Diane has decided to get an abortion, and the decision distracts her enough that she accidentally tweets "I'm getting an abortion." on pop starlet Sextina Aquafina's account. Sextina decides to use the controversy to become the face of the pro-choice movement, but Diane is concerned she is not tackling the sensitive issue properly.
Meanwhile, BoJack and Todd hit the awards circuit for Secretariat.
"Brrap Brrap Pew Pew" contains examples of:
- Artistic Licence – Law: Diane is made to go through several acts to inform her about her decision before getting an abortion, which is made to criticize laws regulating abortion in red states. However, this all takes place in Hollywood, California (where the show is set), which has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the US.
- Attention Whore: Sextina fires Diane for her screw-up on Twitter, only to undo this after the tweet makes her extremely popular. She decides to take full advantage of being "Pro-Choice".
- Babies Make Everything Better: Discussed. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter decidedly do not want children, and immediately agree to get an abortion. Meanwhile, Princess Carolyn, who has repeatedly tried and failed to have a family is slightly offended that someone with a loving husband, a mostly stable life, and the capability to carry a child to term doesn't even want the baby she got by accident. They make up in the end. With Diane trying to explain that while she looks ready for children, only for Princess Carolyn to tell her, she does not have to explain herself to anyone.
- Bittersweet Ending: Sextina's pro-choice campaign, while not entirely tactful, is otherwise successful in raising awareness on the subject and giving hope to young women who choose to get abortions... except she gets pregnant immediately after televising her fake abortion procedure and wants to keep the baby. Diane, meanwhile, is happy to have her actual abortion over with, if a little shaken up, but is coming to terms with the fact that her career requires more ass-kissing than she had anticipated. It ends with her and Princess Carolynn gleefully brainstorming how to cover up Sextina's real pregnancy.
- Broken Aesop: In-Universe. Sextina's abortion song is interpreted as making light of an issue that she's going through...except, she isn't. She doesn't have to worry about the stigma of abortion, so it's easy for her to get on a high horse. Not only that, but upon getting pregnant for real, Sextina is immediately attached and decides to have the baby, which is a massive flip from the gloating she did in her song.
- Also while the pro-life side is treated as inherently misogynistic (and that only those who can conceive should have an opinion on the matter), BoJack (a pro-choice man), who has a history of impregnating women, paying for their abortions, and cutting off all ties with them, isn't condemned for his chauvinistic behavior.
- While the series has been about how toxic it is people rely on hollow media to give fulfillment and hope in their lives, the episode goes around to positively supporting the fact that many girls and women are looking up to Sextina's song as they go through abortions.
- Foreshadowing: BoJack relates to Diane that he's had his fair share of experience with abortions only to realize all he actually did was give women money to have abortions done but never actually made sure they used the money for that purpose. The potential that BoJack could have fathered a child he doesn't know about will be a plot point in the next season.
- Hypocritical Humor: After Diane tries but is stopped by Princess Caroline trying to explain why she doesn't feel ready for children, she then says "Everyone loves a baby!" when she is brainstorming ideas with Princess Caroline on how to cover up Sextina's pregnancy.
- Irony: Despite never even being pregnant in the first place, Sextina becomes the face of abortion and jokingly encourages every woman to abort her child. However, at the end of the episode, Sextina gets pregnant for real...and she wants to keep it. She says she'll probably have to hide her pregnancy, because it might be a little confusing to the public if she didn't.
- My Secret Pregnancy: The episode ends with Diane and Princess Caroline gleefully brainstorming how to cover-up Sextina getting pregnant for real from the public (such as claiming Sextina adopted the baby instead of actually giving birth).
- Immediate Sequel: Picks up right where the Curse Cut Short in the previous episode left off.Diane: -UCKER!
- MST3K Mantra: In-Universe. Diane is appalled at Sextina's extremely tactless way of bringing attention to pro-choice politics, not to mention "hijacking" Diane's actual abortion, which is obviously a difficult experience for her, and feels it would be best to pull the plug on the whole thing and out Sextina as a fake. However, she meets a young woman in the abortion clinic who tells Diane that she sees Sextina's antics and sleazy pro-abortion song as a lighthearted way to deal with such a scary experience.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The other awards season favorites this year are Jurj Clooners, Mitt Dermon, Lenenerner DiCapricorn, and Bread Poot.
- Oh, Crap!: Diane yells at BoJack that she is getting an abortion, only to instinctively tweet it on Sextina's Twitter account. She soon realizes that it has already spread through social media and made the news. Her reaction?"Oh balls...."
- The Other Darrin: Sextina Aquafina, originally voiced by Aisha Tyler, is now voiced by Danielle Gaither, most likely because of Tyler's discomfort with the abortion plotline.
- Straw Character: A lot of the pro-life side is characterized in a very unflattering manner, from grotesque clinic protesters to its leaders mostly being portrayed as being old white guys.
- Take Our Word for It: The unseen live action "abortion" of Sextina Aquafina is described by Diane and Princess Caroline as being informative and tasteful.
- Take That!: The pro-life movement isn't even given a fighting chance in this episode. Every pro-life character is depicted as either grossly misinformed or inherently sexist. Punctuated with the scene of MSNBSea's diverse panel of old white men in bowties discussing abortion while arguing their opinions are valid because they'll never have one themselves.
