Can BoJack Horseman Make A Comeback After Being Canceled?

BoJack Horseman is an animated Netflix original series that has amassed quite a following since its premiere in 2014. The show follows a has-been 90s actor and his associates as they attempt to revitalize his dying career. Throughout its six seasons, the show explores the uglier side of the human experience, such as depression, addiction, and understanding the self, while also providing plenty of laughable moments. 

After years of ups and downs for the 90s sit-com star, the story concludes with an incarcerated BoJack attending the wedding of his former lover and agent, Princess Carolyn. He briefly reconnects with his friends at the event and we see the progression the characters have made since he was gone. Everyone appears to be in a good place in life and even BoJack's future seems promising.

The final season of BoJack Horseman was released in two parts, with the first six episodes being released on October 25, 2019, and the final six following on January 31, 2020. Fans were devastated to hear news of the show's cancellation, and to this day many still hold on to the hope that the series will make a surprise comeback in the future. The question is, how realistic is it that a reboot or season 7 will ever happen?

Why BoJack Horseman Was Cancelled

Considering the massive success of the show, viewers everywhere were shocked and heartbroken when it was announced that season 6 would be the show's final season. Fans were invested in the characters' arcs and the conclusion of season 5 left us eager to see them beat their inner demons. Nevertheless, Netflix decided to pull the plug.

Why did Netflix decide to cancel one of its best-performing shows at the height of its acclaim?

According to Insider, the streaming service is moving away from shows with more than three or four seasons because they are focusing on making more binge-able content. They believe that shorter and fewer seasons encourage more viewers to start a new show. Money was also cited as a reason for the cancellations, as shows become more expensive for Netflix to fund after the third season due to the nature of their deals.

In an interview with Vulture, the show's creator, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, confirmed the crew was given a proper heads up about the show's cancellation:

"I asked Netflix a few years ago, 'Look, do me a favor: If you ever think I should not do that, if you think maybe we’ve reached the end of the road, just give me a heads-up.'

They don’t have to do that, obviously. But I said I would appreciate it if I could have the forewarning to give the show a proper finale, and not set up some cliffhangers that will never pay off.

So when they picked up season six, they said, 'Hey, remember how you asked for that heads-up? We think that this is your heads-up.' So I’m very grateful that we got that notice."

He goes on to say the cancellation surprised him, as he thought they had a couple more years. Nonetheless, he's pleased they had time to give the series a satisfying conclusion. The final season earned a whopping 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's safe to say it was executed well. 

How Did BoJack Horseman End?

The final 6 episodes of the series take us on the journey of BoJack's downfall. His past choices finally catch up with him, and he is forced to face the consequences of his actions. 

We see him take a job as a drama professor at his half-sister's college, where he teaches Intermediate Film Study and begins to find purpose in his life. However, the arrival of a relentless reporter and her partner threatens to destroy the new life he's built. As the pair investigate the death of Sarah Lynn, the tips they receive lead them back to BoJack, and eventually, his involvement in her death is brought to light.

At the very end, he finds himself with a 14-month prison sentence for breaking into his old home in a drunken, suicidal mission. In the last episode, he is allowed to leave for one day in order to attend Princess Carolyn's wedding. It is at the wedding that we see what has been going on with the other characters during his absence.

Princess Carolyn gets the child she's always wanted, marries, and reaches new heights in her career. Todd finds love, work, and a renewed relationship with his parents. Diane learns to let go and trust the process and ends up with a man who loves her. Even BoJack's future sounds promising, which was insinuated when Princess Carolyn tells him the industry is buzzing about his comeback. 

Questions The Show Left Unanswered 

While fans were satisfied with the show's ending, there were a couple of lingering questions in the air after the screen went black. Television is an art, and it's the prerogative of the creators to leave some things open-ended. Considering how thorough the show was with everything else, it's likely the crew left some questions unanswered so that the audience could create their own theories and predictions. 

One of the biggest questions I had after the final episode is one that fans everywhere have pondered and discussed: What did the letter from Hollyhock say? After BoJack's actions are revealed to the public, Hollyhock refuses to answer his calls, and instead sends him a lengthy letter. He waits a long time to open it, afraid of what it might say.

In the 13th episode, he finally reads its contents at a college party. Whatever was written pushed him over the edge, leading to another drunken and drug-fueled blackout that almost took his life. Fans everywhere want to know what she could have said to drive him to this state, but the general consensus is that she requested they cut all contact and never speak again.

Another question left to be discussed is whether Mr. Peanutbutter ever came to terms with his need to grow up and whether he started taking steps to affect that change in himself. With Pickles leaving him to be the social media manager for Joey Pogo and his ex-wife in a new relationship, he's left alone and forced to take a long hard look at himself.

The other characters seem to have huge changes happening at the end when BoJack returns, but Mr. Peanutbutter remains the same. He seems to have adjusted well to being alone since the success of his project, Birthday Dad. It's hard to tell whether he has been seriously affected by his previous relationships, or whether it was just a low moment in his life that he has overcome. 

Regardless, the creators did an amazing job of wrapping everything up and ending the show the way it should have ended. All of the most pressing questions were addressed and the last seconds left us feeling sad but satisfied.

Will There Be A Season 7 Of BoJack Horseman?

Considering the show still had so much potential material to cover, many fans are hopeful that one day in the future, the show will make a comeback. Whether it be on another streaming platform or through a new medium, such as comic strips, fans are dying for the show to live on. If Horsin' Around can get an Ethan Around spinoff, why can't we have a reboot or spinoff for BoJack Horseman?

Unfortunately, a continuation or comeback of the show is very unlikely for a few different reasons. First of all, BoJack Horseman is a Netflix original, so the possibility of it being picked up by a different streaming service is off the table. Netflix has never uncancelled a show, so a continuation on the platform itself is also highly unlikely. 

Not to mention, Raphael Bob-Waksberg made a definitive statement about the future of the show in an interview with Vulture during the sixth season's production:

"I want to be very clear that this is an ending. This is a final season, we are building toward an ending. There’s nothing more to do. I feel very good about the show that we have made, and I think fans should be excited as well. There’s no injustice that needs to be righted as far as I’m concerned, as far as BoJack Horseman is concerned."

However, when asked about the possibility of doing a spin-off or movie if Netflix asked, this is what he had to say:

"I mean, I don’t want to rule anything out, but I will say, I am very happy with where we leave all the characters at the end of the show. Right now, I’m not itching to tell more stories in this universe, even though there were more stories that I would’ve been happy to tell.

The thing about BoJack is it’s very much focused on BoJack the character, right? So, it’s hard to imagine doing the show where he’s not going through something, that’s still about his journey.

Part of me feels like, oh, I would’ve liked to keep expanding the world, á la Springfield, and have an episode all about Lenny Turtletaub. Or have an episode all about these other side characters that we don’t really spend as much time with. I feel like we got to do a little bit of that on BoJack, but I also feel like it’s not what the show is. I think maybe there’s a limit to what we can do and still call it BoJack Horseman.

But I don’t know! Maybe in a couple years I’ll be itching to get back into it. Right now I feel like there’s something nice about making a thing and that’s the thing, then going on to make other things."

What Do I Watch After BoJack Horseman?

After going through such an emotional journey, it can be difficult to find a new show that lives up to it. There are many other entries in the tragicomedy genre to be explored, but none seem to hold a candle to BoJack Horseman.

If you're looking for a new bingeing project, I would recommend rewatching the show from start to finish. I've rewatched BoJack about ten times over the past couple of years, and I notice something I didn't see before every time I go through it. Whether it be the characters' outfits or amusing shenanigans happening in the background, something new always catches my eye. 

If you're looking for something completely new, I would recommend flipping through your Netflix suggestions to find the next show that will pull at your heartstrings. The internet is also a valuable resource; fans of the show often have similar tastes and can recommend other shows that they found just as entertaining.