BoJack deals with Sarah Lynn's passing while a crisis at sea leads to Mr Peanutbutter becoming an unlikely hero.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: Barely! By the end of the episode, BoJack is at his lowest ever: he's lost nearly all of his friends, was partially responsible for the death of one, his efforts to move on send him into a panic attack and makes a heavily implied suicide attempt. The episode ends on him looking on at a herd of wild horses with a new sense of revelation.
- Call-Back: Diane and Stefani have dinner at Elephante', the chef is still the formerly-on-fire waiter, and the donkey business mom is still serving tables.
- Character Development: BoJack decides to do "Ethan Around", while also trying to be a better person than he was during "Horsin' Around", especially when it comes to the child actors.BoJack: You wanna know a secret about your mommy and daddy?
Julia: What?
BoJack: They are really proud of you. - Contrived Coincidence: Key elements of Season 3 had all lead up to its last episode: A warehouse supply of spaghetti strainers that Mr. Peanutbutter bought, a failed "reflective" ad BoJack chose for the Secretariat movie, a sprawling metropolis established to be on the floor of the Pacific, the Elefante restaurant's cooking staff quitting and starting a new Italian restaurant, Character Actress Margo Martindale on the run while hijacking BoJack's boat, Whale World's sexy whale dancers, and Todd's female-exclusive taxi service.
- The end result has BoJack's boat and a shipment of spaghetti colliding in an accident at sea. The entire shipment of spaghetti sinks into the ocean, threatening to cook Pacific Ocean City when the sun's reflection from a blimp heats the spaghetti. The only way to save the city is if somebody happens to have a large supply of spaghetti strainers and access to an army of drivers also capable of swimming well. And the rest is history.
Mr. Peanutbutter: Spaghetti or not, here I come! - Despair Event Horizon: BoJack is more depressed than ever after losing Sarah Lynn, the only person who he feels is relatable.
- Did Not Think This Through: Like last time, Bradley never considered a backup plan in case his spinoff falls through. He announces his quitting his old job at the hardware store, and we're not sure what happens after BoJack runs off in the middle of the show's recording.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Princess Carolyn describing the difference between being an agent ("An agent helps a client find jobs...") and a manager ("...but a manager helps manage a client's career!").
- Driven to Suicide: Almost literally at the end of the episode, where BoJack aimlessly drives down a stretch of road, pushes his foot down on the pedal, and lets go of the wheel, closing his eyes as his car begins to drift toward the edge of the road. It's only when he notices a herd of horses that he stops.
- A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: Todd's company is bought out and he gets 8 million dollars as a result, but while going out for a meal at a diner to celebrate, he accidentally tips his waitress all 8 million dollars, making him broke again.
- Here We Go Again!
- BoJack tries to bond with one of the child actresses on Ethan Around in the hopes that he won't destroy her the same way he did Sarah Lynn. Unfortunately, the actress tells him that she wants to grow up to be just like him, causing him to have a panic attack and leave mid-shooting.
- Despite Princess Carolyn's earlier acceptance to leave the agent life behind to focus on her relationship with Ralph, she has the "epiphany" to become a "manager" instead of an agent, which is really just a different name for what she was doing before.
- Ironic Echo: The jogger from "Out To Sea" tells BoJack that "everyday it gets easier". He learns here that it couldn't be further from the truth. He forgets that the jogger added that the hard part is "doing things everyday" before it becomes easier. While it more refers to his attempt at exercise, it's seemingly more symbolic that life gets easier if you take responsibility.
- It's All My Fault: BoJack tells Diane that he feels wholly responsible for Sarah Lynn's death.BoJack: The funeral was huge, there were so many people there. I kept thinking, "I did this to her" and everyone was just standing around like "Well, this was bound to happen", but... It wasn't bound to happen.
- Non-Indicative Title: While the title refers to a line in Horsin' Around, nothing is going well for BoJack as the episode draws to a close. Sarah Lynn is dead and he feels solely responsible for her overdosing. Todd and Princess Carolyn are estranged from him. And now, a young girl not unlike Sarah Lynn at the same age says she wants to be just like him. All this drives BoJack into a panic attack that leads him to attempt suicide...but have second thoughts as he sees the herd of horses.
- Oh, Crap!: BoJack decides to work on "Ethan Around" only to panic and back out when all a young actress wants in life is to be famous like him.
- Overly Pre-Prepared Gag: Many critics have accused this season (whether seriously or jokingly) as being a big long setup for the Mad Max: Fury Road parody at the beginning.
- Passing the Torch: In keeping with BoJack's development, he insists that, as the show is "Ethan Around", Bradley should be the one with the pre-commercial joke, rather than him.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: This is the darkest season finale yet and finds BoJack at a new low. He's partially responsible for his television daughter's death, suffers a panic attack, and seems to be on the verge of committing suicide. However, the sight of a pack of horses running in the desert seems to inspire him not to give up on life.
- Replacement Goldfish: BoJack takes Chloe, the child actress on Ethan Around, under his wing the way he did with Sarah Lynn decades ago. When BoJack asks her what she wants to be when she grows up and she responds that she wants to be famous and "just like [him]", he has a panic attack and flees the set.
- The Reveal:
- Diane admits that she was a fan of Horsin' Around as a child, and that the escapism brought to her through the cheesy sitcom was actually what helped her survive her abusive family.
- Todd is officially revealed to be asexual after Emily asks him outright if he's gay. He assures her that he isn't, but isn't necessarily straight either, claiming that he might be "nothing".
- Sequel Hook:
- As Princess Carolyn restarts her company, she is contacted by someone looking for BoJack. She dismisses it as she doesn't work for BoJack any more, and we get a shot of who's calling: a teenage girl that looks remarkably similar to BoJack (later revealed to be Hollyhock, his half-sister).
- Thanks to his newfound status as a hero, Mr. Peanutbutter gets a visit from his first ex-wife, Katrina, who offers him a chance to run for mayor.
- This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: The ocean disaster takes it to ludicrous levels in being tailored specifically to Mr. Peanutbutter's resources.
- Toxic Friend Influence: BoJack finally realizes his "legacy" will involve being a "poison" that kills his relationships or his closest friends. Sarah Lynn's death and Diane's reassurances finally have him trying harder to improve his life.
- Wham Line: "I wanna be just like you."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We never hear what became of Ethan Around after BoJack bailed on the episode taping. Though, it can be assumed that the pilot did not get made.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Sarah Lynn's death has driven BoJack into the Despair Event Horizon, convinced that he's poisoned everyone who's ever cared about him and has no legacy beyond that. In response, Diane reveals watching Horsin' Around as a child was actually what helped her survive her abusive upbringing, assuring him that the simple pleasure of his sitcom has helped countless people.Diane: BoJack, there are millions of people who are better off for having known you.
