumstances of their romantic fling, they managed to work well together in season 4.
• Ambiguously Jewish: His last name hints at a Jewish background but nothing is ever explicitly said either way.
• Arch-Enemy: To Princess Carolyn, especially after what happened in the season 2 finale.
• Awful Wedded Life: Rutabaga's descriptions of his home life and wife Katie aren't jolly, at all. He obviously resents her for her obsessive eye on interior decorating, as well as other things.
  Rutabaga: Give me some gossip. My wife is making me go to the opera tonight. I need something to distract me from the thought of D-bags singing songs in German about their boners.
  • Averted as of season 3: they have been going to couple's counseling and finally made peace with each other.
• Bullying a Dragon: Since when is berating a Chessmaster fellow agent who not only is your lover, but also happens to have one of your properties at her name and reasons to cut you out a good idea? Rutabaga was lucky that's all Princess Carolyn ended up doing.
• Burning the Ships: What he and Princess Carolyn intend on doing when they quit Vigor. While Princess Carolyn backs down when Mr. Witherspoon, their boss, has a stroke; Rutabaga goes ahead and does it for both of them.
• Call It Karma: While not a completely bad guy, Rutabaga ends up being conned out of his and Princess Carolyn's company, whom he had named as owner to avoid conflicts with his wife, because he ends up pissing her off. This, after having burned a bridge by quitting Vigor. Out of the frying pan and into the fire...
• Camp Straight: He has a flair for the dramatic, is most decidedly giddy about any deal he can make, and his calls with Princess Carolyn often sound like a discussion between two female friends, yet is shown to be married to Katie and has a sexual relationship with Princess Carolyn.
• Character Development: His only appearance in season 3 shows that he has worked things out with his wife, which is a sharp contrast to their relationship in the previous season.
• Character Tics: His ears pop up when he gets excited, and he slicks them back down to keep looking cool when they do.
• Crossing the Burnt Bridge: Regardless of the outcome, this is the position Rutebaga's in right now: he has just quit his cushy job at Vigor to jump into a new agency with Princess Carolyn, except that tie has been cut by her because of his misdeeds and because he signed the property over to her name as a way to avoid his wife's lawyers, Rutabaga has no legal rights over the agency. He could return to Vigor, right? No. He took care of it, and let's just wait when he tells his wife that he lost the agency and his job because he was cheating on her... However, Subverted. The season 3 episode "Old Acquaintance" reveals that he ended up partnering with Vanessa Gekko instead to form an agency and judging from their session together, Rutabaga and Katie are stronger and happier than ever, especially with some kids on the way.
• The Dandy: He's a bit effeminate and is very conscious of image and wardrobe.
• Defector from Decadence: While not as bad as Princess Carolyn, Rutabaga also feels under-appreciated in his job, which spurns him into trying to start his own agency company and try to sign Carolyn for it.
• The Dilbert Principle: An incompetent former intern ends up promoted to the floor 27 and competent ones like himself and Princess Carolyn are held down a floor below.
• Divorce Assets Conflict: When he starts the divorce proceedings with his wife, he has to sign the secret company at Princess Carolyn's name, in order to avoid a conflict of interests. This bites him in the ass later on.
• Divorce Is Temporary: As it turns out, he reconciled with his wife and never formalized his divorce, using Princess Carolyn as a side piece.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: The reason behind his defection: he hasn't advanced the way he wants and believes he never will, so decides to jump ship.
• Ears as Hair: Often brushes his bunny ears backwards as if it was hair as a Character Tic, the same way someone would slick their hair back or straighten their tie.
• Effeminate Misogynistic Guy: As camp as much as a straight guy can be, Rutabaga reveals a much darker side to his mindset: for as much as he often shares interest and pastimes with Princess Carolyn, he still has a retrograde attitude towards women in general, believing that Princess Carolyn should be grateful that they are together both professionally and sexually since, from his perspective, she doesn't have a lot of options in either field being 40.
• Establishing Character Moment: His first appearance shows him as a friendly shoulder and co-worker of Princess Carolyn, as they talk about their work and home life, even implying some sort of attraction between them. That still doesn't stop him from redirecting a conversation about Carolyn's feelings back to himself or taking over a project of hers as a vehicle for his client behind her back.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Once they reaffirm their relationship, his wife Katie and his recently born bunnies. One of the signs of his Character Development is that when faced with a choice between saving the company and being there to witness the birth, Rutabaga chooses the latter.
• Evil Duo: With Vanessa Gekko in "Old Acquintance" since at that point, they both have merged and start a agency together and look forward to getting their client the lead in Pegasus.
• Evil Power Vacuum: A weird variation, in which he and Gekko absorb the power, since otherwise they would go the same route. It happens again in "Old Acquaintance" when VIM, Princess Carolyn's agency starts collapsing and Gekko paired with Rutabaga are just in as much trouble as she is. In order to keep their agency afloat, they set up Kelsey as a unwitting Decoy Damsel for BoJack to work with. Then, Rutabaga finds a letter of pleading from PC to Mr. Witherspoon about Laura's possible promotion, with her suggesting Laura should not be promoted since she's a great assistant. Unfortunately, he can't be there to talk to Laura, so Gekko does it for him. Once the agency temporarily disappears, it's implied they absorb the remaining clients VIM once held.
• Expressive Ears: He prefers to keep his ears slicked back on his head as though they were hair, but they still have a tendency to pop upright when he gets excited.
• Fair-Weather Friend: He seems nice in his first appearance, until he makes a move in favor of his client at the cost of Princess Carolyn's client when a studio deal goes sideways.
• False Friend: Turns out to be this to Princess Carolyn.
• Fatal Flaw: Lust. Rutabaga is quite smart and devious, but has the sex drive of, well, a rabbit and as revealed through the 2nd season, seriously can't keep it in his pants. This ultimately leads to a situation where a Woman Scorned in the form of Princess Carolyn screws him professionally (after screwing him literally) as payback for his philandering and unreliability.
• Foot-Dragging Divorcee: In the 2nd half of the 2nd season, as he and his wife start drifting apart and then, proceed with the necessary paperwork.
• Genre Blind: Telling your mistress that you're her best choice, given how old she is, and that's she nothing more than a side piece is not a smart or tactful move.
• Good Parents: As "Stupid Piece of Sh*t" confirms, Rutabaga is taking his role as a parent to his 7 kids seriously, as he leaves work at 6:30 p.m. to go and parent his kids with Katie and also saying to Princess Carolyn that they are important to him.
• Handsome Lech: What he turns out to be, much to Princess Carolyn's disappointment.
• Happily Married: Rutabaga and Katie finally become this after a lot of couple counseling in season 3.
• Harem Seeker: It's revealed that Rutabaga never went ahead with allegedly divorcing his wife, making his relationship with Princess Carolyn an affair rather than a formal compromise. Even then, he still wants to continue with the relationship, implying that he just wants to have as much tail as possible.
• I Gave My Word: The reason why he's unable to be the one that talks to Laura personally: he promised Katie he would be there when she would starting going into labor and he doesn't want to miss any moment anymore. It's a sign that he has changed for the better, at least when it comes to his family life.
• In Spite of a Nail: The ending of season 2 leaves Rutabaga into a dead end: either forced to go back and beg for a job at Vigor or simply admit to his wife how everything transpired possibly resulting in divorce. And season 3 reveals that Rutabaga's agency project still turn out fine with Vanessa Gekko, with his marriage with Katie traveling smoothly in the same waters.
• Interspecies Romance: Rutabaga, a rabbit, has a fling with Princess Carolyn, a cat. Defied with his marriage, as his wife is another rabbit.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his Opportunistic Bastard tendencies, he does care about Princess Carolyn and seems to hold her in high regard. He later become this to his wife and children becoming a devoted husband and father.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Then, again, there are limits to how far does he truly care about her...
• Laser-Guided Karma: He ends up being screwed out of his idea of a new agency by the same person he had screwed in more than one way.
• Keet: Very much so. He's hyperactive, lovably dorky, a bombastic loudmouth by excellence and constantly in motion.
• Last Disrespects: Unintentionally, he ends up doing this towards Charley and the hospitalized Mr. Witherspoon as a final "fuck you" gone wrong.
• Leonine Contract: In order to escape his wife's lawyers, Rutebaga puts the property of the new agency in the name of Princess Carolyn. When their affair collapses, Princess Carolyn uses this to take the company away from him, and since she's the legal owner, Rutabaga can't do anything but squirm in anger and disbelief.
• Loophole Abuse: Used by him in order to escape his wife's attorneys and then exploited against him as payback for being a double-faced, backstabber cheating bastard.
• Lovable Traitor: Part of his schtick. He's just as an Opportunistic Bastard as everyone at Vigor but he's much more overt and open about it, so it's a kind of a given whenever you're dealing with him. Of course, the "Loveable" part can fade away when it comes to intimate matters..
• The Mistress: Inverted, although he can be considered a Rare Male Example himself. Princess Carolyn is this for him as well, or at least that was his intent. She was looking for something more formal, though.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After finding out that Rutabaga didn't go through with the divorce and being personally insulted by him, she takes advantage of her name in the properties to kick him out of her life.
• Oops! I Forgot I Was Married: At the end of season 2, Carolyn discovers that Rutabaga hadn't gone through with the divorce papers for his wife, making her the other woman and mistress in their relationship. It doesn't sit well for her.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Seriously, Rutabaga, you couldn't have hold it together and not be a dick towards your boss' son? Did you really have to kick him while he was down?
• Office Romance: With Princess Carolyn in season 2. It doesn't go well.
• Opportunistic Bastard: Yes. He can still be your friend and all, but if he has a motive and he has an opening, he will stab you. It's all within the game, and it's usually non-personal. Unfortunately, when It's Personal, people might not react well to the discovery or the fact that he could play them like that..
• Pet the Dog:
  • Everything else besides, Rutabaga does help Carolyn by giving her a tip of Bonito's Not Quite Dead client, J. D. Salinger.
  • In Season 3, it's shown that he's genuinely made an effort to reconcile with his wife, and shows dedication to being there for her when she goes into labor and has their children.
• Platonic Life-Partners: What his relationship with Gekko seems to have become, now that they're partners at their own agency.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Rutabaga initially decides to restart again when he and Katie start strolling down the road to divorce, by propositioning Princess Carolyn for a (read:sexual from his part, romantic from her part) relationship, only for the Rabitowitz couple to patch things up...which leads for Rutabaga to make the brilliant choice to keep feeding lies to PC as a twisted unknown Friends with Benefits situation. Once the jig is up, PC gladly pays him back by conning him out of his agency, paid lot and building included.
• Rousing Speech: Gives one to Princess Carolyn after the latter invokes it from him:
  Okay. Carolyn, you are the star of a movie. This is the part of the movie where you get your heart broken. Where the world tests you, and people treat you like shit. But it has to happen this way. Otherwise, the end of the movie, when you get everything you want, won't feel as rewarding. There are assholes out there, but in the end, they don't matter. Because this movie's not about them. It's never been about them. All this time, the movie's been about you.
• Species Surname: Somewhat; it does say part of the word Rabbit but mixing it up a bit with some Jewish naming suffixes.
• True Companions: With Vanessa Gekko. He cares about his partner and often appreciates the work and mutual helping they lend each other.
• Villain Team-Up: Rutabaga goes into the agency business with Gekko in season 3, locking horns with Princess Carolyn in the process.
• Villainous Friendship: He and Gekko aren't just business partners, but genuinely close friends.

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Other Businesses and Companies

Elefante

Sandro

Played by: Paul F. Tompkins

Elefante's charmingly quirky chef, and a first-generation Italian immigrant. After he gets "fired" and Elefante closes, he opens up his own restaurant, Sandro's Place, which becomes the new usual dinner hangout for everyone.

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• Ascended Extra: Had just a couple of appearances towards the end of season 3 (and before that, he didn't appear at all, despite being the guy running Elefante at least since BoJack bough it way back in season 1), but starting with season 4 he becomes a pretty regular character.
• I Resemble That Remark!: After arguing with the sea captain who's bringing him his shipment of spaghetti, she comments about him probably having ties to the Italian mob, judging by his stereotypical Italian accent. So, how does he call out that blatant case of stereotyping?

  Sandro: Friends in the mob? That's an ugly stereo - TAY - puh! Vaffanculo^* translates from Italian as "fork you"!

• Funny Foreigner: An over-the-top Italian chef with an overblown Italian accent. He lampshades this in his tirade after he quits Elefante, defending his novelty as an amusing Italian-American stereotype as that type of character has been discredited due to decreased immigration from Italy to America.
• Malaproper: Several, and apparently on purpose to uphold his image as an Italian immigrant.
• Poirot Speak:
  • Combines copious amounts of this with an overblown Italian accent. Even in-universe, people find it a bit too over the top. It's implied he exaggerates it on purpose to keep up his image as an Italian chef (a rarity according to him), since he's been living in America for several decades now.
  • This results in him having the rather unfortunate quirk of pronouncing "Miss Carrie/Carey" as "Miss-Ah Carrie", much to the consternation of Princess Carolyn who had just lost a baby that same day.

Gentle Farms

Gentle Farms (in general)

Played by: Ron Funches and Khandi Alexander.

A free-range chicken farm run by chickens.

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• Affably Evil: Quite pleasant as long as you don't interfere. Once you do, however..
• Ascended Fridge Horror: In world where every single animal is anthropomorphic, the presence of meat and eggs would call into question just how fair this world could be to certain species. Gentle Farms answers that question with a cheerful "not very".
• Awful Wedded Life: It's no secret when one looks at the wife's face in commercials, but it's only confirmed when Todd and Diane meet her and she pleads for them to take her away from the farm.
• The Butcher: Their selling point is that they're nicer about it than their competitors.
• Carnivore Confusion: Food processing of the same, yet underdeveloped part of the species being done by the civilized portion? Check it as a textbook example. Lampshaded by the kid when he realizes the similarities between them and the chickens.
  The Kid: But wait, Pa, aren't we chickens? I don't wanna get eaten!
  The Farmer: Boy, these animals aren't like us. They're specifically bred to be eaten, and genetically modified for maximum flavor.
• Category Traitor: They're dismayed by the cruel factory farming methods of their competitors, given that they're chickens as well; their solution to this was, apparently, to go free range. The chickens killed are genetically bred to be mentally on par with your average feral chicken, but it's also implied that they're pumped full of chemicals that make them this way.
  The Farmer: It's simple: No one knows chicken like chickens.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Yes, they slaughter their own kind, but they make sure they live happy, comfortable lives before those lives inevitably end. Even when that end comes, their slaughterhouse is filled with cones, presumably to block out the horrors all around the chickens and keep them calm.
• Evil Versus Evil: With Chicken 4 Dayz, their competitors.
• Family Business: A DARK take on the trope.
• The Family That Slays Together: Sort of a given, considering how they're chickens who slaughter non-sapient chickens to sell as meat. However, they're completely open about the fact that they kill chickens for meat since in the series' world, no one sees any problem with it.
• Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better: Hormone-free civilized animals such as the Gentle Farms owners hold this as a sacred rule, maintaining themselves to be very different from "these animals."
• Good Is Old-Fashioned: Exploited for all it's worth.
• Happy Fun Ball: "Gentle Farms" is not a fitting name for this kind of place.
• Human Resources: Played straight to a hilt, given that they're a chicken farm run by chickens. However, in this world it's considered completely normal since the non-sapient chickens are merely viewed as "animals" without the same intelligence as most animal characters.
• I'm a Humanitarian: It's never specifically stated that they're eating the chickens they slaughter, but they're certainly making bank off the fact that other people do.
• Karma Houdini: Played with, they get away with everything they do, but their business is legal and they still lose part of the coop of chickens when Todd and Diane release them.
• A Lighter Shade of Grey: They're not lying about the quality of their farm and make no pretenses about its true purpose. That they make a living slaughtering their own kind says more about the state of their world than it does about them as people, and everything they do is completely legal. They actually use this in their marketing campaign, presenting themselves as a kinder, gentler alternative to factory farms like Chicken 4 Days.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Their response to hearing a trespasser? Grabbing a shotgun and trying to shoot him at first sight.
• Non-Indicative Name: Gentle Farms. Their farm is lush and pastoral and their chickens are treated well, but in the end, they still get the ax.
• Peace & Love Incorporated: Overlapped with Sugar Apocalypse for a good dose of excellent PR, their image is that of a gentle, natural alternative to the more industrialized Chicken 4 Days. While they're not lying — their chickens are allowed acres of pasture to roam and a comfortable life — they're still slaughtering chickens that have been rendered mindless for the purposes of being eaten.
• Straw Hypocrite: Played with, in that they practice every word of what they preach; it's just cold comfort to a chicken.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Hormone-filled chickens do not register as equal to them. Even if they're of the same species.

The Kid

Son of The Farmer.

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• Ambiguous Innocence: Seems a little aware of the dissonance between killing domesticated chickens and living just because he's an evolved one; this troubles him a little. There's also him following his dad's orders to shoot everything in sight.
• Creepy Child: Kills his own while still a child.
• Children Forced to Kill: Hard to tell, but given he knows how to handle a shotgun, he might have taken part in the chopping process of the slaughter.
• Deliberately Cute Child: He looks so innocent, you would be excused to forget that he can wield a shotgun and has no problem shooting whatever stands in his way.
• Daddy's Little Villain: His dad is shown to be fond of him and grooms him to be the next in line.
• Enfante Terrible: Growing into being a future psychopath.
• Follow in My Footsteps: He takes after his father and reacts the way he does.
• Like Father, Like Son: He has been hanging around his father too long.
• The Sociopath: Barely blinks while handling a shotgun and has no problem trying to shoot whatever is out there, to the point of being sychopanthic about every order given. Then again, he is still a budding one, as he has some problems and feels a shred of guilt and doubt about the things they do.
• Turn Out Like His Father: Just as crazy as daddy dearest, which brings up some rather dark implications about his upbringing. However, he's much more calm about the whole ordeal.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Handling a shotgun and being nonchalant about shooting or animal cruelty? Parents of The Year, everyone.
• Tyke-Bomb: On the way of becoming one.

The Farmer

A rooster. The father and owner of Gentle Farms.

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• Affably Evil: Quite a genial fellow as long as you don't cross him.
• Awful Wedded Life: Given how much his wife wants to get away of this place, they don't have the most stable of marriages.
• Ax-Crazy: Maybe just a tiny bit..
• Blatant Lies: Played with. He delivers exactly what he promises, which is free range chicken. He can't, however, erase that "moral gray area."
• Evil Patriarch: The main owner and patriarch of Gentle Farms.
• Exact Words: "It's simple: No one knows chicken like chickens."
• Family-Values Villain: For all of his wickedness, he does valorate the meaning of "family" or at least, what it's meant to represent.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: His response to someone trespassing his land? Shoot them.
• Trigger-Happy: All too willing to shoot at the first sign of intruders.
• Unreliable Narrator: Played with; he's the one who talks during the Gentle Farms commercial, boasting about what a wonderful place this is and the happy family image with his family, despite his wife's obvious discomfort on camera. While he is truthful about their business practices since they do treat their chickens better than Chicken 4 Dayz does and he makes no pretenses about the fact that the chickens are eventually slaughtered, his family isn't as happy as he tries to make them seem on camera.

The Farmer's Wife

Ooh, man..

Pretty much Exactly What It Says on the Tin; she's the farmer's wife.

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• Ambiguously Evil: While she does sound regretful of the things that have happened and doesn't want to partake on the slaughter anymore, exactly how much she has done or if she ever believed on it in the first place is left unanswered.
• Awful Wedded Life: Dear lord, yes. You know you're miserable when you can't even pretend to be happy on a commercial. Or when you beg to be taken by the guys who infiltrated your family's land.
• Axe-Crazy: Subverted. She catches Todd, Diane and Becca in the shack while handling an axe...and instead asks them to let them take her away from the farm.
• Broken Bird: When you're that desperate, chances are your life isn't going the way you wanted.
• Face Framed in Shadow: Her first appearance to Todd and Diane. Also counts as Dark Is Not Evil, since she's a good gal.
• Foreshadowing: Her frown in the commercial for Gentle Farms is the first early indication that it might not be a good place at all.
• Good All Along: A compassionate, tortured chicken who wants nothing more than to escape the farm.
• Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: She doesn't want anything to do with the business anymore and begs Todd and Diane to allow her to come with them.
• Parental Abandonment: Since she doesn't mention anything about taking her son with her, it's only an assumption that she doesn't want her to come. Of course, given what we have seen of the kid, it's kinda understandable.
• The Reveal: She's not a psychopath like the other two.
• Token Good Teammate: Out of the three, she's the most level-headed and the most disgusted at the things they do.
• Tragic Dream: She wants to develop video games that teach children math. Since Todd and Diane leave without her, it's unlikely that she ever will make that dream come true.

Becca

Cluck.

Played by: Lisa Hanawalt

A hormone-filled chicken who escapes Chickens 4 Dayz.

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• Animal Talk: She can't actually speak, only being able to make typical chicken sounds until the end of "Chickens", when she's able to say Todd's name. Of course, Todd is able to twist her clucking into actual words as part of the charade of her being civilized.
• Creator Cameo: Becca's gibberish is voiced by the show's animation designer, Lisa Hanawalt. invoked
• A Fête Worse than Death: What her fate would have ended up if she hadn't escaped from a Chicken4Days truck. Or the Gentle Farms butchery.
• "Fawlty Towers" Plot: After finding her in the backyard of Mr. Peanutbutter's house, Todd is forced to lie and pretend that she's his wife in order to avoid raising suspicion about her true identity and making sure she's not returned to Chicken 4 Dayz and butchered into fast food.
• Human Resources: Her species is killed by their own to make processed food.
• It Can Think: She only has the basic instincts of a real chicken, but she can think in a basic way and understands Todd in a way. She eventually evolves to the point of being able to say Todd's name when she recognizes him.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing: Constantly referred to as a "chicken" without any naming or even acknowledged of being on the same level as the rest of the animal people. Probably to make it easier for the slaughterhouses to butcher them into food.
• Line-of-Sight Name: Her name comes out of a Throw It In! from Todd's part when being questioned by Officer Fuzzyface.
• Living MacGuffin: Her escape and subsequent chase of her by both sides of the animal food vs. animal friends dilemma is what leads to the discovery of Gentle Farms' slaughter shed and how inhumane is the treatment the barely intelligible animals receive from both sides. It's rendered null by the end of the episode, though.
• Morality Chain: To Todd and eventually, to Diane.
• Non-Malicious Monster: She's a barely aware animal roaming around Hollywoo, grotesque in appearance and with No Social Skills; she's also hardly malicious and any "action" she makes is done purely on instinct, rather than logic.
• Pokémon Speak: She only speaks in clucks. Todd, being Todd, manages to twist them enough to appear comprehensible to other people to avoid raising suspicions.
• Pygmalion Plot: A rather twisted version, since it involves a rather unfortunate case of Carnivore Confusion, but "Chickens" still focuses on Todd and Becca's relationship and how the former tries to adapt the latter to fit into society to avoid being caught and slaughtered.
• Seriously Scruffy: She has a case of wild, ruffled feathers, with a bald patch on her neck where some of her feathers may have been pulled out. Probably because of sleeping in unsanitary conditions and constantly being treated as an actual animal. Not to say about the way she's transported in the Chicken 4 Dayz truck before being released.

Chicken 4 Dayz

Chicken 4 Dayz (in general)

The Rival to Gentle Farms not only in terms of providers but also in a more stable, omniscient model for processing.

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• Affably Evil: Very personable in interviews and about their products (at least their spokesperson), but there's no mistake that they're just as bad as their competitors, if not more discreet about it.
• Coincidental Broadcast: In between the action of the police chase of the chicken involving Diane, Irving and Todd; Tom Jumbo-Grumbo interviews the representative of Chicken 4 Dayz about the recent events, as well as certain allegations that what they do is inhuman to the chickens. The scene is there to demonstrate their way of weaseling out of things (approved by all the required laws) as well as how they're not so different from their competitors.
• Evil Versus Evil: With Gentle Farms.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Arguably a bigger factor in the processing of animals than Gentle Farms, yet they're so overarching and they play their legal cards very well that it seems kinda impossible to confront them over it.
• Human Resources: More or less. It's complicated. Basically, the way fast food products like fried chicken come to be in this world is by segregating the anthropomorphic animals into two groups: those who are fed and raised as "normal" members of this society and those who are stuffed and cooped to be processed into food. Yeah. Chicken 4 Dayz in particular prides itself in having served more than 5 billion chickens worldwide.
• MegaCorp: In terms of expansion and customer service, they prefer their business to be monopolies.
• Mouth of Sauron: The spokesperson presents himself in MSNBSea in order to assure everybody that the incident involving Becca has nothing to do with Chicken 4 Dayz and that people should expect a new promotion in this month.
• Villain with Good Publicity: There's never really any doubt that they're amoral and ambitious, but their Straight Edge act is really effective and Tom, with his common propagandistic agenda, gives them leeway in his show to be portrayed as upstanding businessmen.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Just like their rivals, they seem to have no problem butchering barely advanced animals to feed them to the large public, some of which are civilized animals themselves. It's the perfect middle ground and the perfect industry.
• Xtreme Kool Letterz: How the name of the fried chicken restaurant is stylized.

Spokesperson

A spokesperson appearing in MSNBSea to assure people that the disaster occurring during "Chickens" is nothing to be concerned about.

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• Affably Evil: By himself, he's quite cordial. However, take into account that the company he works for is basically promoting a legal, twisted form of cannibalism.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Tom Jumbo-Grumbo interviews the representative of Chicken 4 Dayz about the recent events, as well as certain allegations that what they do is inhuman to the chickens. The spokesman instead assures everybody that what they do is completely legal and approved by the respective authorities (never mind the moral qualms), the incident involving Becca has nothing to do with Chicken 4 Dayz and that people should expect a new promotion of chicken in this month.
• Mouth of Sauron: The spokesperson presents himself in MSNBSea in order to assure everybody that the incident involving Becca has nothing to do with Chicken 4 Dayz and that people should expect a new promotion in this month.

Shenanigags

Shenanigags (in general)

• Bait-and-Switch Comparison: When Todd is walking aimless through Hollywoo, he encounters a poster of Scientology that seems to be the answer to his problems, only to then be taken away by Shenanigags, who have the same methods but are apparently separated from Scientology.
• Blind Obedience: In order to stay, there can be no questions or disagreements with what the company is doing or the master Copernicus orders. Just follow orders, be quiet and docile. Everything is going to be fine..
• Brainwashed: What ultimately happens to everyone as Todd finds out.
• Church of Happyology: Zigzagged. At first, the Shenanigags storyline seems to be a Lighter and Softer Take That! to Scientology, with the main hint of darkness coming from the Dissonant Serenity and blank pushy attitude from its members. Then, as Todd gets more involved, the most horrifying aspects of Scientology, especially Sea Org, come out to light, such as the slave-like conditions, the piss poor salaries they get, the inhumane living rooms, the manipulation they do to keep people in...
• Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Shenanigags has as a basic rule that the people involved, especially the ones who are being initiated, have to put their absolute trust into the company in order to truly get better and as such, they'll be rewarded. It's all a lie.
• Cloudcuckoolander: A dark Deconstruction of the trope. Just like Scientology itself, it goes to show how sometimes being out of touch with reality doesn't make you less dangerous, especially if you're able to hide it pretty well.
• Cult of Personality: Just like Scientology was one to L. Ron Hubbard, Shenanigags is one to its master Copernicus.

Copernicus

Played by: Liev Schreiber

The leader of Shenanigags, a self-proclaimed Philosopher King Persian cat with a reasonable attitude and completely bonkers beliefs.

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• Affably Evil: Certainly one for camaraderie and with a penchant for butt jokes by the tons. Doesn't change the fact that he's basically manipulating people into being barely paid slaves and buy into his crazy ideas.
• Animal Gender-Bender: A male calico Persian cat. Calicos are female except under very rare genetic conditions.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: His improv group assimilates members and isolates them from their friends and family. He then exploits them working in his cruise ship with no pay whatsoever, making them live in tiny, unfurnished cabins while he lives in luxury. Oh, and also he rips his butt jokes off from a book.
• Bad Boss: What he turns out to be with all the manipulation, the crappy conditions in which his followers live compared to his opulent lifestyle, the lack of salary and the brainwashing to get people to stay. Granted, there are a lot of wrong signs about him before The Reveal, but...
• Bait the Dog: Initially when introduced, Copernicus had an air of mysteriousness and wisdom around him and was formal, yet friendly with Todd about what he needed to do to rise through Shenanigags, even if some of the advice sounded quite suspicious. Then, as Todd finds out about the deceptions he does to everyone, Copernicus changes tone and shows the kind of person he is.
• Blind Obedience: What he demands from everyone in exchange from the promise of giving their lives direction. It's all a lie.
• Cats Are Mean: A cult leader who passes himself as this great philosopher and prophet whom everybody owes extreme allegiance. Plus a Persian cat.
• Cats Are Superior: His own view of himself, given how he has constructed the church's view around his veneration.
• Church of Happyology: Shenanigags, his improv group. By the end, it's less "harmless parody" and more "venomous attack" towards the real thing.
• Classy Cravat: Seems to have a taste for these, much like his inspiration.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Deconstructed. Copernicus, having created the Shenanigags group and structured it into a cult, has a foot onto madness, rationalizing what he does by paper bland explanations of "improvement" and "enlightenment". He still managed to create and lead it, with many people following his example. Not exactly a feat when the Persian is able to hide the insanity through a veneer of wisdom and harmlessness, since he doesn't appear crazy at first glance.
• Control Freak: He's perfect and unquestionable. What he tells you to do you do without any complaints. Do not even suggest the opposite or you might need a bit of behavior modification.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He compliments BoJack on his speech to Todd about how much he appreciates him being there, wondering where did he got such amazing acting training. It doesn't seem to occur to him that BoJack may have spoken from the heart.
• Faux Affably Evil: He manages to blur it with occasional doses of true affability but once your loyalty is in question, the cruelty shows up along with the attitude.
• Greater-Scope Villain: The head of Shenanigags and the main reason why several people have been scammed out of several of their savings and personal liberties.
• Joke of the Butt: He likes to make puns about the rear end.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's clearly a stand-in for L. Ron Hubbard. Aside from being the head of a Church of Happyology, his fur coloring gives him a red-headed and pale-faced look in keeping with Hubbard's, he and Hubbard have basically the same body type, and many prominent pictures of Hubbard show him in colorful cravats such as the one Copernicus wears.
• Villain Has a Point: Copernicus may be a cult leader, but he does wonder why Todd would ever go back to being friends with BoJack as the horse does nothing but degrade and bully Todd (not to mention intentionally ruining his Rock Opera for his own selfish reasons).

The Improv. Director

Played by: John Cho

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• Beard of Evil: A very impressive one.
• Boss in Mook Clothing: When he reappears in the Shenanigags ship, he's wearing the same type of clean suit as the rest of the crew minus Copernicus, thus showing him to be just as deluded as the rest in believing the group's lies and how in spite of being a Number Two, he's still viewed as inferior to his boss.
• The Dragon: For Copernicus, since he's mostly in charge of guiding the new recruits in the ways of Shenanigags...and make sure they don't step out of line.
• Dragon-in-Chief: He's the one who takes care of matters that don't really concern Copernicus: instructions, guidance, reunions with the comedy groups, all for the sake of keeping track of the group's progress and gain more power over them to keep them in the fold.
• Faux Affably Evil: He's very friendly and approachable. Then, the restrictions and intentional conditional manipulation begins.
• Happiness Is Mandatory: No one should complain or question any of the rules Shenanigags stands for, much less wonder aloud what's so special of Copernicus. They should just shut up, smile and be happy at this opportunity!
• Happiness in Slavery: He seems to be happy where he is, even if he has the same crappy room in the ship as Todd.
• Manipulative Bastard: His bread and butter; in this case, an affable man who can read people, taps into what's missing in their lives and tangles them into his beliefs.

Hollywoo Reporter

Paige Sinclair

Played by: Paget Brewster

A pig reporter who's determined to get to the bottom of any story.

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• All for Nothing: Her campaign to bring Bojack to justice does temporarily wreck his revived career and leads to him getting jailed for breaking and entering into his new home while drugged out. Come a year later, The Horny Unicorn comes out and Hollywoob has forgiven BoJack for his misdeeds, with potential career opportunities. The people who end up suffering the most are BoJack's closest friends and family, who split up to find their happy endings away from him. Her only victory out of all this is that BoJack learns to let go of Diane and refuses to make her his Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
• Animal Stereotypes: She's determined to root out the truth, like a truffle pig. However, counter to the Messy Pig stereotype, she's glamorous, well-groomed and seems to be considered attractive in-universe.
• Born in the Wrong Century: Aside from already being a Genre Refugee from classic screwball comedies, her general behavior is more in line with someone who lived in the 30s or 40s than in the series' main setting of the 2010s. She's on the verge of Quitting to Get Married since "domesticity has no place in the newsroom", frequently uses outdated figures of speech, and sometimes uses a highly old-fashioned candlestick telephone to call her fiancé. Her Mid-Atlantic accent is also a relic of Golden Age Hollywood, which is lampshaded by her sister Patience who doesn't share the same accent.
  Patience: Why do you talk like that? We're from Fresno!
• Brainy Pig: Paige is a pig, of course, but contrary to the Messy Pig stereotype, she's an intelligent, fast-talking Intrepid Reporter who's always several steps ahead of her colleague Max, and she makes sure to go the extra mile to get every last detail and reveal the full truth behind Sarah Lynn's death.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Intrepid Reporter. She does mean well and sincerely wants to break a story about a heinous deed. However, most people find her annoying or too nosy about their private affairs. Even her own sister thinks that she's ridiculous. What's more, when the story breaks, it has more negative consequences for everyone than positive ones.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • It's made clear that she's pursuing the investigation of Sarah Lynn's death because she wants the credit of breaking the story, but it's also made clear that the more Paige finds out about what happened to her alongside BoJack's other misdeeds the more disgusted she gets. She sounds legitimately shocked when Penny Carson reveals that BoJack was living with her family.
  • Her calling out of Biscuits Braxby's soft-pedaling journalism is a mix of both Braxby negating Paige's expose, and the fact that she's helping BoJack escape punishment.
  • Paige shows she's not willing to fabricate evidence to get her story out. When Biscuits Braxby states she can't just accuse BoJack of being culpable for Sarah Lynn's death without evidence to back it up, Paige is more than willing to get said evidence.
  • She's willing to pursue Penny to her house and enter without permission, but leaves when Charlotte asks her to. She even goes along with Charlotte claiming Paige and Max are "refrigerator repairmen." She gives Penny and Charlotte her contact info and then leaves it at that. She even makes sure Penny's not mentioned by name when Biscuits Braxby rakes BoJack over the coals during her second interview.
• Expy: Mainly of Katharine Hepburn's character in Woman of the Year, though she and Max are riffing on a whole genre/era of films, including His Girl Friday and It Happened One Night.
• Foil: Like Diane's many attempts at heroic journalism, Paige deeps into what she suspects is more than a standard celebrity overdose. Unlike Diane, Paige is actually smarter about it. She spends a few months if not a year or so gathering her sources and tracing Sarah Lynn's steps before her fatal overdose before coming to any conclusions, and knows when to keep her mouth shut. When Paige actually strikes gold, she doesn't try to release the story and argue with everyone on the street; she provides her editor with proof and multiple sources that can back her story that BoJack was responsible for Sarah Lynn's death. While Paige can be as stubborn and confrontational as Diane is, she's not stupid. She speaks Biscuits Braxby's language when convincing her that BoJack needs to be taken down, telling her Dare to Be Badass. Sadly, all Paige's efforts do is break up the horse's friend group and end his career for a year, give or take.
• Genre Refugee: She and Maximilian dress and act as though they're from the Screwball Comedies of the 30s and 40s.
• Gorgeous Period Dress: As part of her old-fashioned Screwball Comedy dynamic with Max, she's never seen out of her rather old-fashioned wedding dress, complete with sun hat and frilly shoulders.
• Hero Antagonist: She's trying to dig up the truth about a celebrity who's evaded accountability for a long string of misdeeds. Unfortunately, said celebrity is BoJack, and her actions bring his whole life crashing down.
• Hurricane of Puns: Many of her conversations with Max are rapid exchanges of these.
  Paige: You're starting to make more sense than a change machine.
  Max: Speaking of cents, where's our Penny?
  Paige: Oh poop! Our scoop's flown the coop! Go go go, gotta stay in the loop!
• Intrepid Reporter: Describes herself as such, no less. She's determined to find the whole truth behind the death of Sarah Lynn.
• Irony: Her job requires her to be very perceptive, which she proves to be many times, but she doesn't seem to notice where or when she lives.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Paige is a glory hound sure, but the fact remains that she's exposing BoJack for allowing Sarah Lynn to die after he got away with it for over three seasons. Even if she's motivated by wanting to break the story, it's still noted that he deserved to be taken down for what he did. It helps that she ends up feeling disgusted when she sees the fuller scope of BoJack's actions.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Her first name is "Paige", and she's a prolific reporter for a newspaper. She even mentions that at one point, her nickname was "Front Page Paige".
  • Sinclair is a subtle reference to the early 20th-century author and muckraker Upton Sinclair. He's most famous for publically exposing the horrible working and sanitary conditions in meat-packing and slaughterhouses in his book The Jungle, causing the public outcry that prompted Congress to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act and food safety and health standards becoming strict federal law. Paige is single-handedly responsible for publically exposing BoJack's misdeeds, leading to much public outrage.
• Motor Mouth: She talks a lot, and she says it all very quickly. Like everything else about her, this is inspired by the rapid-fire dialogue from classic Screwball Comedies.
• Satellite Love Interest: Baxter, Paige's "endlessly understanding fiancé" is this to parodic levels: he's The Ghost, yet she talks about him and calls him on the phone so much it begins to resemble a desperate authorial denial of her obvious UST with Max.
• Secretly Selfish: It's implied that while she genuinely wants to get justice for Sarah Lynn, she also wants the glory due to her for breaking the story. When BoJack seems to circumvent the storm, she complains about him doing so and steering it in another direction.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Her sister Patience is aloof and slow talking in contrast to the high-strung fast talking Paige, also whereas Paige was Born in the Wrong Century and constantly talking on a highly old-fashioned candlestick telephone, Patience has a typical Millennial/Gen Z fashion sense and is glued to her cellphone. Paige see's Patience as a lifelong confidant whereas Patience seems to find Paige weird and irritating like everyone else.
• Small Role, Big Impact: She only appears in five episodes, but she's directly responsible for BoJack's misdeeds, especially his involvement in Sarah Lynn's death, being publically exposed.
• Stealth Pun: She is a ruthless reporter bent on exposing people's secrets, and she's a pig. To put it simply, she squeals on people.
• Those Two Guys: Forms one half of a Screwball Comedy-flavored detective duo with Maximillian Banks, comically retracing the movements of Sarah Lynn before her death and commenting on past events.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Paige disappears from the series after "Xerox of a Xerox", so we don't see how she reacts to BoJack's near-suicide or him getting into the public's good graces again.
• Workaholic: Her Establishing Character Moment has her leaving her fiance while dressed for her wedding to go chase down a scoop, namely the truth behind Sarah Lynn's death.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: She did have good intentions and ended up successfully exposing BoJack's involvement in Sarah Lynn's death, which led to most of his other misdeeds being revealed. Then it turns out BoJack becomes bankrupt, breaks into his old house to drown himself in the pool, and is jailed for breaking and entering after the family that bought the house saves him; it's unknown if Paige felt any responsibility for BoJack becoming suicidal or for the children getting traumatized. To top it all off, The Horny Unicorn comes out a year later and everyone forgets about BoJack's misdeeds in Hollywoob, thanks to the 24-hour news cycle. We don't find out how she dealt with this offscreen.

Maximilian Banks

Played by: Max Greenfield

A human reporter who helps out Paige Sinclair with her investigations.

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• The Alcoholic: He's constantly on the hunt for something alcoholic to drink.
• Genre Refugee: He and Paige dress and act as though they're from the Screwball Comedies of the 30s and 40s.
• Hopeless Suitor: He has feelings for Paige despite the fact that she's getting married soon.
• Love Confession: When he finally spits it out, Paige responds — either obliviously or diplomatically — that:
  "Everyone loves me... I'm Paige Sinclair!"
• Small Role, Big Impact: He only shows up in four episodes, but if it wasn't for him Paige never would have gotten interested in discovering the truth behind Sarah Lynn's death in the first place.
• Those Two Guys: Forms the other half of a Screwball Comedy-flavored detective duo with Paige Sinclair, comically retracing the movements of Sarah Lynn before her death and commenting on past events.

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